Chapter 9:
“A View to a Death”
1. What are the purpose and effect of Jack‟s generosity with
the meat he and the hunters obtained?
What do you think his decision to give meat to even Ralph
and Piggy is meant to show?
2. Why does Jack command the boys to dance and chant, and
why is this an effective leadership tactic?
What psychological effect does dancing and chanting have on
the boys? Think back to the effect that
putting on makeup had on them in Chapter 4.
3. What is the “beast” that the boys kill? How is this event
ironic and especially tragic (not only for
the “beast,” but for everyone on the island)? How is it
symbolically significant?
4. Why do you think Golding decided to have the “figure” fly
over the boys on the beach and into the
sea? Why do you think he had Simon‟s body get washed away,
and what does this represent in a
psychological sense?
I need to stop being the first comment. :'(
ReplyDeleteAnswer 3:
The "beast" that the boys kill is indeed Simon, making his way to them to tell them of a 'harmless and horrible' beast, for he has discovered that what the boys have been fearing is nothing but a human corpse, dead and incapable of causing any damage.
However, the boys have become immersed in their chant of 'Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!' that their savage and destructive instincts are at their peak.
This makes them blind, makes them so oblivious of all except their insatiable thirst for blood that they do see, but do not perceive Simon's existence. To them, he is merely an intruder, thus a beast, one who must be killed.
With Simon's death, the end of wisdom and civilization on the island is foreshadowed. Simon and Ralph were the two characters who upheld civilization throughout the novel, and Simon's death as well as Ralph's increasing weakness makes it clear that animalistic instincts are taking over.
The parallel between Simon and Jesus has already been established in the previous chapter, and is strengthened by depicting the murder as a sacrifice, akin to Christ's murder on the cross. Like Jesus, who was the sole bearer of knowledge of God's will, it is Simon who was the only one on the island to realize who the beast really was. Also like Christ's, Simon's tragedy is governed by the fact that he is misunderstood or disbelieved by those around him. For example, the other boys believe Simon is crazy, as the Lord of The Flies reiterates to him in the previous chapter, yet he is the only boy to realize the truth of the beastly devil in every one of them. This irony is further established when Jack's hunters mistake Simon for the beast himself.
His murder is symbolic of the final manifestation of the violent tendencies prevalent among Jack's band of hunters, who have moved beyond physical cruelty towards animals to brutality against each other. The change is subtle: they murder Simon out of instinct, descending on him before they realize that he proves no danger to them. Nevertheless, this is yet another line that the boys cross on their devolution into inhuman savagery and another step toward engaging in complete and premeditated violence against one another. Simon's murder reveals the essential brutality of the human spirit. This is thus tragic as it shows not only Simon's untimely and certainly undeserved death, but is also indicative of the ultimate descent into savagery. Thus, on both metaphoric and structural levels, Golding casts Simon as a martyr, a figure whose death is instructive at least to the reader.
The parallels between Simon and Christ continue even after Simon is dead. 'Strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes' seem to cradle Simon's dead body to the water, a further establishment of how angels and angelic creatures take the divine and the good with them to heaven.
Therefore, Simon's death is significant not only as the loss of the only one on the island who realized the truth, but more importantly as the end of all the values he stood for.
3.5. Well analysed with structured unpacking of the complexities.More textual evidencing is required.
DeleteSimon's death is significant as it it also embodies the death of rational thought. ( Ralph wavers but Simon has an incisive mind that slices through emotions/ prrejudices)
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI think that Golding made the 'beast' fly off the island because I think he wanted to show what will happen to the boys even when what they fear is gone. The boys have so far kept away from the beast so I doubt they will go back to check it is still there. This means the boys will be worrying over a nonexistent problem. I feel Simon was washed away because the spiritually and ration he contained was being washed away and lost from the island. It is also washing away the knowledge that there was nothing to fear and this could lead the boys to spiral down further. Golding had the "figure" fly over the boys so they do not find out it was the beast. Because the boys didn't enter the jungle and follow Simon, they have been left still worrying about a nonexistent physical figure. If it had landed on the Island, the boys could have been reunited with their civilised senses and not murdered Simon. As Simon is washed away, the boys lose one of their most civilised and knowledgeable members. He being lost is like a waste of life because he was unafraid, curious and helpful in various situations for the boys. As he's in the sea now, only the less savage boys will remember him and the others will continue to become more savage.
this is question 4
ReplyDelete2.5. the points mentioned are correct but they are repeated. This leads to lack of organisation and affects cohesion of thought. Please plan out --may be make bullet point and expand after that. I appreciate your promptness Anusha!
