Fear

Fear is definitely present in all lives of little children. One memory I recall of having fear in my childhood is riding our 4-wheeler in the dark to and from our farm. My siblings and I got our 4-wheeler for Christmas when I was about 8 years old, mainly for the purpose of us to have a way to get to and from our farm. We fed calves every day around five, five- thirty. It was fine and fun in the summer when it was light out but when winter came around the darkness also came earlier. It also wasn’t that bad when we were all riding on it together because there were others around for comfort but if ever I was riding it by myself in the dark I was scared out of my mind. I remember going as fast as I could through the trees and down in the low dark gully until I got into the shed at home where we parked it, from there I would race into the garage and house, not once looking back. I feel this relates well to this novel connecting in with the boys’ fear of walking alone on the island at night. Simon is the only one who can stand up to this fear, volunteering to go alone and sometimes getting caught walking alone at night. I know for sure that I would be right along with the other boys in having to have been in a group at all times.