Symbolism in Lord of The Flies Essay Sample

Willam Golding uses the poetic device of symbolism throughout Lord of the Flies.  This novel shows the different aspects of humankind through characters. Simon, a choirboy, was a courageous and amiable person on the island, but his fate led him to death. Simon wanted to inform the boys that there was no such thing as a physical beast after he saw the parachutist on the side of a mountain. When he was just going to tell the boys, he was brutally beaten by them. If the brave Simon got the chance to share this information, the other boy's bloodthirstiness could have been stunted.  Simon symbolizes a Christ-like figure in Lord of the Flies because he was selfless to all on the island, tied to an evil figure, and murdered brutally. 

Simon’s altruism towards others proves how he is a symbol of Christ. There are many instances in Lord of the Flies where the audience gets to see Simon’s generous acts. After Piggy was harassed by Jack, the selfless Simon gave Piggy his piece of meat: “Ralph stirred uneasily. Simon, sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it” (74). By Simon sacrificing his meal, it helped placate Piggy; this shows how he symbolizes Christ. A Christ-like figure entails sacrificing things so others can be at peace. Also, when Ralph was feeling homesick, Simon said some kind words to comfort him: “You’ll get back to where you came from. . . And then they suddenly smiled at each other” (111). Through the sympathy and hope of Simon, Ralph’s depression and homesickness were suppressed. Christ is known for his unconditional comfort, and Simon showed this quality when uplifting Ralph’s spirits. Simon shows he is a figure of Christ when he hands the littluns fruit: “Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, 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” (56). This action connects to the stories of Christ feeding a multitude of people in the Bible, as it shows benevolence. Simon’s acts of service prove that he symbolizes a Christ-like figure.  

Simon represents Christ because he was linked to the Lord of the Flies, just how the devil was in Christ’s life. The connection between Simon and the Lord of the Flies adds depth to this novel. After Jack took the pig’s head and placed it to be glorified on a spear, Simon had an encounter with the Lord of the Flies: “ ‘What are you doing out here all alone? Aren’t you afraid of me? . . . There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast’ ” (143). It is evident that the Lord of the Flies symbolizes the devil, as it speaks deceptive and deceitful.  The devil tried to petrify Christ, just as the Lord of the Flies attempted to do to Simon. Simon and Christ had these evil figures, but they were both strong enough to overcome them: “ ‘Aren’t you afraid of me?’ . . . Simon shook” (143). Simon showed strength when he shook his head, and this proves how he stood up to the beast; Christ also showed courage when he faced the devil as well. Through Simon and Christ being affiliated to a malevolent symbol, it proves that Simon represents Christ.

Along with Christ, Simon was murdered in a barbarous way by those who surrounded him. As Simon was coming down to inform the boys that there was no such thing as a tangible beast, Simon was beaten to his death: “Even in the rain they could see how small a beast it was; and already its blood was staining the sand” (153). As Simon is referred to as the Beast, this shows how bloodthirsty the other boys were. The death of Simon shifted the dynamic on the island tremendously, as the rest of the boys knew they were responsible for his death. Both Simon and Christ suffered a violent death that changed humanity forever, and their deaths became glorified after the fact. After Golding described Simon’s death, he had an exalted funeral: “Surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures, itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea” (152). This burial shows the importance of this character, as Golding made his death to be majestic. Simon’s body being at peace with nature relates to Christ’s resurrection, as he was united with the people; the feeling of tranquility is felt with both of the aftermath of these deaths. Simon’s similar brutal death and uplifting funeral show how he is a depiction of Christ. 

Others may say that the naval officer who came to the island to rescue the boys symbolizes Christ; however, it is important to remember that Simon's attributes of Christ outweigh this opinion. This point of the naval officer representing Christ is understandable, as he was seen as a savior. After Ralph was chased out by the conflagration that Jack caused, he encounters the naval officer on the beach: “ ‘We saw smoke. What have you been doing? . . . We’ll take you off’ ” (201). The naval officer can be seen as a savior because he tells Ralph he will save him. Christ is known for being the number one savior in our world, so this shows how this point of the naval officer representing Christ is valid. The naval officer better represents being a signal for the boys to realize how bloodthirsty they have been: “His voice rose under the black smoke before the wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too” (202). The naval officer symbolizes a powerful thing, as Golding used him to be a wake-up call for the boys. Also, it is important to remember all of Simon’s qualities that are the same as Christ’s: courage, strength, selflessness, sacrifice, hope, kindness, and patience. All of these attributes override the naval officer’s. When Simon was the first boy to observe the supposed beast, it showed the quality of courage: “Then he turned over, drew his feet under him, and laid hold of the creepers to pull himself up” (145).  Simon’s attribute of courage shows how he serves as a Christ symbol, rather than the naval officer. Some people believe that the naval officer symbolizes Christ, but along with Simon’s shared attributes with Christ, this opinion can be labeled as inaccurate. 

Lord of the Flies is an excellent novel to understand different roles in society. It is eye-opening and it changes the way others view the world. William Golding did a phenomenal job by making each character symbolize important things. It is clear that Simon is the perfect exemplar to be a Christ-like character because of his selflessness towards Piggy and littluns, interesting relationship with the Lord of the Flies, and harsh death that led to a harmonious funeral. This novel would not have as much meaning if Simon was not a character.