What Role Does Fear Play In Lord Of The Flies Wrongdoing

The theme for the Lord of the Flies is that all people are capable of wrongdoing. In the story everyone starts out nice and helping each other but by the end they all turn to killing people. On page 154 the narrator says “Simon’s dead body moved out towards the open sea.” Before the boys got to the island they were taught not to steal, but without any authority they start doing things they know is wrong and soon it becomes natural. On page 168 the narrator talks about how Jack stole Piggy’s glasses, “From his left hand dangled Piggy’s broken glasses.” In the story we are introduced to Roger, a shy kid who likes to keep to himself and never speaks up, but by the end of the story becomes a murderer with a nameless authority, “The hangman’s horror clung round …show more content…
Fear plays a major role in the novel from taking power to getting people to do their bidding. In the story Jack uses the one thing all character are greatly afraid of, the beast, and says he can persuade the beast to leave them alone. “When we kill we’ll leave some of the kill for it. Then it won’t bother us, maybe” (Golding 133). After Jack has reassured them that he can protect everyone from the beast, he takes over being chief and everyone must do as he says. “The Chief stopped by the pig, turned, and held up his hands. ‘Back! Back to the fort’”(Golding 181-182) Later in the story Jack uses fear to get Samneric to going his tribe by tying them up and poking them with spears. “‘You got to join the tribe.’ ‘You lemme go-’ ‘-and me’ The Chief snatched one of the few spears that were left and poked Sam in the ribs”(Golding 182). Because Jack has found the one thing all of the kids are afraid of his is able to take control of the tribe by “protecting” the from their fears.
What role does self identity play in the novel? In the Lord of the Flies everyone’s identity and ]norms changes to something never seen before in their past life because of the