Lord of the Flies

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   amethystrose Teacher
   High School - 9th Grade

   One of the littl'uns asks Ralph what he's going to do about the "snake-thing" which some of the other boys refer to as the "beastie".  The youngest boys are the most scared, and their imaginations being to play tricks on them.  They imagine seeing a creature, believing that it will come back to eat them.  It is the fear of the unknown that accelerates and grows into paranoia, which leads the boys to commit unspeakable acts.  Chapter two is the first time such a beast is mentioned, but its "presence" permeates the novel.  When asked about the beast in chapter five, Simon replies that maybe there is no beast, "it's just us."  Their fear leads them to accidentally kill Simon and mutilate a mother pig, and then blood lust begins to consume Jack and his followers.  What began as a fear of the unknown grows into a fear of one another. 

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/chapter-2-summary-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/chapter-5-summary-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/flies/themes

   Rate answer:

    

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by amethystrose on Wednesday March 19, 2008 at 9:53 AM
   
   

You can now ask questions directly from Facebook, add the Ask a Teacher App from eNotes!