Read the passage from Lord of the Flies by William Golding. "I’m scared of him,” said Piggy, "and that’s why I know him. If you’re scared of someone you hate him but you can’t stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he’s all right really, an’ then when you see him again, it’s like asthma an’ you can’t breathe. I tell you what. He hates you too, Ralph—” "Me? Why me?” "I dunno. You got him over the fire; an’ you’re chief an’ he isn’t.” "But he’s, he’s, Jack Merridew!” "I been in bed so much I done some thinking. I know about people. I know about me. And him. He can’t hurt you: but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing. And that’s me.” What is the universal theme of this passage?
Answer
A
the wisdom gained from experience
B
society’s dependence on authority
C
humanity’s search for meaning in the world
D
the consuming power of guilt
Explanation
Piggy connects his fear of Jack with what he has learned by observing people: he recognizes that Jack resents Ralph’s authority and may hurt someone else if Ralph gets out of the way. His reflection, “I been in bed so much I done some thinking,” emphasizes insight gained through experience and thought. The passage is therefore about the wisdom gained from experience, not guilt, authority’s role in society, or the search for meaning.
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