Delete1)
ReplyDeleteA former choirmaster and head boy of his school, Jack is a young boy driven by his thirst for power. He makes a desperate attempt to gain popularity with the boys in Ralph’s favour. Jacks generosity with the meat is thus a symbol of his power. Being a hunter, he realizes that he holds a power over the others, meat. The boys, struggling to survive on the island, salivate at the mention of meat. Jack hopes that the promise of meat seduces the boys to give into his ways. And so as Jack’s boys eat their fill of the meat, Ralph and piggy stand along the sidelines longing for meat. When Jack generously offers them meat, he does it like a ruler to his subjects and not as a friend to his equal. His decision to give meat to Ralph and Piggy is meant to show that he now pulls all the strings. He belittles Ralph and says that while he ran away from danger and couldn’t provide the boys with anything to eat but fruit. Thus, jacks actions are clearly meant to demonstrate his position as a leader.
“I gave you food,” said Jack, “and my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?”
Jack very wisely uses his position as the leader of the hunters to assert his control over the situation. He does his best to humiliate Ralph, making it clear that he alone is important now, and that he has won. They might have voted Ralph into power, but the power now is Jack’s. and he is thus successful in persuading most of the boys in support of Ralph to favour Jack.
4. Very well reasoned out and the moot point of character ( Jack's) articulated correctly!
DeleteJack,” the more obvious leader” hadn’t been elected as chief. Throughout the book, one can feel his frustration at not being elected chief and his desperation to have the upper hand. The boys chose democratic leadership of Ralph over the despotic and authoritative leadership of Jack. But, as the boys have their final battle between civilization and savagery, they prefer hiding from their fears, from the beast within. Thus, Jack’s authoritative leadership which gives the boys a false sense of protection is preferred to Ralph’s slowly dwindling voice of reason and reality.
ReplyDeleteJack provides the boys with food and protection, the two elements that hunters and gatherers looked for. Slowly, the boys succumb to brute force and savagery. Most of them join Jack when he offers them food. At this point, the boys’ thinking has degenerated into a one track stream of thought which includes protection from the beast and, fulfilling their hunger, both of which Jack provides. So naturally, they migrate to Jack’s clan.
Piggy and Ralph are no exception to the lure of hunger. “Betrayed by his stomach”, Piggy hides behind a civilised excuse and convinces Ralph to go to Jack’s party “to make sure nothing happens”. Jack, a painted and garlanded idol waves his spear and orders his boys to give Piggy and Ralph some meat. Both accept the succulent and dribbling piece of meat. Jack emphasizes his authority to Ralph and Piggy as he waves his spear and asks “has everyone eaten as much as they want?” Thus, there is a clear distinction between Ralph and Jack at this point. Jack, who has the upper hand at this point plays his cards cleverly and very slyly reminds the boys that he is in charge. He ‘allows’ Ralph and Piggy to join their feast and establishes that he is a more stable and reliable chief because he can provide them with protection and food. The two basic needs.
As the boys finish eating, Jack asks them once more, “who wants to join my tribe.” This time, the tables have turned and Jack is at a favourable position. Ralph’s failed attempts at reconciling the importance of the fire and conch merely add to Jack’s superior position.
Thus, Jack’s purpose was to establish himself as an able chief and he succeeds in doing so. The veneer of civilisation that the boys were clutching to slowly detaches itself and, they find themselves willingly descending into savagery. The chapter revolves around the central theme of civilisation vs. savagery.
This is Question. 1
Delete4. Very well expanded and evidenced. This could have earned a 4.5---the penalty is for not being able to be succinct yet informative. Work on this Hiteshi---this is the only flaw that you need to worry about!
DeleteAnswer 3: The “beast” that the boys kill is no other than Simon, who was “crying out something about a dead man on a hill.” In his attempt to save the boys from their irrational and ill-notions about the “beast”, he himself becomes a victim of their savagery which leads him to sacrifice his life.
