In the novel “Lord of The Flies,” by William Golding, in the midst of World War II, a plane crashes on a stranded island. The boys on the plane make their best effort to unify into one group as they try to survive, however, such efforts soon go to waste when they are faced with problems including, what they call the “beast”. Throughout the course of their stay, the feeling of fear consistently arises no matter how many times the boys try to push it away. This is because, this feeling is present among all the boys, changing the projection of the false beast to fit their definition of what they call fear. The projection of one's fear can become a false reality when acknowledged because what the beast can be considered in real life can distract one from actual depth of the real-world danger .

On the island, the boys try to rid their minds of the beast, but as they stay, day and night, they realize that there is no escaping their feeling of fear until they try to hunt down the beast, when in reality,  their attention to the beast made their situation even more dreadful. In one of their first meetings concerning the beast, the boys attempt to acknowledge that the beast is not real, and some do not believe that the beast is. Jack speaks that if there was a beast he would hunt it, but since he’s a hunter and has been all over, he saw no beast, so he supposed it not to exist. “Well then-I’ve been all over this island. By myself. If  there were a beast I’d have seen it. Be frightened because you’re like that-but there is no beast in the forest.”(83). As the boys attempt to subside the fact that there is no beast, the lingering feeling that one exists, grows to the point where they do not feel control over the situation, because they do not know what the beast is. However, as they continue to acknowledge the beast , the falsity of the situation grows to the point where their underlying problems are not recognized as often. These problems include Jack arising actions of violence.  The beast provides a distraction, and they do not feel at ease until they fabricate what the beast can be. They wonder if it is a being that is huntable, or in terms, could be something that they can control, hindering them from realizing that the beast is a more fearful approach.

In the novel, the beast is an image of a singular problem overshadowing another, which can be connected to a real world problem of the distribution of guns. Guns, in the present day, are misused, leading to the fear that one can get shot at any given moment. Although the fear of guns is very real,  the problem in depth, shows that the dangers of being shot is a singular problem, acting as a cover, distracting others from what could lie beneath with the system of government, and how they are not considered to be the more feared part of the situation. Since the people in government opposed of the idea of expanding background checks, and  making guns less heavily accessible to children, the idea of doing so, soon faded. The website says, “No senators who were in office for the 2013 vote changed their position when the provision was brought up again after the San Bernardino killings in 2015. And the second time around only 48 votes of support for expanding background checks could be found” In reality,  this shows that it is the individuals beneath the surface, the government, could have the ability to change the calamity, but are choosing otherwise. Rather than realizing underlying problems as to why America may want to keep the distribution of guns, the fear of getting shot became the more emphasised issue, the beast in this case.

As the novel continues, the little ones contribute to rise of Jacks ego, and leadership, because they believe at this point, that Jack is able to provide the means of safety. Because of this safety, he now grows to be even more in control than Ralph. Here, he demonstrates his power of authority by calling an assembly finally acknowledging the beast. “I’ve called an assembly, said Jack, because of a lot of things. For you know now, we’ve seen the beast.” Since it seems like the little ones, and all the big ones that now trust in the fact that there is a beast, Jack is once more able to assert the attention to the beast. He uses, consciously or unconsciously, the beast as an excuse for odd actions he takes, like pig rituals, so no one suspects anything. It seems, like the government, Jack is able to be excused because the fear of the beast prohibits the talk of anything else. And, the big kids, let his actions continue.

The money that is received from the distribution of guns, is more than protected by the amendment which states the right to own it.  Guns are becoming more of an issue, as constant struggles are presented by unstable individuals having one. Most of the people in government, are also prominent supporters of these firearms, that one can question whether guns are actually necessary in society today, or is it yet another cover to hide the “benefits” received from it, which is money.  In the website, it states, “But if lawmakers seem to tiptoe around gun issues, it's likely at least in part because the NRA and other gun rights groups are loaded for bear with a seemingly limitless stash of cash ammunition...During the 2016 election cycle, the NRA further opened its coffers to make $54.3 million in outside expenditures, up from $27 million during the 2014 cycle.” Money is always a constant issue, however, this issue overlooked at times when lives are at stake. One can not usually think of the depth of problem when issues seem to arise from what the guns seem to take, lives.  It’s almost as if the beast in this situation changed to fit a different view because, it is the own people outside of government contributing to such things. The people of America.

