Preview

Comparing Simon And Jesus In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
926 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparing Simon And Jesus In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
A popular theme that echoes throughout the texts of many British authors is religion; mainly in the point of view from the Holy Bible. In most british literature, the reader can draw conclusions that the author drew insight from the stories based upon Christianity. This insight can be reflected by major characters or events that happen in the text. In the allegory “Lord of the Flies” Simon, a major character, reflects Jesus Christ because both have similar events happen to them. As similar events occur the reader can also theorize that Simon and Jesus share similar traits .
First, there are many biblical parallels in the allegory, “Lord of the Flies” written by William Golding. The confrontation with Simon and the Lord of the
…show more content…
As Ralph is sitting on the beach telling Simon about his desire to leave the island, Simon reassures Ralph that he will leave the island and be fine. Simon offers his wisdom to Ralph because he fully grasps onto the longing Ralph is feeling. Wanting to lift Ralph from that pain, he shows how gentle his heart is and how he cares for the rest of the group. Jesus also gave others his wisdom and advice, often to those seeking some direction in life. Although Simon does not attain supernatural powers, Jesus can for example, cure the blind. This allows Jesus to attend to the less fortunate and supply individuals with a sense of protection. Simon shows his powers in different ways, supplying fruit for the littluns when they cannot reach it. This gives the littluns someone to look to, as the other biguns seem to have forgotten about them. Tending to the common people, both Jesus and Simon are naturally compassionate and can sense the emotions of others well. Out of the goodness of their hearts both express their innocence in way in which they realize to do things not in spite of their guilt, but because naturally they are not morally

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    1, 1992, p. 78. EBSCOhost, lrcproxy.iccms.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.12223917&site=eds-live. Accessed 17 March 2017. This article mainly describes Lord of the Flies with Egyptian mythology. It described the civilized boys as Osiris and the savage group of boys as his brother, Typhoon. However, the article make a Christian connection in the novel. It moves on to describe Simon as a saint and The Lord of the Flies as Beelzebub. The article goes into detail that Beelzebub is the Hebrew translation of The Lord of the Flies and that it represents the devil. I will use article references of Christian elements to reinforce my second thesis. I will use this article to show that the Lord of the Flies represents Satan from the Christian…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the course of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters of the boys changes drastically. In the beginning, the boys are very disorganized and overwhelmed. Overtime, that disorder is changed into the organization of two separate groups of boys that have completely different ideas of how to run the island. This causes tension and hatred between the boys. In the scene of Simon’s death, Golding uses leery imagery, distinctive and violent diction, and dark figurative language to show the boys’ dynamic transformation from lost and naive school boys to savage and ruthless beasts.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the murder of Simon, a storm erupts. The storm symbolizes the chaos and anarchy that have taken over everything on the island and the catastrophe of the murder. During Simon’s meeting with the Lord of the Flies, the Lord of the Flies promises that he would have “fun” with Simon. However, Simon realizes that the beast is actually within everyone and that he needs and has to confront the beast in everyone. Simon and Jesus Christ share similar properties, as they were both killed for the truth. However, Jesus Christ had the chance to share it before dying unlike Simon. The major difference in Simon’s and Jesus Christ’s death was that Jesus Christ’s death was to save mankind. While Simon’s death was to further symbolize and show the highlight of the island and everyone on it being thrown into further oppression and darkness. The dogpiling on to Simon represents how Rolf finally loses his leadership over the other boys. Jack’s gang was given the opportunity to release their violent and childish interests, making them ignore and blindly hunt. This was the cause of Simon’s death. Jack’s priority is to be focused on hunting and entertaining the boys. When Ralph confronts Jack later in the chapter, he saw that Jack was treated as a war king. However, Jack was so blindly focused on hunting he didn't build any shlets for the storm that erupts after the death of…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Simon is looked as silent and mysterious. He was often mistaken as a secretive and wicked person. Simon kept to himself and often meditated which gave the impression that he was wise despite his age, he had no desire to get in arguments with the other boys, the hunts, ot the temptations the island presented. This is similar to the story of Jesus where he is often found meditating and asking God for advice. It is also similar in the way that Jesus was above sin, just like Simon is above savagery on the island.…

    • 95 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Meaning in Lord of the flies

    • 3894 Words
    • 16 Pages

    The main allegory for Lord of the Flies is that without civilization, savagery takes over. The Lord of the Flies and the Beast are not really physical characters. It is the evil that is in every human being. Without civilization the boys unleashed this evil. Piggy stood for intellect which every civilization needs, when he died it showed that savagery had completely taken over. Also Simon stood for morality, but not because civilization told him to be moral, but because he knew that morality was natural. But this book shows the allegory that savagery is stronger and more natural than civilization, this it took over. The death of Simon indicates how morality and goodness cannot survive within savagery.The main allegory for Lord of the Flies is that without civilization, savagery takes over. The Lord of the Flies and the Beast are not really physical characters. It is the evil that is in every human being. Without civilization the boys unleashed this evil. Piggy stood for intellect which every civilization needs, when he died it showed that savagery had completely taken over. Also Simon stood for morality, but not because civilization told him to be moral, but because he knew that morality was natural. But this book shows the allegory that savagery is stronger and more natural than civilization, this it took over. The death of Simon indicates how morality and goodness cannot survive within savagery.…

    • 3894 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Simon Becoming a Hero

