Simon Lord Of The Flies Essay

William Shakespeare once said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Despite whatever personal philosophies one might hold, this quote holds true in The Lord of the Flies. When the ensemble of boys crashes on the deserted island, established society is effectively removed from their lives. Once society is removed, the boys fall prey to the so-called “beast,” that is, their own murderous impulses. The true victim of the beast, however, is Simon, who is the first boy murdered on the island. William Golding uses Simon to represent pure goodness and morality to advance the theme that without societal constraints, man’s true nature is revealed.

    Simon is characterized as a kind, thoughtful individual, which is refreshing

when taken in comparison with the other, more brutish boys. This is evident in many of his actions, such as his decision to continue supporting Ralph, even when the other boys have deserted him. Ralph remarks, “All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing” (Golding 50). While the rest of the boys went off to do as they pleased, Simon stayed with Ralph because he believed it was the right thing to do. Ralph was democratically elected as chief, after all, and Simon is one of the only boys who continues to respect this fact until the end. In his decision to continue helping Ralph build the shelters, Simon proves that he is driven by morality instead of impulse. His kindness also shines through in his choice to persist in being civil to the littluns. “Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands. When he had satisfied them he paused and looked round. The littluns watched him inscrutably over double handfuls of ripe fruit” (Golding 56). Simon’s inherent goodness triumphs over the cruelty he has seen, and this, too, proves that he is guided by his own good convictions. These convictions prove that Simon’s true nature is what is considered good, and that is why his morality stays intact while the rest of the boys fall to chaos.
Nevertheless, Simon is perceivably physically weaker than the other boys, and this corresponds with his innocence and benevolence.

This weakness is first shown when the boys have just arrived on the island, where Jack mentions that “[Simon’s] always throwing a faint… He did it in Gib.; and Addis; and at matins over the precentor” (Golding 20). Golding uses Simon’s weakness to further expand on the notion that the true nature of man is evil and will prey on those they deem different or weak. This thought becomes literal when Simon is killed. “At once the crowd surged after it [Simon], poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore… Even in the rain they could see how small of a beast it was, and already its blood was staining the sand” (Golding 153). Simon’s death solidified the boys’ descent towards savagery, and truly exposed the “beast” within. He was the only one who knew the beast was just the evil inside of each of them, and this information, as well as all things left redeemable in their society, died with him. Thereafter, the boys could not even come to terms with what they had done, either denying the act or attempting to justify it. However grotesque, Simon’s death was used to convey the belief that morality and goodness are social constructs and do not survive without society’s protection, as well as the theme that man’s true evil nature will be exposed as soon as established society has faded

away.
Simon’s death is truly one of the most tragic events in the book, and though it is depressing, it is necessary. Without the isolation and murder of Simon, the downward spiral of the leftover boys would not happen, and the subsequent death of Piggy and hunting of Ralph would not have taken place either. These are the most defining incidents found in The Lord of the Flies, and they express the theme: Societal constraints are the only thing keeping the evil of man at bay. Because of this, Golding used Simon’s compassion and weakness to expose the beast within the rest of the boys, and therefore strongly communicate the theme. It may be true that the concepts of good and evil blur without the strong presence of society, but at least in this society, it’s a bit harder to get away with murder.