Simon's Death In Lord Of The Flies Analysis

Superior Essays
Explore the Significance of Simon's Death in Lord of the Flies.

The characters in this story are thrown into a world of their own with no parents, no structure or laws and no protection from their own
…show more content…
This scene can be likened to an event in the bible, which is where Jesus Christ feeds five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Simon is often regarded as a prophet or even a saint like figure. He thinks of things in a different way, Simon is the only one with a real view of the 'Beast'.
He has a considerable strength of mind but is frail of body. He enters the book fainting, something that he seems to do regularly and he suffers from epilepsy or some similar condition. In chapter 5 Simon says how there may be a beast on the island, but that "it's only us".
He recognises that the beast is not a tangible form but exists as an impulse of evil within each individual; the others mock him for his views. His view is backed up again in Chapter 8 when he has his conversation with the pigs head, this conversation confirms to him that the beast is really inside everyone but shows that most would rather have fun 'than' worry about things. He then falls unconscious.
Later he wakes, he is certain that the truth about the beast is to be found on the mountain. He finds the body of the pilot and his views of the beast are confirmed.

After he has this revelation on the mountain top he rushes to tell
…show more content…
It is the final step in the revolution from the rules of society to savagery. It represents human struggle and conflict to uphold the rules. Before his death there was the clash between the impulse to obey rules, to behave morally and to act lawfully, and the impulse to seek brute power over others, to act selfishly, to gratify ones desires and to indulge in violence. In chapter 4, Roger is purposely throwing stones at a little boy called Henry, 'Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.
Round the squatting child was the protection of parents, school and policemen and the law. Rogers arm was conditioned by a civilisation that knew nothing of him and was in ruins'.

The death of Simon is significantly the last step the boys take from the chance to return to normality and the transition to uncontrolled brutality. Simon and the other characters importance in this
'transition' is portrayed in the way that the book is written. Golding excludes poetic language, lengthy description and

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    Epilogue Ralph looked back at the island. What was an uninhabited island with green vivid forests with sharp mountains and sparkling beaches was all now a large pile of burnt ash, spewing out smoke like a fountain spewing out water. As they boarded the ship, all the boys scrambled on quickly except Jack. He seemed to make a great effort, step by step to approach the ship.…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While Reading the novel, Lord of the Flies, the boys loss of identity once on the island, appears when they lose their sense of character. Each boy one by one, loses their sense of innocence and identity one way or another. By paying attention to the main characters you can see each individual boy regress into savagery. If you look closely to the theme of this novel it centers on humanity’s evil suppressed nature. Each character in the novel is well suited to the theme, being they are all below the ages or 14-15, almost untouched by an uncivilized world.…

    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Simon as a Christ Figure Anna, a Disney character, sacrificed herself for her kingdom and sister. She is archetypally used as a Christ- like figure in the Disney movie, Frozen. Authors often connect characters or actions to broader ideas, such as Christ- like figures. In many works of literature, archetypal characters, situations, and symbols are used to understand the motives behind a character 's actions or personality. William Golding portrays Simon as a Christ figure archetype in Lord of the Flies because he is selfless, encounters the devil in the wilderness, and comes to redeem an unworthy world, but is killed by those he wishes to save.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Simon’s vulnerability is shown in this extract, when the beast points out that Simon is all alone, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast.” Since he is alone, with the beast, no one can help him, but also because this is a figment of his imagination, so no one else can see the beast apart from Simon. “Only me” is used as a minor sentence and it seems to be implying that he is the only one who can help him.…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Beast Everyone is fearful of something although in the book "The Lord of the Flies," the most feared thing happens to be a beast. This is like how little kids are fearful of a monster under their bed. In this story the boys happen to be stranded because of a failure to evacuate them away from world war 2. The boys get stranded on an island and try to have structure but civilization is quickly lost especially because of a beast that is supposedly on the island. In the book the beast adapts throughout the story as more events happen to the boys on the island.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Brian Joseph Professor Harmon English 9-2 23 November 2017 Bad Happens to the Well-Intentioned Lord of The Flies embodies many themes, but none is so special as the one that related to me the most. In the 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, author William Golding uses symbolism, dialogue, irony, and foreshadowing to illuminate the gloomy truth that people who have good intentions and follow what they believe to be right, especially when unpopular, will be misunderstood, misjudged, and sadly, punished. Ralph, Piggy, and Simon fall under the category of “well-intentioned people.”…

    • 1298 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Simon is killed by all the boys in the island. Even though his death is dreadful, he leaves the island in peace. The narrator states, “The water rose further... dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculpted marble” (Golding 154).…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). One aspect of the Ephesians' verse that is applicable to William Golding's Lord of the Flies is the idea of righteousness and the character who represents that idea is Simon. In the story an all boys British school crash lands on an island. With no adults to supervise them many of the boys went into their savage tendances because there is no order for them to follow. Out of all of them, there are three, that don’t become savage.…

    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-masturing” (115). William Golding's novel, Lord of The Flies, focuses on the allegory of young boys who become beached on a tropical island. In the novel, Lord of The Flies, Golding makes good use of the characters by showing both good and evil through each of them, but by the end of the novel it is evident that inherent evil exists in all of the boys. Golding makes it apparent how the boys transform from being civilized to savage, ritualistic beasts. From the time the boys landed on the island, the first signs of the boy’s evil appears.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller we see many themes and lessons in the story. The main theme is focussed on deceit and lying and how lies can lead down a dark road which results in the ruin of many. The Crucible is a fictional play based on the Salem Witch Trials which occurred between February 1692 and May 1693 and resulted in over 150 people being accused of witchcraft and 20 executed. The story focusses on the story of John Proctor and Abigail Williams, his niece, and how lies, jealousy, revenge, and deep seated feuds caused a community to turn on each other in a vicious circle of accusations and misunderstandings. The characters in the play who lie significantly are Abigail, John Proctor, and Mary Warren…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After recovering from his sudden faint, Simon cleverly realizes that the beast is realistically the savagery of human nature, and staggeringly runs to tell the others of his groundbreaking discovery, but is greeted abhorrently. A thing came out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly,” (Document F), “There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws.” Because of the beast, truthfully the mental illness of man, Simon, an utterly innocent child, is beaten to death by his peers, who are convinced there is a monster, destined to be defeated, when what they are trying to destroy invades the minds of them…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Rise of a Savage Leader In a group of people, there is always someone who has better leadership qualities than the others. The person with the best qualities will become leader but is not always the best choice or the leader that group of people needs. In Michael Korda’s essay What Makes a Leader? the top criteria a leader should have is outlined.…

    • 1243 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Simon spoke aloud to the clearing. ‘What else is there to do?’” (145). Eventually, Simon seeks to validate his discovery when he treks up the mountain to find that the presumable beast is actually a dead parachutist. The parachutist was what proved Simon’s discovery of the boys’ innate evil and hatred within them to be the…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the contrary, moments before Simon’s death, he shows no signs of caution or desire to avoid an angry mob. Simon is responsible for his death as he shows a little caution when approaching an excited mob, he does not listen to Lord of the Flies warning, and he allows his body to become physically weak. When Simon is walking out of the forest and towards the large chanting mob, he displays no intent to stop. For example, the mob has been chanting “kill the beast!”…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Symbolism of Savagery and Civilization in Lord of the Flies The use of symbols and imagery in literature allows the audience to engage themselves in the novel. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies portrays the diverse aspects of humanity through detailed symbols. The symbol which gives the novel its name, the severed pig’s head on a stick, and Simon’s encounter with it, visually displays the sadist side of humanity and the temptation of evil.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays