Question: How does Golding develop and convey the theme that you identified.
My theme: Fear is a weapon and inhibitor, and it's presence in society can prevent it from functioning correctly
In my opinion, the ultimate symbol of theme in this book is "the beast". It started out as a rational fear of the unknown amongst the littluns, advancing to the point where their ability to sleep restfully is damaged, and culminating in it's usage as a weapon by Jack. Jack offered fun, meat and protection from the beast, and in truth it was all most of the children really desired. By doing so, he managed to bring people to join his tribe and give himself a position of power.
Golding uses savagery as a method of developing this theme. The more and more the children desensitized themselves, the more real the beast came to be in their mind, resulting in increasing levels of fear and panic. And the last think any society needs, is panic stricken people armed with weapons.
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