The comparison between gun control and the beast may seem odd, but in some cases, are very similar. Fearing a gunshot, is the same as the fear of the beast because of how it can distract an individual from understanding the underlying problem. While as, it is dissimilar because, a gunshot is a very fearful thing, while as the fear of the government, or even the own people of America contributing to gun use, is not frightful enough, like how some of the kids are not considered to be at fault for contributing to Jack’s ego.  In the end, fear distracts us, from what could be happening underneath, when one is too preoccupied when death could be in the picture.

Work Cited

            Golding, William. Lord of The Flies.

          New York: Penguin, 2006.

Gun Rights vs Gun Control.” OpenSecrets, www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/guns.

Burger, John. “Beyond Gun Control: Exploring the Underlying Issues of School Shootings.”Aleteia - Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture, Aleteia, 20 Mar. 2018, aleteia.org/2018/03/06/beyond-gun-control-exploring-the-underlying-issues-of-school-shootings/2/.

In the story of “Lord of the flies” by William Golding the author tells a story of a group of young boys who on a journey on a plane and they crashed into a deserted island, although many died, a couple survived. They find themselves on an island with no adults. They were having trouble getting civilized which makes them having different images such as thinking about things that do not survive or die such as beast and so on. Each one of them has their own rules for their own selves until the time came for voting for a leader. Piggy was a boy who plays multiple roles in the story, more than everybody else, and Ralph was a friend who does what Piggy told him because he wants to be a leader and Piggy has a better knowledge on survival skills which is needed on the island. Fear is something that people feel when they are afraid or feel danger at some point and is a dependant upon the amount of respect given to you by the community around you. In today’s world, fear is like a fundament deeply wired reactions to people. They are the type of imagination that people think could happen such as choosing or making up ideas that don’t exist.

In the book chapter 6 “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding the quote says --“In the darkness of early morning there were noises by the rock a little way down the side of the mountain. Tow boys rolled out a pile of brushwood and dead leaves, two dim shadows talking sleepily to each other…. Now they approach the darker smudge that had been the signal fire, yawing, rubbing their eyes, treading with practiced feet. When they reached it they stopped yawning, and one ran quickly back for brushwood and leaves.” (96) This shows that the boys feel fear because they were in the dark doing something when a figure heats in the tree. They thought it was a beast because it was in the night and they couldn't think of anything just only a beast because they scaring their own selves. In the real world, people in the village, if the people really wanted to become a leader the person needs to know all of their expectation about been a leader. Piggy was the person who gave Ralph advice and he can still be a leader by listening to someone. In the village, the people can just be leaders by listening to someone the person needs to think about what the person is responsible for and know your rights. According to the website president Trump wanted to be a leader but he doesn't know his rules he just made up anything, this site was talking about he was preparing for wars in North Korea. Later on, he sends a message to asked the Korean people to meet to avid the Backlash. In the book, Piggy was preparing for a leadership role while he knows what to do, he was giving advice to Ralph on how to be a leader. Piggy was the person who decides the better one but no one wanted to listen to him all they know is teasing him. This gives him the disadvantage because with this he has little to no chance of taking the leadership role.

In chapter 8 “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding this quote says, “Son was crying out something about a dead man on a hill.” kill the beast! Cut the throat! Spills his blood! Do him in!” (114) This quote is showing that Simon knows the truth about the beast and why all of these random events take place on the island. He quickly ran back to go tell his people but Jack was having a celebration in the night and the heavy storm started. Simon came there he was about to talk but they didn't know that was Simon. They felt fear and beat him up which leads to his death. In the real world, in the village people feel the same thing but it doesn't cause them to hunt each other for no reason because feel fear like what they did to Simon in the story. At some point, people feel fear like the little kids in the story but the elders do not mind them they just keep on going like Ralph who doesn't mind other kids who fear of the beast. According to the website is talking about how shooting affects people’s lives from taking away other people’s life. In the novel the kids feel fear whenever they hear or see something scary they get time to talk to Ralph when he was informing them that they were no beast on the Island; this is the same as guns if people understand the struggling of shooting other people’s life they feel shocked, worried and anxious they feel their lives were going to be taken away they get time to talk to people for help in order to get rid of the anger in themselves.   