ReplyDeleteThis event is ironic because Simon was probably their last chance at redemption, and had they listened to him, they would have got rid of their fear of the beast and perhaps take a step back towards the world of civilisation and rationalism. Yet as they “struck, bit, tore” him, they unconsciously lost their last touch of humanity, giving in to the “beast” within themselves and in a way, becoming heartless, soulless beasts themselves. Thus, it is not only tragic because of the death of a young, harmless boy, but because it is also the death of their only chance at salvation.
Symbolically, having confronted both the Lord of the Flies (the sow’s head on a stick) and the so-called beast (the soldier’s corpse), Simon fulfils his destiny of revelation. When the tide carries of Simon’s body, covered in “jelly-like phosphorescent creatures that come in with the tide”, Golding shifts the focus from Simon’s body’s movements to the much larger progressions of the Sun, Moon and Earth as Simon represents a knowledge as fundamental as the elements. Thus, he has been used as a symbol for Jesus Christ, who too had to sacrifice his life for the welfare of others. Only he knew what the beast was in reality, and only he knew the grave consequences of the others’ misinterpretations of the beast, yet he was too late, and he died a martyr, just like Jesus, to save his people.
4. Well presented--cogent explanation and evidence. You might want to explore what kind of irony is used--dramatic or verbal!
Delete1.From the very beginning we see that Jack has a thirst for power. Losing the election to Ralph in the first chapter had been a very humiliating experience for Jack and he has been tormented by a need to prove himself better than Ralph ever since. In this chapter we see the shift of power from Ralph to Jack. He gives Ralph meat to assert his superiority, to show that he can provide the boys with something which is to the boys far more important than the fire,for the thought of rescue is slowly slipping from their minds as they sink more and more into savagery, or the conch, something that Ralph cannot give them- meat. Even though Ralph and Piggy are wary of Jack’s sudden generosity, they are ‘betrayed by his stomach’. As they approach Jack’s tribe, they see Jack painted and garlanded ‘sat there like an idol’,to show the fact that this was his domain. Everything that Jack does or says reinstates his authority ‘his tone conveyed a warning, given out by the pride of ownership. He has finally been able to defeat Ralph, show him who the real leader is. ’Authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his earlike an ape’. He then asks the inevitable question,”who’s going to join my tribe?”. He says thathe gave them food and his hunters would protect them from the beast, avery tempting offer to the boys.when Ralph protests saying he was elected chief and the boys have betrayed him by running after food, Jack says “you ran yourself…look at that bone in your hans”. This reveals his real reason for inviting ralph to the feast, that is revealing in front of all the boys how the balance of power has tipped, how he has the upperhand now, and the boy they made “chief” has to come running to him for food. This chapter also shows the downfall of the conch. The conch has lost it’s power over the boys just like the long forgotten civilisation which it symbolises.
ReplyDelete4.5. All parts dealt with analysis and evidence. Be a little bit careful with typos!
Delete1. In chapter 9, Golding shows Ralph and Piggy, the two who uphold civilisation on the island, slipping into the grasps of savagery, giving in to their instincts. Though neither talks about it openly, the reader knows that both of them are desperate for meat because they decide to go to Jack and his party, in hopes of getting a share of the pig that the hunters just killed.
ReplyDeleteOn seeing Ralph and Piggy, 'Jack stood up and waved his spear', ordering the boys to give some meat to the two of them. Ralph and Piggy accept it willingly, in their desperation for meat, not realising the hidden motives behind Jack's action. What seemed like an act of generosity was actually a planned, sly means establishing authority over Ralph and Piggy. True to the figure of a leader, Jack hunts and provides meat to the boys, portraying himself as one who is capable of taking care of the needs of others.
When Ralph and Piggy accept the meat, it becomes an unspoken truth that they are under obligation to Jack, who has shown the capability to provide meat for them. He re-enforces himself as able in the field of hunting by asking -‘Has everyone eaten as much as they want?’, implying that he is not only capable of giving the boys as much as they need, but also as much as they desire. His actions reflect an unspoken belief harboured by most of the boys, he was able to provide them with something that Ralph wasn’t, Jack’s imposing figure, one that resembled an idol, the authority in his voice and the tone that ‘conveyed warning, given out of the pride of ownership’ – all seemed to resonate with his unspoken but obvious victory over Ralph.
