Friday, March 29, 2013

In Lord of the Flies, how does Simon's hiding spot influence him when he goes there to meditate? How does he change after first discovering the...

Simon's hiding place is first described near the end of Chapter 3 - Huts on the Beach. Simon had a penchant for being alone it seems. We are told that he held his breath and listened to the sounds of the island. He stayed there. He found the place in bright sunshine and stayed there until it was dark. The setting must have relaxed him as it was secluded and had "aromatic bushes”, scenic flowers and scented flowers that were strong to enough to permeate the entire island. This could have powerful effects on Simon's mental state. After discovering the hiding place he becomes cynical and we are told that he believes "everything is a bad business"


Later on, when Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies - which was a pig's head skewered on a stick - he imagines the pig head grinning at him but also becomes hypnotized and transfixed and imagines himself in the mouth of the pig. It is possible that he had been so tranquilized by his hideaway that he became more susceptible to delusion. He mentions a ”dead man on a hill" as he tries to escape the boys and it is possible that his self-imposed isolation and state of mind made it easier for the boys to kill him.

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