In lord of the flies what human quality caused the destruction of the island

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Fear of the unknown in The Lord of The Flies
In his book, The Lord of The Flies, Golding tries to illustrate that evil in the island arises from external sources using the boys’ fear of an unknown beast. Initially, this mythical beast forms in their imagination as a fearsome snake-type creature that camouflages itself at jungle vines. Later on, they consider the possibility of the more amorphous entity of a ghost is an animal that rises from the sea. Even if there is a beast that roams the island, it is not in the form that these boys envision.
The fear of the unknown is the human quality that resulted in the destruction of the island (Golding). Jack displays his immaturity and carelessness when he lets the fire go out. He did this intentionally so that he could easily catch pigs. Upon realizing that he was the blame for the missed opportunity for rescue, Jack picks up on piggy and punches him with great force on the face. The force of the punch causes the lens of Piggy’s glasses to shatter. Since his glasses are the only thing that can help in lighting a fire, breaking the lens portrays the decrease of intelligence on the island. Jack does not get any support from the other boys which frustrates him to the point of isolating himself from the other boys. Jack’s acquires the personality of using murder to restore order. When Henry moves down to the sea, Rogers follows him and attempts to hit him with a stone (Golding, 64). After the fight between Jack and Ralph, Rogers loses his temper and eventually kills Piggy.

The fear of the unknown beast is the main factor that results in the destruction of the island. The boys have different opinions on the appearance and nature of the beast. Simon and Samneric were looking at the strange gaps between the mountain rocks when their tent fell inwards. The boys heard sounds of fabric that was being blown by the wind and saw a shadow of light towards the trees which horrified them. Shocked, the boys run to the main camp to explain to the other boys what they had seen (Golding, 108). This instills a prominent emotion of fear and the boys get curious to hunt the beast. The boys’ fear of this imaginary beast is answered by Simon’s discovery of the dead parachutist. When Simon runs to notify the other boys about what he had discovered, the boys mistook him with the beast and killed him. This confirms that the fear of the unknown contributes to the chaotic destruction of the island.

Works Cited
Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954.