In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, fear is employed by certain characters, benefitting themselves and hurting others. The use of fear undermines the ability of the boys to have a civilized society on the island, furthering the modernist view of the inherent malice and savagery of humankind. Fear is the belief that someone is in imminent danger, and this forces the person to make rash judgement to save themselves from what they believe is a threat. Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of boys stranded on an island, outside the confines of society. The book explores the natural state of humanity, and shows the ability of emotions, such as fear, in leading the boys to commit foolish and heinous acts. By illustrating the weakness
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When Ralph approaches the savages, he attempts to call an assembly by blowing the conch, but “[the savages] muttered among themselves but made no motion” (Golding 175). The fear Jack created about the Beast and Ralph has consumed his tribe so much that it has replaced the role of society. This further shows the ability of fear to compromise the boys ability to have a civilized society. The rejection of the conch, the symbol of order and society, is the final step in the boys rejection of the confines and rules of society. However, the fact that the savages “muttered among themselves” shows that, although it is slight, there still is some influence of society on the boys. In addition, the use of fear by Jack has finally allowed him to achieve his goal of control over his own tribe. Fear is simply the vessel by which to achieve Jack’s goal of being …show more content…
Instead of ruling the group, Ralph is forced to choose between, “break the line. A tree. Hide, and let them pass” (Golding 196-197). Ralph now has to make possible life or death decisions because Jack’s tribe is so manipulated by fear. The short length of the sentences shows the inability of Ralph to think clearly, showcasing the fight or flight response. This is symbolic of the whole novel as fear and savagery force even the most civilized of the boys, Ralph, to act based on his fear of death and harm. The boys of Jack’s tribe are unable to look past their fear of the Beast and Ralph, from which Jack offers protection, and in return make violent, rash decisions. This ability of fear to have such a profound impact on the boys shows the modernist perspective, that humans are inherently evil and irrational, of the author, Golding. Instead of believing in the natural rationality of humans, he shows that they instead are motivated by protection for themselves, whatever the
When Ralph approaches the savages, he attempts to call an assembly by blowing the conch, but “[the savages] muttered among themselves but made no motion” (Golding 175). The fear Jack created about the Beast and Ralph has consumed his tribe so much that it has replaced the role of society. This further shows the ability of fear to compromise the boys ability to have a civilized society. The rejection of the conch, the symbol of order and society, is the final step in the boys rejection of the confines and rules of society. However, the fact that the savages “muttered among themselves” shows that, although it is slight, there still is some influence of society on the boys. In addition, the use of fear by Jack has finally allowed him to achieve his goal of control over his own tribe. Fear is simply the vessel by which to achieve Jack’s goal of being …show more content…
Instead of ruling the group, Ralph is forced to choose between, “break the line. A tree. Hide, and let them pass” (Golding 196-197). Ralph now has to make possible life or death decisions because Jack’s tribe is so manipulated by fear. The short length of the sentences shows the inability of Ralph to think clearly, showcasing the fight or flight response. This is symbolic of the whole novel as fear and savagery force even the most civilized of the boys, Ralph, to act based on his fear of death and harm. The boys of Jack’s tribe are unable to look past their fear of the Beast and Ralph, from which Jack offers protection, and in return make violent, rash decisions. This ability of fear to have such a profound impact on the boys shows the modernist perspective, that humans are inherently evil and irrational, of the author, Golding. Instead of believing in the natural rationality of humans, he shows that they instead are motivated by protection for themselves, whatever the