In my conclusion the novel of the Lord of the Flies when the people compared it to the real world connection it can stands to a lot of things for example when they take Simon as leader, Piggy can be like a student who gets bullied in school and Jack can be as a student bullier that scared the student all of the time and the Littluns can be the students in school who just do what they were asked for because they all from a school so that can basically have some connection with school properties. Piggy doesn't earn much respect as a person on the island due to the way he looks and carries himself. On the other hand, Ralph earns respect from the group of boys because he speaks his mind, although Piggy gives him most of the ideas. Also, look at Jack who gains most of the respective through placing fear into the other boys.

Work Cited

Golding, William. Lord of the flies. New York: penguin, 2006.

www.easybib.com

Sources:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/south-korea-worries-about-the-return-of-john-bolton-and-his-hawkish-views/2018/03/23/4adc68aa-2e6c-11e8-911f-ca7f68bff0fc_story.html?utm_term=.6161df99d271

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/mass-shooting.aspx

Gone Mad

     Do the natural outdoors have a big enough impact on someone to make them go ¨mad¨? In this day in age people are used to their luxuries. Even the littlest things that people may use everyday such as air conditioning or heating or the ability to flush a toilet are in fact luxuries. These functions are now now considered normal. So if  someone with these luxuries were dropped on an island with nothing but their will to live, what is their first thought? Survival.

     In the novel ¨The Lord of the Flies¨ by William Golding, a group of boys were stranded on an island and could be described as crazy. The author had been in a situation related to the boys when he served in the Royal Navy for about six years. His experiences may have influenced his writing of the novel. After days of surviving on an unknown island, in ¨Lord of the Flies¨, a young boy by the name of Simon starts to see what he perceived to be a demon.  The poor boy was being chased by a pig's head on a stick that was held upby the older boys. But through his exhausted eyes, it was a beast, something the children had dubbed “The Lord of the Flies”. This was Simon's fear being brought to life to terrify him, but was also a way that the other boys could have fun terrorizing the young boy. As the ¨beast¨ followed Simon through the woods, it spoke, ¨There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the beast.¨(143) The fear that Simon had been experiencing had caught up to him in an abrupt moment causing him to imagine the pigs head on a stick to be alive. The Lord of the Flies received a small victory when Simone looked deep into the beast's eyes and blacked out.

     In an article about the studies of APA President Philip G. Zimbardo, it talks about the reasoning for certain behaviors that may be viewed or even diagnosed as ¨mad¨. Zimbardo had a theory that maybe madness is a symptom brought on by an unexpected event or change in a person's everyday life. Zimbardo did a study on a few college student volunteers and found out that if the student is under a lot of pressure and stress, or if his/her surroundings are stressful or any other emotion to the extreme, that their response to it can be influenced by the amount of one emotion being forced onto them.

     In relation to the book, Simon had been influenced by the over producing fear that him and the rest of the boys were surrounded by. The boys had experienced a huge change in their day to day pattern when they were dropped on an island and relied on each other to survive. Simon, being one of the younger boys, was more susceptible to fear, causing his emotions to get scattered more easily and in result, he started to go mad. Zimbardo had talked about when someone is put in a situation they cannot deal with, that their coping mechanisms may result in behaviors labeled psychopathology. ¨When the volunteers were unable to come up with acceptable explanations or social comparisons for their arousal, their inability to deal with it would eventually lead to predictable symptoms of psychopathology.¨ This can relate to Simon in that he could not find a way to deal with his fear, and so it soon turned into a beast.

     The novel ¨Lord of the Flies¨ by William Golding represents the fact that normal people can go mad, and this relates to the real world because there have been studies proving the how and why normal people go mad. The environment in which a person is placed can have a big enough impact on that person to make them go mad. This study can help society by recognizing that it is possible to go mad due to a situation or surroundings of a person.

Fear may be one of the most paralyzing experiences, not because it can physically kill human beings, but because it can damage them emotionally. Human beings are afraid of being outcasts, and therefore, they attempt to join groups so that they do not feel so isolated. The fear of not being accepted forces human beings to adopt behaviors and personalities that are not our own. In a society where people are heavily influenced by one another, it is easy for human beings’ overwhelming fear of being alone impacts who they choose to be and how they choose to act. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding challenges readers to witness the many ways young boys, such as the littluns, follow the sometimes irrational leads of the older boys because they fear they will not survive otherwise. Humans will change their behavior and follow group trends when the fear of being an outcast outweighs all other factors.

