"Lord of the Flies" - An Allegorical Novel by William Golding

Darnell Lamont Walker once said, Im silent when there is a war inside me. Theres a need to keep the people outside intact. Darnell is saying that he is apprehensive about telling others about his thoughts and feelings because he knows that if he does it could their unity. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of British schoolboys get stranded on an island after a plane crash. While trying to maintain an orderly society and be rescued, there is a battle for power between the boys and they split into two groups representing civilization and savagery.

The two groups created chaos and violence until they were rescued. Simon, one of the main characters, can relate to Darnells quote because he is holding back from the rest of the group about this thoughts. Simons internal conflict of not being able to convey his thought as pursues the truth is shown through his physical illness, his conversation with the Lord of the Flies, and his recognition of who the beast is.

One of the main reasons that Simon has a hard time fitting in with the other boys is because of his physical illness. Simon experiences chronic seizures; this is one of the main reasons that Simon found his own place in the woods where he could escape the judgment from the other boys. His tranquil clearing in the forest is like a sanctuary where he can be relaxed and comfortable. Simons problem is acknowledged by the reader when he is having a conversation with Jack about this topic: You! What were you mucking about in the dark for?I wanted to go to a place-a place I know.

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With a feeling of humiliation on Simons behalfWell, dont do it again (Golding 85).

It is much easier for Jack to question Simons actions and single him out since he is the only boy out at night. His literal words, however, can be more difficult to convey than anything else, especially the truth. Most of the time, Simons episodes prevent him from accurately communicating with the other boys. Which only makes him more distant from the others. One of Simons particular conversations with Ralph demonstrates this quite well: Ralph found that he had a rock painfully gripped in both hands, found his body arched, the muscles of his neck stiff, his mouth strained open (Golding 111). Seeing these odd behaviors by Simon, makes him stand out more and does not help him whatsoever. His physical illness is the first thing the boys see wrong with him and as we continue reading, the readers realize that Simons struggles are far from over.

The conversation Simon had with the Lord of the Flies makes it evident that he is having difficulty conveying his thoughts. Because Simon is searching for the truth, he was able to imagine the pigs head talking to him so he can find an answer as to why he is apart from the rest. Simon is the only boy that calls the pig head, the Lord of the Flies; to the other boys, it is just an offering to the beast. The Lord of the Flies is shown as a second voice inside of Simon when he says, Im part of you Im the reason why its no go? Why things are what they are? (Golding 143).

The reader learns that even deep down in Simons own conscious, he is telling himself that he will never fit in. Simon believes he is not valued by the group and will never be able to escape his own judgemental mind. This idea is strengthened when the Lord of the Flies says You know perfectly well youll only meet me down there- so dont try to escape (Golding 143)! Simon recognizes that he will never be able to escape his own conscious because he is committed to finding the truth. Simon struggles to convey his thoughts due to his mind always looming over him. By having a conversation with the Lord of the Flies, Simon found that the beast was not one of physicality but within the boys themselves.

One of the most evident reasons for Simons internal struggle is with the truth about who the beast is. He struggles to convey his thoughts because they are radically different from the rest of the boys. Early on in the story, Simon offered his own interpretation about who the beast truly was, but the other boys thought it was illogical and they ridiculed him. If the boys do not consider someone’s argument plausible, then they immediately discount it. Simon states, What I mean is maybe its only us which contradicts the beliefs of the other boys (Golding89).

They all thought the beast was a horrid creature that was oppressing them. Simon discovers the truth about the beast is far different from what any of the boys could have imagined. Simons epiphany is made known when he recognizes that the beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible (Golding 147). Simon wants everyone to know the truth. However, before he could convey the message to the rest of the boys, he was murdered. The other boys murdered Simon without realizing what they had done. Simon struggles greatly to convey his thoughts because of how different they are, but occasionally, it is not his mental strength that handicaps him: it is his own physical toughness.

Simon has many internal struggles during his time on the island, from his physical disabilities, his exchange with the Lord of the Flies, and finally, his realization of who the beast truly was. If Simon had not dealt with his seizures on a regular basis, he could have been able to convey his thoughts and the boys might have realized that Simon had the solutions to the problems their society faced. He was constantly fighting his own inner beast in his mind, which became conspicuous through his conversations with the Lord of the Flies. Simon realized the truth about the beast but was unable to tell the other boys about his crucial discovery because he was killed by the boys who thought he was the beast. Simon was the first one to understand the island and the boys for what they were indeed.