Have you ever been so afraid for your life that you would do anything to save it? Or were you so scared of something that you felt like you became a different person afterward because of that experience? Well, the characters in Lord of the Flies and A Peace Separated have all had these experiences, and their lives have been forever changed by the destruction caused by fear. Lord of the Flies is set during World War II and is about a group of 7-12 year old boys who become hopelessly stranded on an uncharted island after a devastating plane crash that leaves them completely without adult supervision. They begin to build a system of rules, but it is quickly ruined when Jack delves into savagery due to a supposed beast and refusal to follow the rules, and most of the group quickly follows. They are eventually rescued, but only after the deaths of Simon and Piggy and the destruction of the entire island in an attempt to find and kill Ralph. A Separate Peace, like Lord of the Flies, is set during World War II and is about two boys, Phineas and Gene, who attend a boarding school in New Hampshire, Devon. Over the summer they become best friends until Gene begins to resent Finny. He begins to suspect that Finny is trying to become the best student in Devon. In a moment of anger while standing on the branch of a giant tree, Gene jerks the branch and Finny falls and shatters his leg. Gene feels guilty and throughout the rest of the novel he must struggle to reconcile with Finny. He eventually does, but soon after Finny dies during leg surgery. In both Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace, fear becomes a destructive force because: it brings out the ferocity in man, creates internal and external conflicts and causes loss... middle of paper... and the struggle over island. Not only is fear harmful in Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace, but it also influences our society today in many ways. For example, the war on terror/terrorism is an example of both an external conflict and the savagery of man. It has caused so many catastrophic and fatal events in our history, such as 9/11 and all the wars that followed. The attack on the Twin Towers demonstrates how inhumane humans can be and starts a global conflict. Our “next” attack was done out of fear and is every bit as vicious as theirs and shows what we will do just to protect our country. Also in this case we return to the concept of survival of the fittest, but on an international scale. Fear is an everyday emotion that the human race faces and can bring out the best and worst in us, but it is how we choose to deal with it that truly defines us..