How Does Golding Use Fear In Lord Of The Flies

There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are plane wrecked on an uninhabited island and try to adapt to the changes in their lives by attempting to build a civilization. But as time goes on, that steadily crumbles and they slowly descend into savagery. Simon discovers the true identity of the beast; Ralph and the remaining bigguns join Jack 's tribe for a feast and a party. Simon is brutally murdered by the boys, having been confused for the beast. This expression of savagery depicts how fear will control the mind and express itself in an unimaginable manner. In chapter 9 of Lord of the Flies, William Golding employs repetition, symbolism, and natural imagery to convey the theme of fear controlling the human mind and inculcates one to act abnormally.

It allows people to truly process how the boys are feeling and what causes them to commit murder. Golding uses the words “blue-white scar” (193-194) on more than one occasion to describe the lightning that is booming in the background of this horrific scene. This portrays a different outlook and creates a chilling mood in the chapter. The reiteration of the phrase “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (193-194) begins to make the chant almost vicious, primitive, and bloodthirsty. It makes the boys sound manic and mutinous. The recurring use of the phrase “blue-white scar” creates a grim mood in the setting that reverberates throughout the story and adds to the portrayal of boys degrading into savagery. The boys repeated, passionate chant about killing the beast highlights their descent into savagery. Their constant chant riled them up and made them blind to the reality of what they were actually doing, made them blind to anything but the passione that drove them to commit