Comparing Simon And Piggy In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

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Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, follows a group of boys stranded on an island and dives deep into the nature of humankind and the evil within everyone. Two of the main characters, Simon and Piggy, are brutally killed by Jack’s tribe without hesitation or any second thoughts. Simon and Piggy are two extremely different characters who advance the plot in their own various ways. Simon is a visionary who knows the truth about the beast and symbolizes innocence. Piggy is a symbol of intelligence and is the rational character who is ostracized by everyone except Ralph, whom he grows close to over time. Contrary to the ending of the novel, Ralph should weep for Simon as Simon is the only boy who knows the truth about the beast, the …show more content…

However, he should weep for Simon seeing Simon is the only boy who has a genuine concern for others on the island. For example, Simon gives his share of the pig’s meat to Piggy after Jack’s first kill and is ridiculed and shunned by Jack for his display of selflessness. The boys will never be able to apologize for all the times they jeered at Simon. They never trust or listen to what Simon has to say, and they ignore him when he tells them, “‘Maybe there is a beast….maybe it’s only us.’” Simon embodies the innocence inside all the boys. When they rip him apart, they destroy their own innocence in the process. Before they even mature into adults, they lose the child-like spirit that resides in them. If Simon brings the truth to the boys, Jack will lose his power and the island will be unified once again. The truth will set all the boys free of Jack’s tyranny. Simon’s murder is the final straw that cuts the boys off from civilization, their old lives back in England, and the remainder of their

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