Fear first comes into play when the boys are all up on top of the mountain after they light their first fire. The entire back side of the mountain bursts into flames, and all that can be heard is the popping and hissing from the brush. The odd pop sends branches and "creepers" into the air. When one of the little boys sees one of the creepers fly up from down below, he screams "Snakes! …showed first 75 words of 283 total…

…showed last 75 words of 283 total…the only one that ensured his survival. Without Ralph, Piggy was nothing. The boy's fear of the unknown on the island leads to their fear of the beast. The boys cannot accept the notion of a beast existing on the island, nor can they let go of it. The recognition that no real beast exists, and that the only beast on the island is fear itself is one of the deepest meanings of the story.