Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Role of Simon in the Lord of the Flies

 

In the novel, the boys in the tribe give bloodcurdling chants and join in killing Simon. E.g. "Kill the beast!" "Cut his throat!" "Spill his blood!" (Golding, W. 1988. "Lord of the Flies", pg. 168).
             "Truly, to tell lies is not honourable,.
             But when the truth entails tremendous ruin,.
             To speak dishonourably is pardonable."-.
             Sophocles (496?- 406 B.C.), Creusa. Fragment 323.
             In the novel, Simon never reveals the truth to the boys. Jack, the leader of the society, makes sure the truth is never revealed to the boys and leads them in the chaotic dance that leads to the concealment of the truth by killing Simon. (Golding, W. 1988. "Lord of the Flies", pg. 168-170). If the truth were revealed, Jack's society would fail, chaos would follow and the result would be change. This process of a society failing when the truth can no longer be denied is demonstrated through the Communist government in Europe and the Soviet Union. .
             At first, Communism was thought of as a wonderful new way of life, where everything would be fair and all people would be equal. Propagandists, like Stalin, convinced people of the success of Communism while concealing acts of mass murder, state corruption and an elitist power structure that was the very antithesis of Karl Marx's ideal. When the truth was revealed to the Communist world, its destruction followed.
             "The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you miserable" Anonymous.
             The truth was that the non-Communist Western Nations were prospering and were more successful than any of the Communist countries. The Communist system was proving to be ineffective and was preventing its society from any further development. The Communist government tried to prevent the truth from getting out to the society, by controlling all media such as television, radio, books and magazines. Eventually, though, the truth became apparent to the public through advanced communication technology such as satellite television and their own poor conditions of life.


Essays Related to The Role of Simon in the Lord of the Flies