Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Fear has the power to control, distort and break the ways of the human mind. The body and mind are tricked and we find ourselves confused and struggling to piece together a disturbing puzzle of stray emotions. Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” projecting that fear knows no limits and is a great power. Fear and power go hand in hand, without fear there is no power, a teacher has no power over a student if the student is not afraid of the consequences of stepping out of line. This is shown in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. The kids on the island experience fear in many different forms, and their basic human instincts are influenced to do things they otherwise wouldn't do. Fear was the real danger on the island. Although the boys did not see the hidden danger they believed was a beast, they let it take control of them and change who they were. The beast was created in the minds of little ones because they wanted to transform their fear of the dark, and of being trapped and alone, into something tangible. They created an object that could be stopped, otherwise it would be unbeatable and they would be trapped and vulnerable. Each new fear fueled the beast's story, increasing its power over the boys. Kirstin Olsen said: "Lord of the Flies remains an influential and powerful commentary on human evil... It explores some of the most intense impulses and emotions in our repertoire: the desire for power, the fear of the unknown, the fear of others , anger". and jealousy. These emotions shaped the beast, filling the heads of the little ones with fear. The beast symbolized both the fear and darkness of humanity, although the darkness was also what the boys feared. When the boy... in the center of the card... one of the most powerful weapons there is. Fear takes the form of an imaginary beast, an ordinary schoolboy, and a rotting pig's head. As simple as they may seem, they symbolized the fears and flaws of human beings. William Golding's Lord of the Flies twists the limits of humanity and demonstrates the evil in the ways of human nature. Works cite Hynes, Samuel. "Different interpretations of Lord of the Flies." Swisher 56-64. March 27. 2014. Epstein, E.L. “Here are the thoughts.” Here are the thoughts. Np, nd Web. March 27. 2014.Giuliano. "Lord of the Flies." Lord of the Flies RSS. Np, 2005. Web. 27 March. 2014. Olsen, Kirstin. "Understanding Lord of the Flies: A Casebook for Students with Problems, Sources, and..." Google Books. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. Web. March 27. 2014.Winfriedshule, Fulda. "Lord of the Flies." Lord of the Flies RSS. Np, 2005. Web. 27 March. 2014.