Lord of the Flies Essay - the Beast

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LORD OF THE FLIES – FINAL ESSAY – THE EFFECTS OF THE BEAST Lord of the Flies by William Golding takes place during World War II when a plane full of British schoolboys who are being evacuated crashes. The plane crashes on an uncharted island in the middle of the ocean killing the pilot – the only adult. The boys elect a leader, Ralph, create rules that are soon broken and, for the most part, get along. But, when a little boy claims to have seen a beast-like creature of some sort, most of the kids believe it. Some of them don’t, but either way, the myth of the Beastie is created. It is apparent to the readers there is no beast and it is just a creation of their inner fear. Most of the boys are deathly afraid of the beast, but there are three main characters who are differently affected by the idea. Jack, Ralph and Simon are in three unlike situations completely different from any of the other boys on the island, and they all deal with it in different ways. They are all affected by the fear of the beast in different ways. They all react differently to the idea of a beast. It will be proven that each one was affected in a different way and they all react in ways that ultimately cause society to crumble. Ralph did not believe in the beast at all in the start of the novel. He continuously said, “But there isn’t a beastie!” It was until he saw the ‘beast’ he believed. But really, he just let his fear take over like the other boys. When describing the beast’s appearance to Piggy, he said, “The beast had teeth and big black eyes.” What the boys saw was a dead parachutist who looks nothing like that portrayal. The beast is just their fear and that’s what overtook Ralph in that moment. He was controlled by his fear and savagery once again when he was at the feast and participates in the killing of Simon. They mistook him for the beast because that is what
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