Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Fear Essay

Human’s fears should not be taken lightly. Fear could do anything to one’s minds, though without fear, man can be as savage as animals. In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding presented fear of the unknown to be a powerful force in a man’s mind. Fear of the unknown is a powerful force, which can turn to either insight or hysteria. The kids feared of not being rescued off of the island, so they made signal fires on top of the mountain. Then, there and gone, Roger’s fear of the old rules he abided to. Also, there were the fears of the beast which confused and isolated the kids from the top of the mountain.

The kids’ fear of not being rescued from the island led the group to the top of the mountain to make signal fires. They used Piggy’s glasses in order to make that fire:

Jack pointed suddenly. ‘His specs- use them as burning glasses!’

Piggy was surrounded before he could back away. ‘Here- let

me go!’ His voice rose … Jack snatched the glasses off his face…

Ralph moved the lenses back and forth…Almost at once a thin

trickle of smoke rose gently…(Golding, 40-41).

Piggy, who represented clear conscience or brilliance in mankind had no respect or say over much things on the island from the others. Piggy thought it was a bad idea and indeed, it was:

Smoke was rising here and there among the creepers…Small flames

…crawled away through the leaves and brushwood, dividing and

increasing…Acres of black and yellow smoke rolled steadily

toward the sea (Golding, 44).

This fire destroyed a big part of the island, thus limiting them on meat or fruits to survive on. This same disaster happened again when Jack and the hunters hunted Ralph, “Now the fire was nearer; those volleying shots were great limbs, trunks even, bursting. The fools! The fools! The fire must be almost at the fruit trees-what would they eat tomorrow” (Golding, 198). They went as far as burning the whole forest to smoke out Ralph. The event, if wasn’t for the ships noticing the fire and rescuing them was all but positive, the hunters didn’t think as to what would happen next after they burn the forest and kill Ralph. Ralph of course wasn’t even a threat to them; Jack feared that Ralph’s presence could be disastrous toward his control.

Roger’s fear of the old rules of his society he abided also changed him. He first wouldn’t do anything mean toward anyone because he fears of what the adults might have to say to him:

Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet

there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter,

into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was

the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the

protection of parents and school and the policemen and the law (Golding, 62).

Here was the fear inside of him, buried. This buried emotion was lifted moments later when Jack found some charcoal to paint their face with: “He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He spilt the water and leapt to his feet, laughing excitedly” (Golding, 63). The painted faces lifted all of their fears, changing them into more savage beings, which supposedly were to be used for hunting to blend themselves within the environment. After a while longer, Roger’s fear of the old rules had completely vanished:

High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment,

leaned all his weight on the lever. Ralph heard the great rock

before he saw it…The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow

from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white

fragments and ceased to exist…Piggy fell forty feet and landed