“Then the breeze died and there was no noise save the drip and trickle of water…”
He also says “the sound of water was still.” This is the opposite of the noise described during Simon’s death.
There is also a large change in the weather.
“Towards midnight the rain ceased and the clouds drifted away…”
The storm has now stopped so “the incredible lamps of stars” are visible in the clear sky.
Simon’s last journey out to sea is the most contrasting part. There is change in atmosphere again, when even nature gets involved,
“The strange attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes…busied themselves around his head.”
His send off is almost like a funeral ceremony where Simon is going off to a better place.
“The line of cheek silvered” is very angelic as is “sculptured marble”. His body is described in a very beautiful way. He also has a halo of light surrounding him, which is very saint-like and angelic. Simon is shown by Golding as a martyr who died for the truth. He gave up his life, just to spread the truth to the others on the island. The adjective “silver” is also mentioned a few times in the last couple of paragraphs of the chapter. Silver is a colour associated with goodness and angels, which may be what Golding wants us to see him as. He sacrificed his life for their belief. He was one of the last links of civilised behaviour on the island and the remaining civilisation deteriorated soon after Simon’s death.
Simon is shown by Golding as a very helpful boy. He helps the littluns with fruit they cannot reach. In chapter seven, he volunteers to go back to Piggy, alone in the night, to tell him of the progress the group have made in the finding of the beast. This is a brave and selfless side of Simon, which is one of a kind in this novel. He helps Ralph and Piggy in bringing the fire down to the beach and helps keeping it alight. He is the only one who helps Ralph in the making of the shelters for the group, when he could have been exploring the island with the rest of the group.
Simon likes privacy and time by himself, which shows that he is rather reclusive. He often goes to his den, which may possibly be because of his epilepsy. He might know when he is about to have a seizure, or fit, so he goes well away where he can be alone when it happens. He may also go to his den possibly to think about events taking place at that moment in time and how to put them right.
By chapter five, the issue of the ‘beastie’ has become a major issue, which is continuously being discussed by individuals and as a group. In this chapter, it is evident that Simon is the only one who really understands what the beast is, but finds it hard to express himself.
“…maybe it’s only us.”
This also shows how difficult he found it to show his view of the ‘beast’. Members of the group often laugh him at because of his comments, “…the laughter beat him cruelly.” Because he can’t express himself, he can’t reason or explain with the others.
“Simon became inarticulate in his effort to explain mankind’s essential illness.”
These words are an important point Simon is trying to get across, but is unsuccessful, yet again, in the process. He is comparing evil to having a disease everyone has, but can’t get rid of. He is trying to suggest that maybe, this is all the ‘beast’ is.
In chapter seven, a mysterious image of Simon is created. He is shown to be very spiritual and prophet-like; Ralph, Piggy and Simon are sitting on rocks by the sea when Simon abruptly says,
“You’ll get back to where you came from.”
He also mentions the sentence “You’ll get back all right” a few times as well.
His words suggest he is having a premonition of the future, which is very prophet-like. A prophet, in the Old Testament, was someone with special powers including the ability to see into the future. They were normally not liked because they were different. This description of a prophet is identical to that of Simon in terms his personality and his mind. He can evidently tell the future from his conversation with Ralph and Piggy, which is an extraordinary ability.
From this event, we can see that Ralph and Piggy’s view of Simon is quite typical. They think he is “batty”. Simon is trying to reassure Ralph and is therefore showing caring, kind and sensitive he is. The others also dislike him because of his unusualness. He is called “nuts”, “he’s queer, he’s funny” and “he’s cracked”. There dislike of him is just like that of a prophet in the Old Testament. He is in the novel purposefully by Golding to convey the truth to everyone, just like a prophet. Simon is determined, in spite of his exhaustion, to bring the truth about the ‘beast’ to the others.
Golding makes a deliberate link between Simon and Roger. They are both members of the choir and are both physically similar with their dark hair. Both characters want to be noticed by the group. Roger wants a share of power. Jack is the leader of the hunters and Ralph is chief. This is why Roger steps up to go with Ralph and Jack on the quest to find the ‘beast’. Simon, on the other hand, just wants to be listened to and wants his opinions appreciated. They both go on to be allies of the two most powerful characters in the novel: Simon is very loyal and respectful towards Ralph and Roger becomes Jack’s closest ally. However, as the story progresses, both characters develop. Simon becomes more spiritual and remains civilised. Roger begins to become more violent and revels in Jack’s degeneration into savagery. His cruelty and savagery escalates from here. Roger had originally been described by Golding as “furtive” suggesting that he had a sinister shyness and kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. Just like Simon, he has something about him, which attracts attention. Golding links them both together as a contrast for the reader. Simon represented the good of human nature, whereas roger represented the evil side.
Simon is the only character in the novel to have the appreciation for nature. At the end of chapter one, Jack, Ralph and Simon are on their first expedition of the island when they come across an unusual bush. Jack and Ralph are very practical so do not regard the plant as something useful because they “can’t eat them” and “couldn’t light them”. Simon, however, sees it for what it is; nature, which should be appreciated.
The most serious and mysterious of Simon’s experiences is at the end of chapter eight: his encounter with the Lord of the Flies. Simon escapes to his den where he discovers a pig’s head on a stick, fresh from Jack and his tribe’s hunting event. He has a seizure during which he hallucinates. In his hallucination, he has a conversation with the pig’s head, which is now referred to as the Lord of the Flies. Simon is the only one who really understands what the beast is and so Golding highlights it here.
“You knew it, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go.”
The beast is a part of them. It is not something external, but something inside everyone. Human nature is divided into two parts: good and evil. The Lord of the Flies represents the evil side of nature. Simon has been used by Golding to convey this message to the reader, like prophets spread the message from God.
Simon has not put a foot wrong in this novel, unlike everyone else on the island, so was the one who would have been most likely to be the ‘chosen one’ by Golding.
