In 1939, at the start of World War II, Golding was a schoolteacher at a boy's school in Salisbury, Wiltshire. In 1940, Golding joined the Royal Navy. Golding's active participation in World War II as an officer in the Royal Navy, figures significantly as an influence on Lord of the Flies. The experience was a turning point in Golding's life. Golding's long watches at sea gave him the opportunity to return to hi

Golding, William. "Works of William Golding: Critical Commentary and Bibliography."

Simon is the outsider because he is different from the other boys. He is subject to fainting spells that may be due to a type of epilepsy. He is one of Jack's choirboys, but allies himself with Ralph and Piggy. Simon is the first victim of the rising anarchy on the island. With his early statements about the beast and his belief in rescue, Simon represents intuitive insight and self-awareness. He represents spirituality, for "he alone does not fear the false god, the messenger from heaven" (Spitz 172). Simon's spiritualism must be a part of Ralph's leadership abilities and Piggy's intelligence to create a successful society. Simon's death marks the beginning of the end for the chances of civilization. With the later death of Piggy and his rationale, Ralph's chances of leadership are gone for good.

Ralph considers himself a part of the group's effort to deal with the situation at hand, announcing the boys two priorities while on the island: "to have fun and to be rescued" (Golding 1954 37). Ralph begins to take control, but still feels everyone should have the right to speak to the group stating, "We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to have 'hands up' like at school" (Golding 1954 33). Jack, on the other hand, isolates himself both physically and psychologically from the others. Jack spends his days alone in the forest scouting for pigs. Although he has a tribe of hunters, he seeks the pigs as if he were the only boy hunting. He forms an obsession with killing a pig. Ralph asks why Jack's hunters returned hours before he did and in reply Jack says, "I went on. I let them go. I had to go on. I . . .I went on. I thought, by myself . . .I thought I might kill" (Golding 1954 51). Even as chief of his own followers, Jack in no way tries to establis!

"Golding has mastered the art of writing a twentieth century allegory" (Cox 163). Every character in Lord of the Flies serves as metaphoric symbol representing various human types. Ralph is the protagonist, a representation of sense and order, rational and logical thought, assembly and debate, civilized and ethical behavior. Within Ralph, though, is the thinly veiled savagery in all human beings, even those who are mainly ethical and good. This savagery is shown in part in the tribal dance that killed Simon. The tribe is a symbol of everything Ralph is working against, a downfall of society, however, he "found [himself] eager to take place in this demented but partly secure society" (Golding 1954 152). Jack Merridew breaks from the group, proclaiming himself chief, and beginning a reign of terror. Jack is Ralph's antithesis. He is the antagonist, a representation of anarchy and untempered savagery in all of us. Piggy is Ralph's strongest ally. Acting as a stabilizing!

Cox, C. B. "Since 1950: 'Lord of the Flies'." Critical Quarterly 2 (1960): 112-117.

Golding's portrayal of human defects, isolation from others, and barely suppressed savage tendencies, is both uncompromising and merciless. With civilization far removed and nothing more than a faded memory, the boys quickly lapse into barbaric thinking and behavior. Only Simon knows that the real "beast" is human's lack of integrity, their lack of moral and ethical behavior, and their lack of true self-knowledge. When Simon tries "to express man's essential illness" (Townsend 168), the tribesmen decide he must die. By the end, Ralph is the only remnant of the old, ordered society, the only thing blocking the boys' total descent into savagery. He must be eliminated to do away with the restrictive life that remains to hamper the boys.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lord Flies, Piggy Simon, Ralph Jack's, Simon Piggy, Roger Jack, Ralph Piggy, Gale Research, Sam Eric, Island Ballantyne, Ralph Jack, lord flies, gunton detroit gale, detroit gale research, gale research 1981, gunton detroit, literary criticism, sharon gunton, criticism ed, contemporary literary, rpt contemporary, sharon gunton detroit, detroit gale, research 1981, ed sharon, research 1981 17,
Approximate Word count = 2645
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)