Lord of the Flies s6

Lord of the Flies Chapter 9 Notes

Main Action  After his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, Simon regains consciousness and a storm approaches  He struggles to the mountain top where he discovers the dead parachutist  Simon frees the parachute lines from entanglement w/ the rocks  On the beach, Jack and his tribe have a feast of roast pig  Ralph and Piggy join the feast  Jack orders his tribe to do its ritual dance  Simon approaches from the jungle to share the good news about the parachutist  The dancing boys beat Simon to death

The Significance of Events Simon: Symbolism of the Suffering Saint p 145-6  nosebleed, spills his blood  only concern is to carry on for the sake of the others, to confront the beast they fear  suffering saint imagery: walked drearily, crawled, face empty of expression, blood dried on his face, pushed on staggering, legs weak, tongue gave pain  walked w/ glum determination like an “old man,” a familiar symbol for sinful human nature: o St Paul instructs his readers to put off old man of sin and put on new man of righteousness o Chaucer uses old man symbolism in the Pardoner’s Tale o Shakespeare’s old man character, Falstaff in Henry VI o John Bunyan’s “old man” in Pilgrim’s Progress

Simon: The Christ Figure p 146  He reaches the “beast, the dead parachutist, and observes with the insight of a prophet that this rotting flesh is nothing to be feared compared to the evil that lurks within man’s soul.  Simon frees the parachutist from the cords that entangle and bind him to the mountain as Christ frees man from sin that entangles and binds.  Simon tries to release the boys from the fear of the beast that entangles and binds them.  When Simon brings the “good news of salvation” to the others that there is no beast to fear, he is slain (as Christ was) as a result.

Jack’s Dictatorship Established p 147-150 In the meantime, Jack has gained dictatorial control over a majority of the boys…  Jack sits propped up above the rest on a huge log.  He looks like an idol  Others wait on Jack as servants; bring him water in coconut shell, etc. Ralph and Piggy have not joined Jack and his tribe.  They are bathing in the lagoon. They express their frustration by splashing each other  Piggy suggests they join the rest “to make sure nothing happens” Note that when Ralph and Piggy join the others, making fun of Piggy reduces tension and brings normality and unity to the group. Ralph tries to assert leadership…  Jack asks who will join his tribe and have fun  Ralph argues, “I’m chief because you chose me” and “ I have the conch” (Democracy and Rule of Law).  Jack taunts, “You didn’t bring the conch, and it doesn’t count on this end of the island (thunder strikes at that moment).  Ralph accuses Jack of not keeping the fire burning, but running after meat instead.  Jack responds, “You came here for meat too.”  A storm is brewing (both literal and symbolic), so Ralph accuses, “Where are your shelters?”

Symbolism of the Storm and the Scar p 151-3 Thunder and lightening increase as evil increases (Note the proportional effect).  At the death of Christ, there was thunder and lightening; so when Simon is sacrificed  When Simon regains consciousness, there is a gathering storm of clouds and trouble  Lightening strikes when Jack says the conch doesn’t count The scar is a symbol of the destructiveness of evil.  Blue-white scar slices the sky when Simon is sacrificed  Evil of war responsible for plane crash and the scar in the jungle

The Beast Slays the Prophet p 151-3 The boys have eaten their fill of roasted pig.  They dance and shout around Roger who mimics a wild pig  They chant, ”Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!”  Description of the dancing circle of boys is the description of a beast

Simon arrives; boys shout, “Him! Him!”  The boys don’t recognize him as Simon, but as the beast  They don’t recognize the truth he brings; there is no beast to fear other than the evil within themselves  They reject the message and kill the messenger as w/ all the prophets: Christ, Socrates, Capernicus, etc.

Symbolism of the Luminous Sea Creatures p 154 Simon’s body (like the parachutist’s) is awash in the sea.  Simon’s body (the saint) is shrouded in a halo-like light caused by the luminous phosphorescence of the sea creatures (plankton).  Just as these sea creatures are luminous and bright as well as parasitic, so human nature is a duality – both heroic and sick – both good and evil.