The Lord of Calamity

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/.