A Christ-Like Figure in Lord of the Flies

783 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on bibliology

A Christ-like figure is when an author develops allusions between their characters in their story to Jesus Christ. In Lord of The Flies the author William Golding describes parallels Simon to Jesus. Simon is one of the major characters in Lord of The Flies and he is given characteristics and a physical appearance that relates to Jesus Christ. Simon also has a similar personality and helps the weaker one in the group. Simon also experiences the devil in his journeys when he wandered in the jungle. Simon is the only “natural good” character in the story and possess many Christ-like characteristics.

Simon is described to be very skinny, not a strong person, and too have long hair. He is also intelligent and very determined with it comes to completing tasks. Another attribute that Simon has that parallels him being a Christ-like figure is that Simon helps the weaker and smaller boys in the survival group on the island. In chapter three Simon helps the “littleuns” pick fruit from the tree. “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” (Golding page 51). Jesus also feeds with bread and fish and also helps poor individuals and sick people. Both Jesus and Simon withdraw themselves from society. After Simon helped the “littleuns” collect fruit he went and wandered into the jungle by himself. “Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him. Soon high jungle closed in. He looked over his shoulder and glanced swiftly round to confirm that he was utterly alone" (Golding page 51). In many circumstances Jesus did the same thing. In Luke 5:16 it says that he “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and pr...

... middle of paper ...

...ent stories of the Bible from Jesus Christ and interpreted them with Simon. The most biblical reference out of the novel is when Simon wandered off into the jungle. There Simon finds the devil that tempts him to join Jack and his group of hunters. Simon saved the boys of the group by sacrificing himself. Out of the group of the surviving boys Simon is Jesus. He tried every way possible to help the group anyway he could. When Simon died he is floated out in the ocean with his arms out. Golding describes that a group of glowing fish surrounded Simon’s body in the ocean and formed a halo around him. This can only tell us that Simon is the true savior of the group.

Works Cited

Golding, William. Lord of The Flies. New York: Wideview/Perigee Book, 1954. Print.
Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. New York: Harper Collins Books, 2003. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Ender Wiggen's Journey As A Christ Figure Essay

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    To define what it means to be a Christ Figure in Literature, “A Christ Figure, also known as a Christ-Image is a literary technique that the author uses to draw allusions between their characters and the biblical Jesus Christ. The Christ Figure is a spiritual or prophetic character who parallels Jesus, or other spiritual or prophetic figures.” (Wikimedia

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies Simon as Christ

    471 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the book Lord of the Flies the charecter, Simon, is portrayed as a Christ-figure. He is shown to have all the qualities Christ has: intelligence, determination, and resiliance. Simon also is portrayed like Christ physically, he is skinny and not a strong person. Simon was very calm, kind, and he enjoyed being alone when ever he could.

    Read More

  • Applying Foster's How to Read Literature like a Professor to The Pearl by Steinbeck

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C Foster is a how to do book that teaches children how to become better readers. The novel was written in second person. The purpose of this novel is to inform readers on details that they wouldn’t usually realize in literature. Students who read Thomas C Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor are suppose to gain knowledge of how to identify details of their story that have connections to other literature or have alternative meanings that the author is trying to get across to the reader. Thomas C Foster believes reading his novel can help develop you into a better reader. He believes this because the information that he includes can apply to your reading. When you realize the connections he talks about, it gives you a better understanding of the book you are reading.

    Read More

  • How To Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, the brilliant novel “How To Read Literature Like A Professor” by Thomas C. Foster is a fantastic novel that helps grasp the basic ideas and structure that makes up a work of literature. Foster’s laid-back attitude made a major contribution to the great tone of the novel, and made it easier to understand. Many connections were included in the novel, along with some great quotes. After reading this novel, I have a better idea of what to look for when reading a novel.