Jack’s actions finally lead to the inevitable question – “Who is going to join my tribe?” Jack rephrases his question and repeats, “Who’ll join my tribe and have fun?” His treatment of Ralph and Piggy leaves the other boys sure of the fact that Jack’s leadership will give them what they desire, as opposed to Ralph’s leadership which only promised of a bleak possibility of rescue. Thus all the boys agree to join Jack’s tribe, decry Ralph as chief, bringing the confrontation and divide to the open.
3.5 The two questions are tackled well, one after the other. You might want to add about Ralph's reactions and his faltering understanding about how Jack has manouvered the power game.
Delete2)With the brutal murder of the female pig in chapter eight, the last vestige of civilised order on the island is stripped away, and brutality and chaos takes over. By this point, even Ralph and Piggy consider joining Jack’s camp. They go on to Jack’s side of the island and eat the meat that he offers.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when there was a “blink of bright light beyond the forest” and “big drops of rain” fell among the group, the boys looked at the sky “uneasily.” At this point, Ralph raises a pertinent question- “Where are your shelters? What are you going to do about that?” There was a wave of restlessness among the boys, they were aware that they had not built shelters and there was no way they could escape the approaching storm.
Jack, being a clever leader, employs his effective leadership skills and tries to distract the boys from the present problem. He orders them to dance- “Do our dance! Come on! Dance!”
The dance gives order to the panicked energy of the boys. Even Piggy and Ralph do not run for shelter but join in on the fringes. They find themselves seeking more abstract kind of shelter in this “demented but partly secure society.” Jack has tapped into the power of repetitive rituals and the sense of comfort that the boys get in this repetitive chanting and dancing diverts their attention from the problem of shelters and Jack’s short-sightedness.
Chanting, dancing, painting faces signify primeval behaviour and forms a tribe-like bond between the boys-they feel as though they are one. In chapter four, when the boys painted their faces, they were liberated from shame and self-consciousness. Dancing and chanting has a similar effect on them. The veneer of order and civilisation has crumbled; the boys have brutally murdered a living creature, have eaten its meat, have abandoned their leader and have not built shelters. With everything going wrong, the boys need to escape from the guilt that is haunting them. They need comfort and they need to feel as though everything is right. Dancing and chanting gives them the assurance that they haven’t done anything wrong and are relieved of all responsibility.
3.5. The analytical progress is well evidenced. You might want to explore how a sense of community -"doing things together" is established through this group participation. Again just as painting of faces , nostalgic of Indian games, creates an illusion of a game and therefore a pretend reality, this singing and dancing usually symbolic of "fun" or celebration creates a false security of all of this being a game!
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DeleteThe conflict between Jack and Ralph which exists merely in the form of an undertone in the initial stages of the novel but later assumes greater proportions and becomes more pronounced,is somewhat like a weighing scale.Ralph's domain had been inundated with followers thus far. His effortless charisma and style of lateral leadership invited a plethora of supporters. But true to the dynamics of politics,the balance begins to tip and Jack's side grows heavier with hesitant yet mass migration.A challenging exodus takes place in the previous chapter,because Ralph is no longer able to assert his opinions and there is a hint of uncertainty in his words--he is seen to be speaking "tremulously'. These impressionable,impetuous boys are swayed by the slightest change in the wind,by the effectual gusts of their instincts and at this juncture,Jack capitalises on Ralph's faltering confidence and begins to take control.He,who deeply scorned another's ascension to power in the beginning,was tactfully and diplomatically placated by Ralph--he was made in-charge of the hunters. But he begins to alienate himself from Ralph,who had been elected chief,as he realises the polarity in their thought-processes,instincts and inclinations and has now formed a separate clan of his own,which most of the boys end up joining.
ReplyDeleteRalph says they've gone "for hunting"..."and for pretending to be a tribe,and putting on war-paint"--somewhere in his heart of hearts,he accepts defeat because he knows Jack's parallel civilisation caters more to their wishes.Ralph and Piggy are now shown to be alone in their beliefs,and abandoned in their tryst with rationality and reason. But left alone thus,and betrayed by their stomachs,they go to Jack's edge of the island where he is seen resting on "the log that was his throne." The authoritative and controlling Jack is seen to be ordering the boys around with phrases like,"Give me a drink" or "All sit down",establishing the fact that he was in-charge. Golding says,"Power lay in the brown swell of his forearms: authority sat on his shoulder and chattered in his ear like an ape." While the boys are eating,he keeps asking,"Has everybody eaten as much as they want?",cleverly planting in the boys' minds the idea that they were to be thankful to him for the succulent meat,basking in "the pride of ownership". He establishes his superiority over Ralph in being able to provide meat,and therefore satisfy the crowd's desires. His limtiless hedonism isn't checked by any moral restrictions,which draws out the savagery lurking within the boys till it reaches a horrifying crescendo.
