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Lord of the Flies Fear Quotes Page 3
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
- Piggy
- >
Quote “Life […] is scientific, that’s what it is. In a year or two when the world is over they’ll be traveling to Mars and back. I know there isn't no beast – not with claws and all that I mean – but I know there isn’t no fear either.”
[…]
“Unless we get frightened of people.” (5.99-104)
Each of the boys combats his fear of the beast in his own way. Here we see Piggy using reason and “science” to convince himself it doesn’t exist.
“Maybe […] there is a beast
[…]
What I mean is… maybe it's only us.” (5.183-195)
Rather than combat the fear of the beast, Simon’s comment that the beast may be inside the boys is actually more chilling than the notion of a thing with claws and teeth. If the beast is inside the boys, then it is terrifying in a far more profound way. It means that we, people, are responsible for the horrors of the world. Simon doesn’t let us place the blame on some external object.
“It was furry. There was something moving behind its head –wings. The beast moved too –”
“That was awful. It kind of sat up –”
[…]
“There were eyes –”
“Teeth –”
“Claws –”
“We ran as fast as we could –” (6.67-75)
The twins physically manifest their fear in the dead parachuting man. Because they are so fearful, they see things like “teeth” and “claws” and “wings.”
