At the start of A View To A Death, chapter 9, the omniscient authorial voice presents us with a description of the environment, with the ‘building up of clouds’ and the ‘brassy glare’ of the surroundings. The images are oppressive and the colours drained suggesting an absence of life and a sombre mood throughout the island. Golding uses pathetic fallacy and the setting is personified as a presence alongside the boys.
We find Simon unconscious, lying next to the pig’s head. He represents his determination to find out the truth about the nature of the beast by still being intent on climbing the mountain. At the top of the mountain, Simon discovers the dead parachutist and realises that the beast is just a fabrication of the boys’ imagination and does not exist. The parachutist moves as if it is praying, which is a clear religious symbol and Simon metaphorically sets his soul free by releasing the parachutist. This allows the parachutist to die in a dignified manner and is an obvious spiritual act. This contrasts unmistakably with the other boys on the island, showing that they lack the one quality than Simon personifies: compassion. This is further exemplified by his intention to return to the camp and reveal the reality despite his frailty. At this point, Simon is described as ‘the usual brightness having gone form his eyes and he walked with a certain glum determination like an old man’. This illustrates that his exchange with the beast hit him hard with reality and truth and subsequently he has the burdens of an older, more troubled mind and has lost the innocence of youth.
In contrast, the end of the chapter depicts a much calmer scene, however still with the use of pathetic fallacy. The setting is all together more serene as ‘the clouds drifted away’ and the ‘breeze died’. Here, there is the complete loss of morality, goodness and the breakdown of society on the island, as Simon’s body is washed out to sea. There are strong parallels between Simon’s and Christ’s death and strong religious imagery is used, such as the ‘luminous moon beamed creatures’ that take care of Simon’s corpse. Simon is depicted as a martyr, and just as he allowed the parachutist to have a dignified burial, he too is given a natural burial and the reader is under the impression that he is going to a better place.
In this chapter, Simon’s significance is immense. At the start of the chapter, his mature understanding of the ‘beast’ leads to the discovery of its reality, or rather its non-existence. After meeting with the Lord of the Flies, Simon realises the evil is a figment of the boys imagination and shows determination to inform the rest of the boys of his discovery, however the revelation that should have restored peace and order to the island, ironically brings the boys to a new low, showing the complete degradation of society; murder.
By courageously seeking to confront the figure on the mountain top, Simon fulfils his destiny o revelation. He doesn’t get to share his revelation with the other boys because they are not ready to accept or understand it. Instead he dies as a result of being made the scapegoat for the boys’ unshakeable fear. When Simon’s body is carried off by the tide, covered in the jellyfish-like phosphorescent creatures who have come in with the tide, Golding shifts the focus from Simon’s body’s movements to the much larger progression of the sun, moon and earth because Simon represented a knowledge as fundamental as the elements.
Simon’s importance in the chapter A View To A Death and the rest of the novel is to signify, along with Ralph and Piggy, a moral and civilised society. He attempts to maintain the civility in which the book started; however he finds it increasingly difficult as the rest of the boys regress into a primitive and lawless civilization. Despite his frailty, Simon soldiers on his quest to discover the identity of the beast on the mountaintop because he sees that need for the boys to face their fears, to understand the true identity of the false beast on the mountain and to get on with the business of facing the beast within themselves. His character signifies morality, kindness and compassion and ironically, it is these qualities which lead to his murder, and ultimately the final collapse of society on the island and deterioration into savagery of the boys.