Jack's method of taking control was through violence,that very brutality that attracted the boys. His strength and sway is intrinsically associated with his power to hunt and provide meat. Hence,when Ralph and Piggy-the only two boys who had will enough to take a stand against him and the unmitigated bestiality that he represents-partake of the meat,it is almost as if they're conceding defeat which is the only thing left in Jack's agenda,all his other aims having been acheived. When he says,"Who's going to join my tribe?","Ralph made a sudden movement that became a stumble." Ralph is shown to be oscillating between Jack's way of life and the path that he,along with Piggy,had chosen. Such is Jack's influence now that even the most strong-willed of them are having second thoughts.
Q1.
Delete3,5. The second and third paragraphs holding the crux of the question are well designed. You might want to rethink about you can summarise the introduction so as not to jeopardise the information yet not begin too early and write in too much detail.
Delete2) Jack, along with his hunters and a few others, had been having a feast on his side of the island. When Ralph and Piggy go up to the edge of the grassy platform, Jack offers them meat to eat. 'So they stood and ate beneath a sky of thunderous brass that rang with the storm-coming.' Once they were done eating, Ralph and Jack get into an arguement about who the chief is and who is excepted to do what. Jack keeps on asking who wanted to be part of his tribe while Ralph wants to call and assembly when, 'there was a blink of bright light beyond the forest and the thunder exploded. 'Big drops of rain' started to reach the surface of the earth.
ReplyDeleteIt is now that Ralph states that there is going to a storm and raises a question to show Jack who among the two, is more clever, asking, 'Where are your shelters? What are you going to do about that?'
The hunters were looking uneasily at the sky, 'flinching from the stroke of the drops. The flickering light became brighter and the blows of thunder were only just bearable. The littluns began to run about, screaming.' It is now that Jack commands the boys to 'Do our Dance! Come on! Dance!' This proves to be an effective leadership tactic. The dancing and singing, fills the boys with excitement and energises them. It helps them in getting rid of their uneasiness and diverts their attention towards dancing from the issue about the non-existing shelters and approaching thunderstorm.
Chanting and dancing, has a psychological effect on the boys. In chapter 4, we see how applying paints on their faces, helps the hunters somehow get rid of their true identity, their usual self whereas, in this chapter, the chanting and dancing, helps them get rid of their anxiety and uneasiness. It provides them with a sense of comfort because they all dance as one and there is no leader or chief. It works as an escape from the reality, the deterioration of civilisation and order. Once again, they get rid of their tension and stress and are seen to be enjoying themselves as if nothing wrong had happened.
3.5. Well attempted Mehr. Be a little careful about spellings and the linguistic tone--it needs to be slightly more formal and crisp. Do also look up the advise I have given to Sehrish.
DeleteThe air-man was who nearly all the boys considered the beast. Hence in a way, his exit from the island to the sea (merely as the area beyond the island ) was imperative when they killed Simon (who was mistaken for the beast in a moment of uncontrollable passion). His flying away might have symbolised the complete exit of the mythical beast from the island. It could also have symbolised the exit of the misconception regarding the beast, showing that the real beast was neither the air man nor Simon (and hence was still with them on the island). from a more direct point of view, his introduction to the scene at that exact point was for the purpose of making the boys break out of their trance, to realise what they had done. If the sea is seen as an entity besides just a physical representation of the Great Beyond, we must analyse golding’s repeated ues of the sae as a symbol. On one hand, it was the single connection between the boys on the island and the real world. On the other hand, it was the only thing that kept them from going back to their normal lives in the civil world. Hence, the figure being a symbol of what they had to face here on the island, it was another addition to the mountainous pile of things that would forwver keep them away from the normalcy of the outside world.
