Lord of the Flies – How is the idea of the beast developed?

The idea of a beast on the island emerges early in the story, which quickly evolves from the imagination of one little boy. At first the idea is superficially rejected but subconsciously absorbed and as a result it continues to develop. The concept of a dangerous presence on the island originates when one of the children mentions he has seen a â€Å"snake – thing. Ever so big†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.in the woods, † an idea which is quickly dismissed by the older boys as part of his imagination. Soon, many of the older boys begin to wonder about the existence of some kind of beast, and although many were not willing to admit this, its fear was demonstrated by their horrible nightmares and night screams. Later, talk of beasts emerges at an assembly where the vast majority agreed on its presence on the island and although Simon had already figured out that this idea came from their inner fear, he was not able to get this point across. Orwell reveals the reader, through Simon, how the creation of the beast is used to take the blame for all the chaos and disasters. Furthermore, the creation of the beast is just an excuse to believe the cause of evil is due to it, not to them. As a result, it becomes critical to find a definite shape for the beast and prove its existence as this would automatically release them from the guilt the evil emitted. Soon after, a dead parachutist's corpse is confused with the beast, and the children become convinced of the existence of the beast. In a later assembly, Jack decides to leave the group as he refuses to obey more rules. Many others decide to follow him, as they felt more secure with him. The idea of the existence of the beast gave Jack control over the other children. The concept of a beast is allowed to develop due one main reason; fear. Fear of the unknown, together with the children's imagination, built up the idea of a beast inhabiting the island. Yet, many other factors contribute to its development, such as Jack's desire for control. Throughout this novel, the boys are constantly faced with various fears, yet nothing compares to the fear they feel towards the beast. The beast represents how human beings will try to convince themselves that evil is not present inside them, by making someone or something else seem to be the cause for the evil. The beast is a metaphor used to demonstrate how the imagination can be manipulated to let it grow; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The beast had teeth, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ said Ralph, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½and big black eyes.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Yet Golding's purpose in developing the concept of the beast was to demonstrate the connection between evil and fear, to show us that fear is the thought and evil is the reaction, as it is proved by the murder of Simon, when he was confused with the beast which inhabited in their minds.