In William Golding’s novel The Lord Of The Flies, we the readers get the understanding of how the presence of the Beastie challenges the power and dominance Ralph holds over the boys.
In the ending of chapter three the boy with the birthmark expresses how he saw a Beastie referencing it to a “Snake-thing.” Ralph denied that there is no such thing as a Beastie and that “snake-things” can’t be on this island, claiming “You only get them in big countries, like Africa, or India.” Analyzing how in denial he was we get the perspective of him trying to reassure and calm the boys down.
Ralph observed how the boys suddenly went silent. Seeing the fear and caution creeping into their minds, he knew he had to act fast. He needed to reassure them right away before their fear of the Beastie completely took over and ruined everything. It wasn’t just about comforting them, it was about maintaining control.
When you look closer into chapter three, the fear of the Beastie had the possibility to drive the boys into obsession. This fear would distract them, drawing their attention away from Ralph and the power he holds. Because everyone is so terrified, it becomes almost impossible for Ralph to keep control or get them to listen to rules.
Understanding this if you re-assess the scene where Ralph tries to calm everyone down, it starts to look less like he’s just being nice but instead, it starts to feel like a strategic move to save his democracy. He isn’t just trying to make them feel better, he’s trying to keep his power and stop the whole group from falling apart.