Lord of the Flies
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 01/09/2011 08:28 AM
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Jevaughn Sodhi
ENG 2D1
May 3rd 2101
Ms. Schneider
Fear in Lord of the Flies
Fear is a natural characteristic that each individual possess, fear plays a big role in every human being’s life and judgement no matter what the fear is. In the novel, “Lord of the Flies”, William Golding shows that fear can be used very powerfully, and can transform people from civil to savages. The main cause of fear on the island is Jack Merridew. In the beginning Jack is extremely jealous that Ralph is chief, it seems that Jack’s only aspiration is to be chief but at some point his outlook changes and he wants fear from the boys so that he can use it to control them. His instant desire to paint his face to portray a “stranger” frightens the boys yet encourages them to follow him and do the same. Jack also uses fear in exploiting the boys’ needs to win them over to his tribe and finally seals it by threatening with the beast they believe to exist. The significance of the stealing of Piggy’s glasses is that Jack believes he can do whatever he wants; no one will stop him, not even Ralph. Fear is the overall power that Jack possesses and uses to his advantage in the novel.
The boys begin to fear Jack when he smears himself with blood and mud.
“[Jack] looked in astonishment no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He split the water and leapt to his feet excitedly. Beside the mere, his sinewy body help up a mask that drew eyes and appalled them. He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. [...] The mask was a thing on its own behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.”(63-64)
The bloodthirsty snarling and animal-like behaviour of Jack frightens the boys and convinces them to begin listening to Jack more than Ralph. The fear instilled in the boys by Merridew displays to the boys that they rather are with him then against him. The mask hides Jack’s self-consciousness side, the side of him he fears, and...
ENG 2D1
May 3rd 2101
Ms. Schneider
Fear in Lord of the Flies
Fear is a natural characteristic that each individual possess, fear plays a big role in every human being’s life and judgement no matter what the fear is. In the novel, “Lord of the Flies”, William Golding shows that fear can be used very powerfully, and can transform people from civil to savages. The main cause of fear on the island is Jack Merridew. In the beginning Jack is extremely jealous that Ralph is chief, it seems that Jack’s only aspiration is to be chief but at some point his outlook changes and he wants fear from the boys so that he can use it to control them. His instant desire to paint his face to portray a “stranger” frightens the boys yet encourages them to follow him and do the same. Jack also uses fear in exploiting the boys’ needs to win them over to his tribe and finally seals it by threatening with the beast they believe to exist. The significance of the stealing of Piggy’s glasses is that Jack believes he can do whatever he wants; no one will stop him, not even Ralph. Fear is the overall power that Jack possesses and uses to his advantage in the novel.
The boys begin to fear Jack when he smears himself with blood and mud.
“[Jack] looked in astonishment no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger. He split the water and leapt to his feet excitedly. Beside the mere, his sinewy body help up a mask that drew eyes and appalled them. He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. [...] The mask was a thing on its own behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.”(63-64)
The bloodthirsty snarling and animal-like behaviour of Jack frightens the boys and convinces them to begin listening to Jack more than Ralph. The fear instilled in the boys by Merridew displays to the boys that they rather are with him then against him. The mask hides Jack’s self-consciousness side, the side of him he fears, and...