Who Killed Piggy in Lord of the Flies: Unveiling the Culprit

The Grip of Fear in “Lord of The Flies”

Everyone in this world, from a six-year-old child to an eighty-year-old man, has something to fear. In the book Lord of The Flies by William Golding, A group of boys gets stranded on an island with no adults, but as their attempt at civilization crumbles, the boys are controlled by fear, and some turn savage-like. Fear affects the human ability to control impulses and instincts because you’re not thinking rationally; fear can also have you make assumptions that make you more afraid.

In the book, the boys are afraid of not being rescued, “the beast,” and anarchy/each other.

Despair of Rescue and a Tug of Hope

To begin with, the boy’s main fear was not being rescued, and some of the boys lost hope of being rescued, but Ralph and Piggy were set on getting off the island. “I’ve been watching the sea. There hasn’t been a trace of a ship. Perhaps we’ll never be rescued.’ A murmur rose and swept away. Ralph took back the conch. ‘I said before we’ll be rescued sometime. We’ve just got to wait, that’s all.” (Golding online book pg.33); I believe the author is trying to portray that some of the boys have different views of the island; some want to stay on an island without adults rather than go back home. This quote is important because the first piece of dialogue is Roger, and he’s very negative about being rescued, and that makes some of the boys very conscious; the second piece of dialogue is Ralph trying to reassure the rest of the boys that they’re going to be rescued, but they need to be patient.

The Imagined “Beast” and its Savage Consequences

In addition, the ‘littluns’ have an imaginative fear of a “beast,” but in reality, it’s just their imagination; at first, the boys don’t believe them, but they become paranoid. “_Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!_” Now out of the terror rose another desire, thick, urgent, blind.” (Golding online book pg.118); what I believe the author is trying to say in this quote is that they become very savage, and their fear made them imagine that there was a “beast” on the island with them, but in reality, they killed an innocent little boy. This quote is important because it shows that when you are afraid, you tend not to think rationally and do things that you might regret.

The Death of Order: Piggy’s End

Furthermore, some of the boys are scared of anarchy/each other; Piggy especially is afraid of anarchy/the others because he believes that without it, something is bound to happen to him; that’s why he’s so religious about the conch. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went. The rock bounded twice and was lost in the forest. Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea.” (Golding online book pg.141); what the author is trying to say in this quote is that during their time on the island, they changed into savages. This quote is important because it shows the anarchy they’re living in, with no authorities and rules, or judgment.

Conclusion: The Descent into Savagery

In conclusion, fear in the book by William Golding, Lord of The Flies, turns all the boys into savage animals that act on instinct. At first, the boy’s main fear was not getting rescued, but more into the book, they become afraid of the “beast” which was from their imagination; they killed an innocent boy because they acted on instinct, then their civilization fell to pieces, and they became afraid of each other, and they killed Piggy and tried to kill Ralph. When you’re afraid, you can’t think properly, and all you can think about is the safety of yourself.

References:

1. Golding, William. “Lord of the Flies.”

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