What Does The Beast Symbolize In Lord Of The Flies

The first reference to the beast is found in the beginning of Chapter Two, when a littlun claims he saw a “beastie” in the woods at night. However, all the boys belittle the littlun, dismissing any idea of a “beastie”. The beast is not referenced to again until Chapter Five, when Ralph calls an assembly after the signal fire goes out. Ralph confronts the boys about their general fear of the beast, and Jack assures the concerned boys that there is no beast on the island. However, one littlun stubbornly holds to his dream of fighting “twisty things”, and another littlun adamantly states that the beast comes out of the sea. The boys are finally reassured when Jack enthusiastically tells the boys that if there is a beast, they will all hunt it down and kill it. …show more content…
For instance, the idea of the beast is introduced in Chapter Two, but is quickly dismissed because order is still maintained, and the boys have not become savage yet. By contrast, in the assembly in Chapter Five, the discussion of the beast is long and intense since order has been discarded and the boys have become savage. This parallel is consequent of what the beast symbolizes. During the assembly in Chapter Five, Simon attempts and fails to explain to the boys what the true nature of the beast is. In Lord of the Flies, the beast represents the savagery that is inherent in all men. Therefore, as the boys become more savage, the beast is referenced more