The Mentality of Bullying in "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

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Bullying: What is it? For some it’s when one person makes fun of another, but for others it’s more extreme. Bullying has been prevalent throughout history. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of young boys crash into a secluded island. These disciplined, well mannered, British boys exhibit various acts of bullying on the island. There are many psychological, emotional, and physical aspects of bullying. Both the victims and the bully have a certain mentality that constitutes them. The premise of the mentality of the bully and the victim are apparent and well portrayed in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies.
Though anyone can become vulnerable to bullying, there are some commonalties between the victims. Bullies are inclined to choose a certain type of person to abuse. Typically, people who are not as strong as them. “Victims of bullying are often younger, smaller, or weaker- physically or emotionally – than their tormentors” (“Bullying” 1). Targets of bullies almost always stand out for this sole reason. They tend to wear glasses, have flaws on their face, or have a body that isn’t considered perfect by society. Sometimes, they are bullied due to their achievements. Obviously, victims of bullying are not fond of the harassment they receive. They are subjected to unwanted name calling and teasing. “I don’t want this. I don’t want people picking on me and I don’t want to be fat…I just want to be me” (Hall 222). When children are constantly abused they lose their identity. Victims are repeatedly referred to as a name that they get into the habit of it…eventually forgetting who they really are. Clearly, for once, they wish to find that person they once were – instead of being somebody a bully has made t...

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...with simple arrogance, ‘because I’m chapter chorister and head boy, I can sing C sharp’” (Golding 22). Jack’s power causes most of the boys on the island to take his side. Even though most of the kids don’t like him, they are obligated to do so because of the fear that Jack might abuse them as well. After Jack has gathered the other boys together, they were referred to as a tribe. They exhibited a sort of evil that Jack alone could never do. With the power these young kids held, they used it to kill the pig. “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in” (Golding 75).
Conclusively, the mentality of the victim and the bully are extremely different. When one shows weakness and vulnerability, the other shows power and authority, respectively. The premise of the psychology of bullying was lucid in William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies

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