The Beast and Simon

The Beast and Simon

Symbolism is the gateway to truth in this essay. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses "The Beast" to represent savagery and uses Simon to represent spirituality, instinct and a Jesus figure in order to show human nature is savage and that the role of government, a monarchy, is giving out more of the way towards Thomas Hobbes theory of people and government.

The beast is the boys Id. The beast is the Id inside of the kids coming out and getting the kids to be irrational. Everyday the Id comes out more as the kids seem to become more savage, and do not follow the rules of Ralph, the chief. Just as when Ralph is explaining the problems of the tribe in a meeting. Ralph's meeting is important because Jack starts whining during the gathering and doesn't care what Ralph says. The significance in this is that is the Id taking over the kids. However, the beast is mankind's sickness or savagery taking over as Simon says here, "We could be sort of . . ."

Simon became inarticulate in his effort express mankind's essential illness." (89) As Simon tries to explain that the beast is them. That is there weakness. Mankind's illness is not being able to stay rational and sensible. He thought that the beast was just them going insane and getting weaker and weaker over time. They where growing farther from civilization. That's when they then started to think there was a beast on the island. The civilization was getting covered up by the Id and the superego was losing the fight. "This head is for the beast. It's a gift." (137)

Simon, the one that points out what the beast is, also symbolizes something important. Simon is one of the few whostays rational. He would stay true to his feelings and his only. Simon is like a Jesus figure. Simon thought the beast was them. He's the one that actually knew what the beast is. Also, he was stabbed and killed over wrong accusations. Jesus was killed over wrong thinking of himself similarly, "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" (152) is what the kids said as they killed Simon. They where acting on instinct which shows the Id in the boys because the Id is instinct also. This is also leading towards Hobbes theory of people and government.

So in conclusion, the beast and Simon are two totally opposite symbolic references. Simon is the Jesus figure, and the beast is the savage that is inside all the kids. Simon is the Superego and the beast is the Id on the island. Also, Golding leans toward Hobbes theory throughout the book and only has a few characters that lean towards Locke's theory of government and people.