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Simon is introduced as a sweet boy who likes to be alone. In order to avoid being corrupted, he refuses to take part in any of Jack’s foolishness. In one instance, Jack and the boys were plotting how to kill the pig, “Simon grabbed the conch compulsively. ‘I want to go to a place, a place I know’” (Golding 85). He then goes to his secret spot in the jungle, just as Jesus went on top of the mountain to avoid the devil’s temptation. Simon doesn’t wish to be involved in the boy’s violence and in turn goes to his sanctuary to make sure he doesn’t lose himself. Simon, unlike any of the boys, goes above and beyond to help the others. When there was no food and everyone was hungry, little “Simon found four fruits they couldn’t reach” (Golding 56). This action showed how hard he tries and how mu`ch he cares for the others, just as Jesus cared for his disciples all throughout the New Testament. Both Jesus and Simon put their friends or follower’s well fare above everything.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Bible is used in Lord of the Flies to describe Simon and Roger. Simon was the Christ figure throughout the book. He helped Ralph build the shelters when the other boys were off playing, he gave Piggy his food when Piggy asks about having a piece of meat and he is killed like a martyr. He is murdered by the boys and he is the first boy to die at the hands of the others. Simon was carried away by the ocean and the description of how he was carried away portrayed him as an angel. The snake of the Garden of Eden was…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The heart stopping novel, The Lord of the Flies, is a tale of English school boys who crash land on a deserted island. As readers follow the boys through their adventure, they can see the workings of society on a smaller scale. While the boys try to build a makeshift civilization readers see the boys fight and give into their basic survival instincts. These instincts either bring out the very best or worst of each child. One of the boys on the island includes a tall, lanky boy named Simon. Through Simon’s tragic journey we can see how the island brought out his extremely introverted and insane nature.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel Lord of the Flies shows the breakdown of society without authority, a code of conduct, and failure to maintain morality. Although the story seems straightforward at first- just some boys on an island- the true meaning can be hidden from the reader using biblical allusions. These biblical allusions are not a central theme as Lord of the Flies is not specifically religious. There is no direct mention of the Bible; however, certain characters and symbols directly connect to it. Golding uses these allusions to form a more complex story with additional layers.…

    • 2549 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Simon starts the novel as a tiny weakling, who faints in the sun at the start of the novel. Jack says: ‘he’s always throwing a faint’. His rude language is typical of Jack, and Simon does appear to be deeply affected by things around him. However, later we see a different, stronger side of Simon. When everyone else runs off to bathe or play he stays behind to help Ralph with the shelters, and then afterwards picks fruit for the littleuns to eat, as it says in the quotation: “Simon…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lord of the Flies (Simon)

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, the character Simon portrays many characteristics similar to those demonstrated by Jesus in the bible. He is shown to have all the qualities that Jesus has: determination, intelligence and resilience. Even his physical appearance portrays Christ since he is skinny and not much of a tough person. Simon was very calm and caring for others, especially with the little children and enjoyed being alone when he could. Simon embodies a pure spiritual human goodness that is deeply connected with nature and people around him as Jesus did with his disciples. Both Jesus and Simon had prophecies about things to come, and they were both persecuted and were ridiculed of for sharing those prophecies.…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A prime example of symbolism in Lord of the Flies is the representations of Jack and Simon. Jack is the leader of the island's hunters. His leadership technique is to intimidate, frighten, or even threaten those that he leads. From a historical standpoint, Jack's governing style could be compared to Stalinist totalitarianism or even Nazi fascism. If Lord of the Flies were a religious allegory, Jack would, undoubtedly, represent Satan. This is evident by the way he encourages others to be bad. Jack has very few useful qualities, among these is bravery. However, his bad traits and his lust for blood obscure his bravery. Ralph's efforts to get Jack to follow the rules are useless. Jack frequently has tantrums and acts savagely. "Bollocks to the rules! We're strong-we hunt! If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down! We'll close it and beat and beat and beat and beat"¦!" Simon is the exact opposite of Jack. Simon represents goodness and pureness. Simon is a "Christ Figure" in Lord of the Flies. He goes off into the jungle frequently for solitude and meditation. Jesus did the same thing when he wandered the desert for forty days. Simon shows no fear like the other boys. Simon seems above the other boys; he is mystical and spiritual. Just like Jesus delivered the lord's message, Simon tries to deliver the Lord of the Flies'message from the "beast" to the boys of the island. This is symbolic of how Jesus delivers God's message to mankind. Also just like Christ, Simon is killed by his fellow man before he can deliver the Lord of the Flies' message. In this passage Simon is followed by the "littluns" much like Christ was followed. Instead of feeding bread and fish, Simon gives fruit. ""¦Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach,…

    • 862 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first thing to make Simon intriguing is his speech. For example, “’No, I’m not. I just think you’ll get back alright.’” (Golding 111). In this quote, Simon’s speech conveys a sort of, prophetic nature, for instance, in this quote; he foreshadows two major events in the novel, Ralph’s rescue, and his own death. Furthermore, “’I think we ought to climb the mountain…What else is there to do?’” (Golding 128). Simon also emphasizes a level of foresight in this quote, where he suggests they should climb the mountain, saying it is all they have left, and they have already lost everything else.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Inborn Evil of Mankind

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding’s pessimistic view that evil is an inborn trait of mankind is valid. Firstly, what seems like a little vacation for the boys is quickly erased by the brutal savage-like behavior that many of the boys on the island possess. Secondly, the death of Simon or goodness on the island shows that evil has completely taken over the boys’ minds. Lastly, the fact that the beast lies within mankind symbolizes the evil that is present in humanity. Therefore, the boys on the island express the innate evil in mankind that can possibly be released when there is no structure and very little means of survival.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Simon, like Jesus, cares about other people and their emotions. Ralph symbolizes civilization and Ralph symbolizes savagery, so where does Simon stand? Simon stands in a different plane than all the other boys. He represents a spiritual human goodness. All the other characters in the novel have no moral behavior once they realize there is no order or civilization. Simon is the only boy that still acts morally. He is very nice to the littluns. He would help them get fruit they couldn’t…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays