The Terrified Leaders: How Fear Drives Power in Literature

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Manipulation is the basis of power in modern day society. Using fear with in societies, powerful people rise to power. Gaining control and dominance can be done by utilizing the anxiety in the society. Similarly, readers see fear as a driving force for authority in literature. Simangele from “The Test”, Jack from Lord of the Flies, and the government in The Hunger Games all utilize the fear in their societies or groups to rise and dominate in power.
The group of boys in “The Test” are afraid of Simangele’s sanguinary attitude. When Simangele argues with Vusi, the arguments heats up but the boys do not choose sides: "Simangele got no response from the others. It would have been risky for them to take sides" (Ndebele 3). The boys in the group are afraid of taking sides in arguments between Vusi and Simangele. They know that this argument can increase tremendously causing disputes that can end badly for all the boys. People are afraid of people from farms: "Then people say 'beware of those from the farms, they will stab with a broad smile on their faces'" (Ndebele 12). Because Simangele used to live on a farm, he does not understand things in towns. Since people would laugh at him, he would fight back and not back down in fights. Simangele’s friends are afraid of Simangele because he does not back down in fights.
The tribe in Lord of the Flies is afraid of certain aspects of on the island. Ralph asks Jack why he hates him, causing uneasiness across the other boys: "'Why do you hate me?' The boys stirred uneasily, as though something indecent has been said" (Golding 130). The boys in the tribe want a proper leader that everyone agrees on. However, because of the tension between Ralph and Jack, the boys are uncertain about the outcom...

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...ociety drives the authority of many leaders. Utilizing fear make a leader strong and powerful. Many characters in literature exploit fear to drive their campaign and to earn respect within their groups. Simangele in “The Test”, Jack in Lord of the Flies, and the government in The Hunger Games all use the fear in the public to dominate over them and to earn respect.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1988 (1954). Print.
Ndebele, Njabulo S. Fools and Other Stories. New York: Readers International, 1986. Print.
Van Vuuren, Marijke. "Good Grief: Lord of the Flies as a Post-war Rewriting of Salvation History." Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies 25.2 (2004): 1. Literature Resource Center. Web. 10 May 2014.

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