ReplyDeleteSimon being washed away by the sea can be seen with the same lens. On one hand is the ominous, dark side of the sea that keeps him from escaping the madness of the savage dance and is like a beast itself that swallows up the only sensible soul on the island. Onthe other hand is its vast, magnanimous side of divinity, that absorbs within itself the only divine being on this forsaken place. It could also be seen as a feeble, final attempt on nature’s side to remove the signs of evil on the island, in the same way it removed the air man’s figure from there.
The title of Chapter 9 of William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies is aptly named 'A View to a Death' as in many ways, it is the beginning of the end of the novel. One of the ways in which Golding has changed the course of the novel is by having the air-man fly over the boys and into the sea. Simon has just been killed by the other boys in the rush of savagery and excitement when the boys see the figure of the air-man being carried away by the wind. This might represent a number of things. It might be Golding's way of making it clear that the only true 'beast' on the island is the evil nature of the boys themselves and not some dangerous, mysterious creature. The killing of Simon at the hands of the boys is symbolic of them completely giving into their barbaric and blood-thirsty nature and the body of the man being carried away into the sea might represent the last shred of humanity being washed away from the island. Furthermore, with the 'going' of the supposed 'beast,' Golding forces the boys to face the reality of their cruel nature as they can no longer disguise their acts of savagery under the cover of fear or protection. The death of Simon might be taken to have similar symbolism.
ReplyDeleteSimon was a symbol of spirituality or even divinity on the island throughout the first few chapters. He was the only one with enough sensibility and courage to actually try to solve the mystery of the 'beast.' He maintained his disbelief of an external beast throughout and he was one of the, if not only, boys to refuse to give into barbarism and savagery. With his death, we see the last iota of humanity, sensibility and civilization leaving the island. His body is taken by the sea, almost as if nature is claiming its own. The sea, while being the only means of escape for the boys, is also the only thing dividing the boys from civilization and Simon's body being taken away by the sea might symbolize Simon's final escape from the cruelties he had to face due to the savage nature of the boys on the island through death.
Thus, I think that Golding uses the death of Simon, his body being washed away and taken by the sea as well as the leaving of the airman or the 'beast' to emphasize the fact that the boys were giving into their primeval nature and were letting go of civilization. Golding also uses these events to foreshadow the darker nature of the novel ahead.
I forgot to mention the question number, sorry! (4)
DeleteAnswer 1
ReplyDeleteThe beast that the boys kill was no other than Simon who was on his way to inform the boys that the beast they feared was just a dead parachutist and nothing to fear. As the destructive forces of nature took over the island in the for of the storm it triggered the savagery within the boys to rise to the surface with their terrible chant," Kill the beast! cut his throat! Spill his blood!" With savagery taking over them and their immense bloodlust even Simon, who was one them, seemed to take the form of the beast and all the boys attacked and killed him.
The murder of Simon is extremely tragic as in their attempt to kill the beast , they end up killing the only now who knew the truth about it.After his interaction with The Lord of the Flies and having seen the dead parachutist, Simon realized that the beast resided within them but before he could share this knowledge he is murdered. Also as savagery overcomes them, their only chance of redemption was Simon who was murdered, destroying any shred of humanity that may have still existed within the boys. We see that the savagery is so powerful that even Ralph and Piggy give into it to a certain extent. Simon's death is ironical because after the realisation of the true identity of the beast he tries to communicate with the others but is interrupted by the beast, the savagery in man . He came to inform the boys that there was no creature that was the beast but was instead slaughtered at the hands of the beast. The irony is further emphasised as Simon is mistaken for the beast.
In the novel Simon symbolises man's spirituality. His death was like a sacrifice to the alter of savagery. Simon being killed by the boys due to instinct is a manifest ion of the innate savagery within man. Therefore he was a martyr who died for the benefit of others just like Christ. He fulfilled his duties of revelation by understanding the true identity of the beast yet is killed before he can communicate it T&I the others. Golding is highlighting how Simon fulfills his role as a mystic visionary.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 9 : Answer 3
ReplyDeleteThe “beast” that the boys kill is none other than Simon. The tragic incident occurs when most of the boys are chanting about the pig : Kill the beast! cut his throat! Spill his blood! It happens when Simon comes out of the jungle and to their circle. He had intentions to save all the boys from their worry by telling them the truth about the “beast” and how it was only a dead parachutist. But, instead, in the dark, he is mistaken to be the “beast.
