In William Golding's "The Lord of the Flies", there are many points that show its significance/affect to the plot/and or characters; but in chapter 8, Fear, Conflict, and Goals are the most important of these points. The fear and revelation of the beast, brings a climax to the story, which changes the lives of every single child on the island. This fear also leads to a conflict between Ralph and Jack, which result in different goals for each of them.
When the beast reveals in this chapter, all of the characters change/evolve. Everyone gets scared and this also brings out the true self of Ralph and Jack. Ralph gets scared by the beast, and Jack reveals his hatred for Ralph. When the narrator says "He shuddered violently" (pg. 136), we can see that Ralph was quite freaked out by the beast; while Jack says "Who thinks that Ralph oughtn't to be the chief?" (139), we can see that Jack hates Ralph and wants him out of the chieftainship.
Jack Teagarden
Ralph Wolf as he prepares to jack a sheep.
Your New Best FriendsThis fear and all this change in characters came because of the revelation of the beast which also leads into a conflict between them.
The fear of the beast also foreshadows a conflict because after seeing the beast everyone is all freaked out and they are all arguing, which shows that there is going to be a big fight/conflict between characters. The conflict that takes place is person vs. person between Jack and Ralph. Their involvement in this conflict is important because they are the most important characters in this story who act as leaders. Jack wants all the other kids on his side and wants Ralph out as the leader and we can see that when Jack says, "Who thinks that Ralph oughtn't to be the chief?" (139).