Sample Literary Analysis Essay (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

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Next, the boys’ leader, Ralph, has his own fears. However, he deals with them

differently than Jack does. At first he does not fear the beast; rather, he fears that the boys will

never be rescued due to the group’s inability to keep a rescue fire lit. Ralph’s fear remains valid

through most of the book, yet his efforts to convey the urgency of the fire to the group are

thwarted by Jack. At one point, Ralph exclaims, “I’m chief…There’s no signal showing. There

may be a ship out there. Are you all off your rockers?”(108). This quote shows how he

continuously tries to stress the fire and his fear of not being rescued. Ralph also begins to fear

the other boys. After Simon dies, he realizes just what the boys are capable of doing, especially

under Jack’s influence. He tries to conquer this fear by looking to Piggy for rationalization and

for guidance as to how best lead on the island.

The last boy, Piggy, fears Jack—and with good reason. Jack takes his anger out on Piggy,

who stands in stark contrast to Jack’s character: “I’m scared of him…but if you stand out of the

way he’d hurt the next thing. And that’s me” (93). Piggy handles this fear by avoiding Jack and

remaining loyal to Ralph. Another fear that Piggy experiences is a fear of being ignored or

shunned by others. Above all else, Piggy wants acknowledgement of his opinions and thoughts,

as proven by his statement: “I got the conch…You let me speak!”(42). This quote shows Piggy’s

constant efforts to be recognized by the others and to make them pay attention to him.

Throughout most of the novel, Piggy seeks refuge from his fears in both Ralph and the conch.

In conclusion, William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies exposes the reader to three

characters with different personalities and fears: Jack, Ralph, and Piggy. Each of the boys try to

conquer his fear in a different way. Fear is a natural emotion encountered by everyone, but each

person deals with it in a way that best fits his/her individual personality.

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