Human beings often feel the need to fit in, and throughout each generation, the need to follow others’ lead grows stronger. In the case of Lord of the Flies is we see the younger boys try to follow the older ones in the means of finding a place to belong. In the beginning of the chapter, readers have limited access to the histories  of the different characters in the novel. Before the boys elect a chief,they begin to figure different things out. In this moment they are learning each other names and when they boys call piggy ¨Fatty¨ Ralph is quick to correct them and tell him his name is Piggy when we all know that is not his actually name. It than states ¨A storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. For a moment they boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside¨ (21)  Here, even the tiniest of the boys laughs, but we do not know the child’s intention. Because everyone else is laughing, the littlun joins in. He at the time may have not knew what was going on because they were so little but because they saw others laughing they decided to join in. If the child had chosen to ignore the laughter and remain quiet, he would have served as an outcast,image if he had not joined in with the others and then he too would be next to be the joke of the island. There was this fear of better him than me and that was the compelling reason for them to join in with the laughter rather than stick up for Piggy. In what we are trying to address it’s natural to want to belong and there will always and forever will be a need to belong. This behavior is also exhibited in the real world as well. According to Today’s Psychology, there is psychological evidence for the reasoning behind us wanting to follow the crowd. One reason others influence us is because humans are social. Based on several studies we have survived because of our ability to band together, seeing how early humans who formed groups were more likely to survive than those who went solo. Both the real world situation and the book corealate, in the way they go about join the groups. It is as if they are not willy joins the groups but are doing it by force because they fear the outcome if they don't.

In chapter seven of the novel, the boys have been on the island for quite some time now and learn that in order for them to survive they need to hunt for their food. At this point the boys are already losing faith in their hopes to go back home. That afternoon while wondering the island looking for the beast, the boys find pig droppings. It is then Jack suggests they hunt the pig while also looking for the beast. It then continues to say “Well. We shan’t find what we're looking for at this rate. One by one they stood twitching rags into place.” (135) In a decision that is made by the chief they  they now go out and hunt for food in the hopes that they will find what they are looking for, but instead it causes for the boys to bring a side of themselves they have not seen before. The boys decide to follow the lead of their chief and side with best the decision they believe is best at the time, though they did not have any other choice at the time I believe they did this out of pressure, because if one were to go against the rules of society.  the one that was placed on time being on this island alone. It would not only leave that person a stray but also be harmful for that person because they would turn on him as well. This forces them to do thing they have never done before and this solely because they don't want to be an outcast. I image not everyone was comfortable with the idea of killing, but to say if they did not help than the would not receive any food.there would be consequences if the boys did not follow after Jack, but there is also the conquest of knolling that they have lost their insconces. An example of this behavior is represented in the reaklworld as well. There was a case of a man who did not want to be muslim anymore and for that reason he was banished from his home and was forced to move away. If there a family member that felt the same balfieds that would not speak up after witnessing this because them too would become an outcast.

In conclusion, though there are a myriad reasons why our brains tell us that we need to be like one another, there is also a part that tells us we should be different. Just as it shows us from what is right and wrong. In a world that is fixated  on following other people’s lead, r it is only a hope that we will break free from this pattern.We know there is such a thing as a leader and a follower, but followers can also serve as leaders.

Traumatic events cause different reactions in people depending on their personality, but they have a higher chance of being  detrimental to children. Think of a child getting lost in store for a second that child thinks they are all alone in the world, and that memory can stick with them. Some children refuse to speak after trauma, while others act out in destructive ways, and many children become numb to the trauma. In The Lord of The Flies by William Golding, one may see savages and boys reverting to natural, predatory, tendencies. But through a psychological lens, the reader can take  a different view. The boys are not acting on savage instinct, but rather coping with the loss of adult figures and the stress of being on their own.

