Lord of the Flies: Fear of an Outcast

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.