It is ironic because the boys still think that they are killing the “beast” when in reality, they are killing Simon. Because Simon represents good ; it symbolises how by killing him, they have destructed all the good and humanity inside them and all that is left, is evil. The boys have lost civilisation, which is shown when they can't think properly and kill off one of the main persons who still had it, reducing it even more. It also shows how the beast actually resides in mad himself ; for, if the boys hadn’t been so concentrated and caught in the moment during their “dance” that they forget what they’re doing, what values they have and where they come from , and end up killing Simon : their only connection with reality and society apart from Piggy.
After killing Simon, there is no point of return, for the boys and they have now been reduced to or turned into blood thirsty savages. Also, since Simon was the only one who knew the truth about the beast, now, with him dead, that understanding is lost. Simon also represented kindness and sympathy and his death symbolises how, when man falls prey to savagery, the first things that disappear are kindness and sympathy. It can also depict how, the boys will now probably never be able to understand the fact that the “beast” resides within them and it is not external. Hence, they need to look within themselves.
The boys had perceived the air-man as the beast. However, after they boys murdered Simon in a frenzy, calling him the 'beast', the removal of the air-man from the island holds a symbolic meaning, and serves as a tool for plot movement as well.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, after they kill Simon, the actual beast, which is a part of the boys' themselves, has truly come alive. Here, Golding makes the figure fly away over the island to assert the fact that the beast is not something external- not the air-man, not Simon- but inside each and every one of them. And the misconception as well as the truth about the "beast from air" flies away with the air man, over the sea. The sea too, is a symbol which serves a dual purpose. One one hand, it is the only thing connecting the boys to the world they have left behind, and on the other hand, the only obstacle between them and that world as well. So the figure flying away over the sea can be interpreted as a metaphor for the last ounce of humanity and reason leaving the island.
If on one hand, we have the air-man being perceived as the beast, on the other hand, we have Simon, who is mistaken for the beast, and is killed by the boys in a frenzy. Simon has been given an almost Christ-like image on a number of occasions. He was the only one among the boys, who possessed any knowledge about The Lord of the Flies. He was the only one who knew what the beast really was. This knowledge itself leads to his death, interestingly enough, as the "beast" in the eyes of the boys. Simon being washed away by the sea has a dual meaning too. On one hand, it is the the sea which prevents him from escaping the bloodlust and frenzy of the boys and leads to his death; perhaps on another part of the island, Simon would not have been killed. On the other hand, perhaps the sea washing away Simon, is significant of Nature's last attempt to wash away the evil which has contaminated the once pure island- a Christ-like sacrifice to wash away the sins of all those who do not posses the knowledge that Simon does. Lastly, Simon being surrounded by the "strange moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes" is perhaps an intentional contrast made to him being surrounded by flies, earlier in the novel, before his meeting with The Lord of The Flies,
Answer 3
ReplyDeleteSimon wakes as a storm gathers over the island . He climbs the mountain even though he is staggering with exhaustion . He sees the 'beast' and realizes that its juts a dead parachutist . He untangles the parachutist and heads down the mountain to tell the others about it . Meanwhile Jack and other boys have engaged themselves in a violent dance . Simon staggers from the forest , shouting the news about the dead parachutist . In their frenzied dance , the boys think he is the 'beast' . They surround him and beat and claw him to death .
With the brutal animalistic murder of Simon , the last vestige of civilized order on the island is stripped away . By this point the boys in Jack's camp are all but inhuman savages filled with bloodlust and are able to commit heinous crimes with a clear conscience . Simon's death symbolizes the chaos and anarchy that has overtaken the island . The manner of Simon's death continues the parallel between him and Jesus . Both die sacrificial deaths after learning profound truths about human morality . But on the other hand , according to the Bible , Jesus' death shoes others the way to salvation while Simon's death exemplifies the power of the evil within the human soul .
After Simon's death , any trace of rules and resemblance of society that had been established on the island degenerates . The theme of inherent human evil battling with essential human goodness is represented by Simon . His brutal murder by the boys indicates the scarcity of that goodness amid an overwhelming abundance of evil . The death of Simon in the novel represents the boys completion of their degeneration from civilization to social breakdown .