Symbolism In William Golding's The Lord Of The Flies

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In William Golding’s classic novel, The Lord of the Flies, the author demonstrates the dark reality sleeping underneath humanity’s supposedly civil nature. To accomplish this, he follows the struggles of a group of stranded boys, whos isolation on the island leads to their degradation as a civilization. As one of the castaways, Simon stands as an integral part of the tribe throughout the novel. Yet while his peers turn to savagery, he finds himself degraded in a different way--an outcast amongst them as a symbolic Christ figure. In this way, Golding develops Simon’s character into a religious symbol to highlight the group’s fall from grace. After they arrive on the island, Simon is introduced as a delicate boy from Jack Merridew’s choir. He…show more content…
Even at the beginning, he observes that “[they] could make scratches on bark...and rub black stuff in” (27) to create a map of the island. Despite their predicament, his childlike impulse to explore his new surroundings is coupled by a more mature instinct to record his findings for future reference. While he shares the other’s excitement, he also realizes the grim importance of remaining sensible in order to adapt to life on the island. Even as they explore further, he attempts to describe their surroundings when his peers lack the words to, thoughtfully supplying that the plants are “[l]ike candles. Candle bushes. Candle buds” (30). Initially, the three of them are fascinated by their new discovery, yet Ralph and Jack quickly lose interest because the plants are useless and inedible, Simon is curiously drawn to their calming allure. This gives the reader a glimpse into the boys’ perspectives on nature, as Simon is the only one who can appreciate it purely for what it is, not what it offers. While his introspective nature at first only applies to his fascination for his surroundings, the presence of the beast sparks a startling revelation within him, as he grimly observes that it is “as if… this [is not] a good island” after all. Being one of the first bigguns to voice his belief in the littlun’s…show more content…
When Ralph picks Simon to join in their exploration, the rest of the boys to giggle at his choice. Even Simon joins in, “laughing a little” (24). Through this, Simon is established as in important character for the rest of the novel, as he walks side by side with the tribe chief and the leader of the hunters. Yet while the other characters are excited by their role--Simon is hesitant as he does not see himself being fit for their quest. All three characters become crucial in the plot, and this moment draws out Simon from the rest of the background members of the tribe. Unlike Ralph, the chief; Jack, the headhunter; and Piggy, the ostracized brains of the group--Simon does not begin the novel with an attribute to distinguish himself from the rest of the tribe. Among them, he initially seems out of place, yet his role as the peacekeeper is quickly brought to light. Due to his height, Simon walks between Ralph and Jack, so that they can talk over his head. In this way, Simon is established early on as the peacekeeper between the two, serving as both a physical and mental barrier. Within the group, they grow excited by the prospects of their exploration, and Ralph chooses to “express the intensity of his emotion by pretending to knock Simon down” (27). Despite this action being fun in the moment for the boys, it hints at the eventual group dynamic. Overcome by their emotions, the group
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