This novel teaches a lesson, and gives a fresh, realistic and truthful view on human nature. More specifically, the spiritual makeup of man. Through this, Golding has created a setting which mirrors biblical belief;
"He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there, and produce fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad."
The above scripture gives reference to the island which these boys are stuck upon. The surrounding area is lush with plant life, fruit and animals. So therefore, it could easily be portrayed as the Garden of Eden. The boys take advantage of the resources, though the greed of human nature and loss of civilization over the course of time has made most of these boys reckless, violent and sinful. Even the youngest children turned out to be volatile. But, there is one boy who doesn't turn out to be a savage, and holds a wealth of significance. Known as Simon, he is a smaller, intelligent boy who sets out on his own very often to get a good handle of his surroundings. The general character of Simon is very perceptive and deep, as he seems to understand the general workings of the island, and just about anything else which the others just cannot notice. Simon apparently deciphers the evils of his surroundings, while seeing the dark sides of other people. These concepts are what makes Simon take on the outlook of a Christ figure, and therefore he is one of the more intriguing and important characters in the novel.
One of the evils Simon discovers is most definitely the presence of the devil (Satan). There is superstition of beasts roaming the island amidst the boys, and Simon chooses to investigate things, setting out on his own. During this time, he finds a small area in the forest in which he stays most of the time to be alone. Here, he works slowly to figure out what the island is all about, and determine to himself the fate of the other boys. This area in which Simon stays can be portrayed as a chapel of some sort. During one of his stays in this forested 'chapel', Simon takes notice to the spoils of a hunt in the general area. Soon arriving to the area, he finds the head of a sow impaled upon a stick, which is upward from the soil. As it rots, flies are gathered and the scene is simply repulsive. Simon observes everything before him and due to what may have been deep concentration, a psychotic episode or a supernatural force; he begins to hear a voice resonate from this dead pig's head. After having a mental conversation with the obscene thing, the final words Simon hears before he passes out are;
"I am part of you."
Meanwhile, the head is swarmed with flies and this gives it good enough reason to be deemed The Lord of the Flies, which is an alternative reference to the devil.
After waking up and 'speaking' with this creature once more, Simon leaves. Not even what may have been 10 minutes passes before he discovers the "beast" of the mountain, which is merely a dead airman. Now having specific knowledge of the so-called beast of the mountain which the other boys had feared, Simon decides to head back towards the group to give them the true answer of what was really up there. At around nightfall, he nears Jack's group, which is engaged in a dance during a thunderstorm. Choosing to speak to them, Simon attempts to approach, but the boys seem different as they track Simon's approach through the bushes. To some horror, the hunters then lunge into the bushes after him, and attack. At this point, we don't know whether the boys were in the heat of dance or thought Simon was a pig or beast, but they mercilessly pursued and killed him. This may have been an act of ruthlessness. The hunters' once civilized minds overtaken by savage thoughts.. the devil. Ultimately, Simon is destroyed for his beliefs, and attempts to find peace. Just like Jesus Christ had been crucified for nearly the same reason.
After this episode, all of this can be summed up by the simple statement which The Lord of the Flies had told Simon, "I am part of you". This meant that he, the devil, was part of Simon. Like he was part of all humans and creatures. No matter how good someone was at heart, there will always be some sort of evil in the human soul. Just waiting to escape in some sort of primeval way. And at that, Golding has made a perfect interpretation of the fact through his own mind, and creations.
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After reading the Lord of the Flies, the impact of reality/spiritual knowledge given by the author is rather truthful in a sense of what it speaks about human nature. The Lord of the Flies, from one point of view, seems to simply be a literary piece about a large group of boys stranded upon an island during what may have been wartime. But, there is more to the story than this. Way more.
- Genesis 2:9