men when they were involved in the intense fights where they would say “Dear Jesus and (flop) around on the earth and (fire) their weapons blindly and (cringe) and (sob) and (beg) for the noise to stop”(1075). When it was all over they would get up dust them selves off and try to smile to show their dignity and strength. Their strength in these situations was lost for the time, but because of the anxiety they wanted to change their actual behavior to appear unafraid and ready for more. This type of action was done all the time by the men they weren’t being cruel they were just hiding their fears O’Brien says “They were afraid of dying, but they were even more afraid to show it”(1075). This change in their behavior is a disguise of fear, but it is also a defense against it. The men had many defenses against fear including joking, being cruel, carrying guns, and killing other people. The men were most likely not cruel individuals, but to defend against fear they had to remove compassion for people, actions, and themselves. The men did this to not feel the pain that is present when they lose a member of the group; if they feel no attachment to him there is no feeling of loss. The men’s actions did not seem cruel to them; it was just their way of battling against fear. This type of separation is a major change in behavior because it is natural to become attached to others when they are close. Another major change in behavior is the men killed other men; it is not normal for these civilized men to walk through a jungle and kill other men. Why do they kill the other men? Because if they don’t kill, they will be killed and they know this and respect it. The men have respect because of the fear they have of death, and the fear is entered into them by experience and it is a major part in their behavioral change.The reason the men changed behaviorally in the story was mainly due to fear...
