Lord Of The Flies Beast Analysis

The story Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding is about a group of boys who become stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash. Even when, at first it seems like paradise it soon turns sour as their society falls apart. William Golding utilizes, changes and develops the Beast to convey the theme of the savagery of human nature. In the beginning of the story the Beast starts out representing the uncertainty of the boys. One example of this is when the “Beast” is first mentioned in the story. In one of the first meetings on the island the boys gather to talk and one little boy asks what they will do about the “snake thing” that comes in the dark. Ralph replies, “‘You couldn’t have a beastie, a snake-thing, on an island this size,’
Ralph tries to talk sense into him, but as a result of the little boy not knowing any better Ralph does not succeed. The “older boys” are unaffected by this event, simply due to the fact that they know better than to think there is a Beast inhabiting the island. In the middle of the story the Beast represents savageness and primitive human instincts. Simon witnesses the savage murder of a pig and mutilation of it from a spot in a hidden grove and starts hallucinating and talking with the pig head who is portrayed as the Lord of the Flies/Beast: “‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head. ‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you?” (Golding 143). One key part in the evidence is when the Beast points out that it is a part of the boys and not “something you could hunt and kill”. This is contrary to what was thought before when there was thought to be a flesh and blood beast stalking the boys every move. Since before this Simon has been witness to the vicious killing of a sow by a group of boys this really points to the idea that the Beast represents the savageness of human