Who Is The Beastie In Lord Of The Flies

When stranded on an island for months, one might think that any sign from outside civilization must be a good sign. However, as in Golding’s Lord of the Flies, this is not always the case. When a military pilot falls from the sky, dead, onto the island, the boys immediately label him as the ‘beastie’ that has been terrorizing the littluns. It was specifically Sam and Eric who put a face on their fears, yelling to Ralph “We saw the beast!” (99), over and over again until even Piggy was convinced there was a beast. All of the boys were persuaded into believing in the beast from the sky, all except one. Simon was the only one to know what, or more specifically who, the beast was, “maybe it’s only us,” (89). This truly gives the reader insight
on Simon’s maturity. While the rest of the hunters are imagining a creature with fangs, claws, and wings, “Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick,” (103). In this instance, Simon is introduced to the fact that the war within the group is also occurring in the adult world, and that age will not change their problems. Simon displays that he is the most level-headed of all the boys, and therefore should be the leader, not Ralph. Though he may not be as smart as Piggy, strong as Jack, nor as popular as Ralph, Simon is the most fit to be chief of the boys. Simon’s maturity and well-roundedness clearly supports the fact that those who lead should be well versed in all categories rather than specializing in one.