A group of boys ages ranging up to 12 get stranded on an island. They vote for a leader, Ralph, who remains the leader throughout the book. The boys create a character called the beast who one boy, Simon, says that the beast is just a man.  After the boys behavior really gets out of hand and the boy, Simon, ends up dying. Piggy, who seems to remain a voice of reason throughout the book is comforting Ralph after the Murder of Simon and Ralph says, "I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home Oh God, I want to go home." pg 157  I want to go home is a statement that shows the youth of Ralph. He was placed in a position of power and now we can see his weakness. Out of the loss of theadults they attempt to make their own civilization the death of Simon is the beginning of the fall of their society. They created the character of the beast to personify their fear and when that idea was challenged they lashed out. Now that Simon is dead, Ralph feels that he has failed as a leader and he now longs for home where everything is in order and he doesn’t have to run his own life. If he was acting solely on savage instinct this wouldn’t be part of his reaction. If he was only acting on primitive instinct he would feel guilt or be mourning Simon.

The boys behavior can be examined from a psychological perspective. In an article written about Children and Teens with PTSD.  THe following was said, “They might also think there were signs that the trauma was going to happen. As a result, they think that they will see these signs again before another trauma happens. They think that if they pay attention, they can avoid future traumas.” The article is talking about how if a child initially saw signs of the traumatic event they may act out in order to stop another similar event from occuring. In Lord of The Flies the boys do just this. They are in a plane crash so their original social order failed them and in an attempt to create a new social order another tragedy, Simon’s Death happens so they readjust and moe more and more away from the systems that failed them.

boys have the ability to reason. They listen to Piggy which is rare occurrence. They listened to him which means they aren’t savages they are just looking for a leader. The last point of structure is the conch and they still see rules. The whole structure falls after the conch is destroyed.

When you were young did you ever lash out when you were scared? Traumatic events cause different reactions depending on who a person is, but they can be most detrimental to children. Some children refuse to speak after trauma, while others act out in destructive ways, and many children become numb to the trauma. On this island, the boys act out in violent ways. Through a societal lens, one may see savages and boys reverting to natural, predatory, tendencies. But through a psychological lens one may get a different view. The boys are not acting on savage instinct but rather coping with the loss of adult figures and the stress of being on their own.

When a civilized person is moved to an environment where civilization does not exist, they will eventually become savage because their mind adapts into the environment, has a chance to go insane, and only care about what they want when they go into this situation. When you the reader will look into the past, you see that we (humans) were/are savages, but now we have evolved and became more civilized, with our minds adapting into high kinds of people filled with different kinds of emotions. So when we think about it, there were alot of times that mankind turned in savages. In this essay, there is about 2 big moments in history that humans were considered savages.

In the book Lord of the Flies, written by Golding, William, and published by new york penguin, in 2006, is about a group of boys, whose plane got shot out of the sky during a war, where on the island their on has no adults, and a group of boys who are in the church choir, back where ever they lived, and later on in the book, their “leader of the group” Jack, becomes bloodthirsty and savage. This somethings happens in our world, here are 2 or 3 examples.

Cortez killed and enslaved the aztecs even though they gave them gifts, even though they were defined as savages, yet cortez killed and them in ways that today in the modern world, and probability was looked on in shame back then as well. Knowing this, you can somewhat understand why it is savagery since, when he got gifts, he then murdered them all. I the writer define it as somewhat savage.

The other time that might of, or was savage, was the Freddie Gray, he was handcuffed in the back of a van without a seat belt. By the time he arrived at the police station a half hour later, he was unable to breathe or talk, suffering from wounds that would kill him, and those wounds did kill him. The van made about 2 or 3 trips until they got to the police station which was 30 minutes after. When he got to the station, he was unable to breath or talk, and the case of this tragic story, is still going on today. When you see the full report, you can think it was savage for several reasons. 1: When he was first arrested his leg was hurt, and officers were dragging him in a position that would look like it would make it hurt more. 2: When he was put in the van, he was handcuffed, and wasn't put in a seat belt and was in their for 30 minutes. 3: He had asthma, and when he asked for it, it was denied to him. This is like savagery for a few different reasons. The first one is how he was dragged like how jack killed the pig by engaging it in a circle -or a cage, like how Gray’s injuries were caused from being in the back of the van. How he was treated which was savage (not the roasting type, the old age type, or from the book in the lord of the flies).

This is why there is some savagery in our world still. It takes different shapes, and it always exists. Most of us, think savagery is the opposite of civilized which in some cases it is, but in other cases its just power hungry turning savage like, what happen with jack when he became a leader of his “own” tribe, and started spilling blood and killing his the others who don't agree with his intentions about the island.

What if laws no longer existed? Would people have the same beliefs as to what is right and wrong, or would their actions change? If there were suddenly no rules against what people consider to be bad, they would slowly accept those behaviors. Some do what other people believe to be wrong but not themselves, while the majority do not just because it is illegal. Which elucidate the impression that some actions are only wrong because they are forbidden. Is everyone capable of doing  the ‘wrong’ thing without remorse? In theory, the ability for humans to kill each other is always present. It is believed that what prevents that behavior is organized civilization, which has rules against killing. So if humans are placed into an environment where killing is not prohibited and has no consequence, they could potentially find themselves capable of taking a life.

Kids are young and can be easily influenced, if given the chance, would they be capable of taking a life? In William Golding’s “Lord of The Flies,” kids went from an organized and civilized environment to the complete opposite. It changed them by stripping their away their innocence. By chapter nine in the book, the second death occurs but it is the first murder. The boys killed their fellow peer, Simon, out of fear because they mistook him for the beast. “The beast struggled forward, broke the ring and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws”(152). Technically it is ‘accidental’ because in their minds, they were killing ‘the beast’ out of self defense. However, does that justify their murderous actions? This kill may be debatable but the second one definitely is not.

When Piggy dies, the conch shatters, signifying all the order and control and civilization in the story. Once the conch is smashed all chance of civility is gone to the point of no return. In addition to this, Piggy was the voice of reason, with him gone it indicates the end of rational thinking. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee: the conch exploded into a  thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.”(181). Roger Kills Piggy because he can, and has realized that no one on the island can or will limit his cruelty. There is no fear of consequence, therefore, no fear of action. Nevertheless, this is talking about a piece of fiction, yet it speaks to many, why? The reason is simply because there is truth to it. Furthermore, if there are no consequences, then people will start to think their actions are not wrong and will not learn or change for the better.

Nikolas Jacob Cruz is a 19 year old boy who has already taken the lives of 17 people, most of them being his old classmates. Was he always capable of a mass murder or did his environment influence it? According to an article from sun-sentinel.com, who interviewed Cruz’s family and peers, Nikolas wasn’t an easy child. He had been diagnosed with a string of disorders and conditions: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional behavioral disability and autism. His mom told sheriff’s deputies he also had obsessive-compulsive disorder and anger issues. How did these ‘issues’ develop? By the time Nikolas was 3, he was diagnosed with developmental delays, and by the time he was 6, he'd suffered the trauma of witnessing his father's death. In eighth grade, he was assigned to a school for students with emotional problems. He badly wanted to attend a “regular” high school and his wish was granted, the school he shot up, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, was that school. By the time he was 16, he was preoccupied with wars, death and killing. Later, his girlfriend left him, his mother passed, and he had been kicked out of his dream school. Nikolas was lonely, angry, and surrounded by negativity. Reportedly, Cruz once took a dead bird into the kitchen of his home and cut it open, saying he wanted to see inside. A similar example of this behavior also took place in the novel, when the boys brutally killed a pig. “All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close. The chant rose ritually, as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt. "Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!"(114). Both, the boys from the book and Nikolas Cruz, were bloodthirsty. However, neither of them were always like this, not until a change of environment for the worse occurred. Killing the pig quick and easy is one thing, but making it slow and painful is torturous.

To conclude, the fictional book, “Lord of The Flies,” is not as fictional as it seems. One example is used to connect the book into the real world, but no doubt there are plenty more. Almost anyone could be one if pushed far enough. In the book, the beast is not a tangible object that can be killed or destroyed by conventional means, but an idea symbolizing the primal savage instincts within all people. It is Golding’s intention to illustrate the intuitive evil inside man. In almost all cases of murders and/or mass murders, the suspect has some kind of “mental issue” that is connected with the environment they were raised in and/or the negative experiences they have had. Is everyone capable of evil? Is civilization and their rules the only thing stopping them from becoming ruthless savages? This essay started off as a reflection of two things, the boys from the novel, and Nikolas Cruz. Nonetheless it has ended with a reflection of oneself. If put in a position such as the one listed above, anyone could be able to commit the crime.

Works Cited:

Golding, William. Lord of The Flies. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Have you ever been so frightened you’ll never forget that moment in your life? Fear can have a long-term effect on people’s mental health and can affect their physical health as well. Fear is a very powerful emotion that can be very well a positive thing a can be a very much a negative thing. This is also present in real life when people dream because when they have a nightmare it can stick with them  When people are dealing with a threat to their existence, they let fear rule their behavior. As a result, they cannot fully be themselves and the threat of the fear will constantly haunt them.

In the “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding there are a bunch of boys stuck on a Island and the main character is a guy named Ralph.  In this scene there are two twins who are names Sam and Eric. They are talking to Ralph about their “encounter” with the beast. ”The beast moved too-’ That was awful. It kind of sat up-’ The fire was bright-’ We’d just made it up-’-more sticks on-’There were eyes-’ Teeth-’ Claws-’ We ran as fast as we could-’Bashed into things-’ The beast followed us”(100). You can see obviously that the boys were scared and all that jazz but what the boys didn’t know was that there was literally nobody following them. When they were mentioning the description of the beast, that was just their imagination and you can see it’s having a mental effect on their brains because what they are describing didn’t happen. They probably just heard some noises and they thought that was the beast and started running, either way there wasn’t any beast in this scene.

A little later in the book there is a scene where there is a boy that is named Simon who is having a conversation with a dead pig alone in a forest, which is called the Lord of the Flies. ”We are going to have fun on this island. So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else-...Simon was inside the month. He fell down and lost consciousness”(144).  In this quote you can see that fear has affected Simon too because he is literally talking to a dead pig and the reader is to believe that the pig is talking to him. Simon’s fear got to a climaxing point as you can see since he put his head in the dead’s pig mouth and went unconscious. If they never even heard or saw the beast this whole scene wouldn’t have happened. You can see that Simon is not himself and isn’t functioning fully since he is in this state. This beast senario is having mental issue with him and is having a hard time in this scene.  

Now a little after the previous scene we see Simon again with the Lord of the flies on his head is trying to tell a group of boys about a dead man on a hill. ”Simon was crying out something about a dead man on a hill. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!...The beast struggled forward, broke the ring, and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water...they could see how small a beast it was; and already its blood was staining the sand.”(152-153) In this quote you can see that the group of boys were definitely not themselves because they were chanting a really morbid chant. They were so blind that they didn’t realize that the person they was hurting was there fellow comrade Simon. Then later in the scene he ends up dying because of their ruthlessness and how much fear had control them to the point where they took a life of a person, their own friend. They were so obsessed with the beast that they were going to kill it no matter what but the things is there was never really a beast.  

A real world example of this is dreams. In some of the websites it was explaining that the environment can affect people’s behaviors and how they function. Also, dreams are also powerful because if you remember them it can stick with you. This is important to remember because when you have fear it can have a mental and physical impact on you.”The environment can influence mood. For example, the results of several research studies reveal that rooms with bright light, both natural and artificial, can improve health outcomes such as depression, agitation, and sleep.”(Found here) It said this in one of the articles and basically it’s saying that being in a good environment can improve your health physically and mentally. “The environment can create or reduce stress, which in turn impacts our bodies in multiple ways. This is because our brain and our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are constantly interacting. As neuroscientist Candice Pert puts it, "What you are thinking at any moment is changing your biochemistry."(Found here) This is also stating evidence that depending on the environment it can decrease or increase stress. When your stressed you can’t fully be yourself and you’re going to be worried about every single thing in your life just like in the novel.

Having fear in your life can have a very dangerous impact on you both physically and mentally. When you’re being threatened, it can cause you to do things you wouldn’t think of doing until you’re in the moment. In that moment fear is ruling their behavior and it is allowing to dictate their actions and choices that they make. Just like in the lord of the flies dreams in the real world can impact you to the point where you act out of your normal character.

Works Cited

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies, New York: Penguin, 2006.

Kollmuss, Anja. “Mind the Gap: Why Do People Act Environmentally and What Are the Barriers to pro-Environmental Behavior?” Https://Www.tandfonline.com/Doi/Abs/10.1080/13504620220145401.

“What Impact Does the Environment Have on Us?” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing, www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/healing-environment/what-impact-does-environment-have-us.

“Impact of Fear and Anxiety.” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing, www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/security/facing-fear/impact-fear.

“The Impact of Dreams on Your Social Life.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201105/the-impact-dreams-your-social-life.

Maddy Malloy

Jack’s behavior proves that “crazy” behavior does not happen randomly -- it is a natural reaction to emotional and stressful situations. If you are put under a lot of stress in an unresourceful environment like the jungle in Lord of the Flies, you will become distressed and act out like Jack has done. Throughout the book, Jack has become emotionally distressed and acted out in violent ways such as killing pigs in a heinous way. Anyone who sees someone that is involved in violent actions, they will automatically register it as that person is crazy or out of their mind. The way society runs and how people react to it determines the madness of people; along with stress contributing to the violent actions, which in this case is Jack acting out by viciously killing pigs.

In the show Naked and Afraid, you are placed on an island with absolutely nothing with just your brain trying to tell you how to survive. Along with trying to keep up with surviving, you do not have any provided food or water. This adds on to stress because these are the regular necessities to survive everyday. As the show comes to an end, you can see that the once nourished and healthy faces of the contestants, are now the hungry and worn down people that had participated in the game. “Thompson-Nelson is seen throwing a tantrum and verbally threatening Lautakoski. Producers for the show intervened and asked Thompson-Nelson to "tap out" or withdraw, which, according to Thompson-Nelson, was a first for the show.” This is an example of what happened to a contestant due to not eating properly in seven days which drove her to go a little insane and lashed out at another contestant; you need the right amount of nutrients everyday, and be in a stable environment to function normally, or you will become violent just how this contestant has become.

At this point in the book of Lord of the Flies, Jack lashes out at Piggy and calls him “Fatty”, and even physically abuses him. “This from Piggy, and the wails of agreement from some of the hunters, drove Jack to violence. The bolting look came into his blue eyes. He took a step, and able to last to hit someone, struck his fist into Piggy's stomach. Piggy sat down with a grunt. Jack stood over him. His voice was vicious with humiliation." You would, would you? Fatty!"... Jack smacked Piggy's head.” (pg. 71) Like in Naked and Afraid, the contestant had lashed out at her teammate, verbally abused them, and then quickly after was told to tap out. In the Lord of the Flies, this moment represents another moment  in which his innocence is slowly decaying from him; lashing out at his close friend, verbally and physically abusing him.

Going into more depth about people who act out in violent ways, contestant Honora Bowen threw all of her tools to help her and her team survive into a river. When placed on the show, Naked and Afraid, you are stripped of your clothes and can only take one thing with you. In this case, Bowen had two other men with her which made the group have three items to carry onto their island. These three items included a knife, machete and a water bottle; three essential items to help her and her team survive. This compares to Lord of the Flies when Jack and his friends got into an argument and Jack acted out in a violent way; Bowen had gotten into an argument with two of her teammates, and as a result, Bowmen acted out and threw important items to survive in the river. Although it was not as violent as what Jack was going to do, Bowmen still acted out by doing this.  

At this point in Chapter 3 of Lord of the Flies, the kids are hungry and want food; specifically pig or any sort of tasty, substantial food at this point. The conversation in this scene happens between Jack and Ralph, and quickly spins into an enraged conversation because of how Jack responds to him. “Jack Flushed. "We want Meat" ...The Madness came into his eyes again. ...." You wouldn't care to help with the shelters, i suppose?" " We want meat" " And we don't get it" " But I shall! Next time! I've got to get a barb on this spear! We wounded a pig and the spear fell out. If we could only make barbs-" (pg 51-52) In this quote we can infer that what Jack is saying is considered violent and this is where his personality is similar to what we would consider as insane. Jack comes up with other violent ways in which to kill the pig that they wanted for food, which hints that Jack is too violent. Like in the show, Naked and Afraid, Bowmen lashed out at her teammates, and threw all of their items into a river.

Crazy behavior does not happen randomly. From my two examples of Naked and Afraid, it is clear that without the regular resources that are provided for us in everyday life impact us if we are without them for too long. Another example that ties into this is when people get headaches from not eating for a long time and this ends up affecting their mood; they lash out at people. This is similar to my previous examples, except that being malnourished for several days would intensifies people’s actions, such as lashing out at close friends and teammates. The surroundings and lack of nutrients a person needs is what really affects others who act out in violent ways.

WORKS CITED

1. Cummings, Tommy. “Controversial Texas Contestant on 'Naked and Afraid' Upset with How She Was Portrayed on Show.” GuideLive, 12 June 2016, www.guidelive.com/reality-tv/2016/06/10/controversial-texas-contestant-naked-afraid-laura-thompson-nelson.