Essay/Term paper: Figure of christ in "lord of the flies"

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Cliff Notes

"CHRIST" IN LORD OF THE FLIES

Many critics have compared the character of Simon in the book Lord of the Flies to a Christ figure. After reading this book I also found out that Simon and Christ had a lot in common.

The first time we, readers start considering Simon a special person, different from the others is when we see him the only one to helping the littluns to gather fruits they were unable to reach. "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands." (p.51) So we know about Jesus -- carrying about starving and suffering.

After Christ was baptized he walked away to the desert and stayed there for forty days, meditating and praying. So did Simon. He felt better walking in the jungle alone, thinking, probably, dreaming, enjoying the power and the beauty of the nature. In that desert Christ also talked to God and I think it was the God's appeal to Simon when the large ray of light fell down from the sky. "Beyond the screen of leaves the sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance."(p.120) Simon did not fear it and he faced it. As Christ facing God, Simon knelt.

Physical help to people was not the main task of Christ -- he taught, gave sermons, appealed to clear their souls and thoughts - to get rid of internal evil. As well Simon was the only one who supposed that the beast they were so afraid of was, probably, inside them. "What I mean is . . . maybe it's only us." (p.80)

God chose Christ from all others to fulfill the most important task because Jesus was sinless and saint. Simon was the only one on that island with clear soul and the good inside him without any ambitions of power and suppression. So it was his destiny and privedge to confront the "beast" first and to talk to it The Lord of the Flies told Simon that the evil was inside the boys and for that reason - invinsible. It was trying to tempt Simon saying that he was initially good but everyone was going to have fun on the island so Simon has to quit being perfect and become like the rest of the boys. "You're not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island."(p.131). It reminds the temptation of Christ by devil while he was alone in the desert praying and thinking.

That conversation with the Lord of the Flies happened not a long time before Simon's death. His soul, probably, felt it and Simon felt bad. He fainted and when he woke up he was very weak exhausted, thirsty and hot. The night before Christ was arrested he also felt badly and could not sleep.

Finally there was a lot in common in the deaths of Christ and Simon. They both were killed by the members of their communities. Simon was not recognized by them and was murdered, so was Christ (figuratively). "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."(John, chapter 1-11) They both sinless and good were sacrificed for the sins and evil of the others. After the Simon's death as well as after the Christ's one suddenly there was a shower and storm. "Then the clouds opened and let down the rain like a waterfall" (p.139). Afterwards the Christ's dead body disappeared. The Simon's did too --was washed out to sea. And was not his death the sin offering -- soon after it all other boys became rescued.

So cannot we conclude that Simon in the book Lord of the Flies was Jesus Christ of that story, of their world. Simon came there with the same mission Christ did -- to save the man, bringing to him "the Word"-- and lose his life for the sake of it.