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Microcosm In Lord Of The Flies Essay

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After pondering how best to rule as a leader, legendary philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli considered that “People will be less likely to conspire against someone they fear than someone they love.” As a result he determined that it is “much safer to be feared than loved”. Throughout the course of time history has proven this to be true time and time again. From the ancient egyptians to dictators like Joseph Stalin, ruthless dictators have proven that fear is an excellent way to maintain control of a large group of people. This principle is shown in William Golding's Lord of the flies, when a large group of british boys is stranded on an island. Golding articulates his theory that people follow those who rule by fear rather than those who lead by love by using the island the boys are stranded on as a microcosm for society.

In the beginning of this novel the boys recognize the lack of authority on the island. While they are at first ecstatic about having the freedom of choice they’d always wished for. Eventually however, a boy named Ralph suggests that the lack of leadership on the island could lead to savagery taking over saying “we’ve got to have …show more content…

By using Jack as an example, Goulding is able to demonstrate his belief in fear being both a powerful motivator and a key method to controlling others. Furthermore, his novel shows fear as being something that leads people to make harsh actions they might otherwise not, even murdering children and burning forests. He shows fear as overpowering desires of love and want by placing the boys in a scene where they are forced to sacrifice their fun and freedom for leadership just from fear that they might otherwise become savages. In conclusion, while pondering the question of fear compared to love Goulding comes to the same conclusion as Machiavelli…. “It is much safer to be

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