    Read More

  • How To Read Literature Like A Professor Analysis

    1247 Words  | 3 Pages

    Without much thought, authors use brilliant techniques in order to portray the images and stories that they wish to tell. The novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C Foster, helps readers discover the hidden truths among literature and the brilliant techniques that the authors use as well as learn how to add innovative concepts into their writing in order to portray exactly what they are trying to say. It is evident that in A Thousand Splendid Suns the author, Khaled Hosseini, unconsciously uses some of the brilliant concepts that Foster addresses in his book. Khaled Hosseini, the accomplished author, habitually uses the concepts by Thomas C Foster in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, therefore making Hosseini an iconic author.

    Read More

  • Simon In Lord Of The Flies

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the concept of good fighting evil is clearly shown to be a big picture. In many cases, Jesus Christ represents good and bliss in the universe, while the devil represents evil. In this novel the reader sees the when good fights evil, the evil is a good turned evil. For example, before the devil became evil, he was an angel. He was good turned evil and is now fighting good. Simon represents the good and bliss, he is the Christ figure on the island while evil and savagery is shown in the other boys on the island. Both Simon and Christ share common qualities, actions, and deaths. Simon shows this throughout the novel, from the beginning until the time of his death.

    Read More

  • The Loss of Creature by Walker Percy

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bartholomae, David, Petrosky Anthony. "Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers." University of Pittsburgh 7th Edition (1998): 467-81.

    Read More

  • Understanding the Symbolism in Lord of the Flies

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    For all their differences the Lord of the Flies and Simon have one singular trait in common; they both know what the pig’s head really means for the boys on the island. At first glance, the Lord of the Flies is just a pig’s head on a stick, however it is so much more than that. The moment Jack and his hunter’s kill that pig, a part of them is lost forever and this lost part is their moral sense of right and wrong (149).

    Read More

  • Simon Lord Of The Flies Analysis

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Simon’s secret place in the jungle brings him comfort and peace. However, once he has the profound realization of the inescapable evil in every human, Simon becomes delirious and ventures into a clearing, where he finds the parachutist, and eventually the beach, where he is brutally murdered. This shows the escalation of the level of savagery of the boys on the island. It is no coincidence that Golding put Simon’s death in a place where he was vulnerable – out of the comfort he felt in the jungle. In the passage that describes Simon’s death, he is described as “a thing…crawling out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly” (Golding 152). This shows that Simon is not his true self when he is separated from nature, and that he was uncomfortable and confused. Simon’s good, genuine character is shown best when he is directly connected to

    Read More

  • Simon Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the reader first reads about Simon, he’s just a young boy who has just “… flopped on his face in the sand.” (20) Jack indicates that this is a long term disorder when he says that Simon is “always throwing a faint.” (20) Later in the book, he also hallucinates, both traits being indicative of epilepsy. This is fairly important because it leads directly to the discovery of the true beast through a vision of the Lord of the Flies. Most of the others seem to think that he’s weak and frail for fainting, but mentally, he’s anything but; he finds the truth and would be the ultimate savior of the island’s humanity if it weren’t for his untimely death.

    Read More

  • The Beast in Lord of the Flies

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    Simon was the first and only one to realise the real beast on the Island. He could be compared to someone like a priest or a good samaraton – someone who tries his best to convince everyone of what’s right.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Compact Reader. Subjects, styles and strategies      Editor: Jane E. Aaron. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 1987. 315-319

    Read More

  • Lord of the Flies Character Analysis Essay (Simon)

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    Simon uses spiritual power by finding out what the beast see what the beast really is. After Simon “[becomes] inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.” (Golding 89) to the other boys, he knows that they will not believe him if he just simply tells them about the Beast, so he knows that the only way they will believe him is if he finds proof. He also accepts that the boys might not believe him, which directly shows him using spiritual power by standing alone with his beliefs. Another way Simon uses spiritual power is when he shows innate goodness any way he can. One of the characteristics of spiritual power is that the power is derived from inner beauty and purity of thought and behavior. Simon shows this by truly caring about the boys, because that is just the kind, caring, sort of a person Simon is. He even takes care of the little ones that nobody really seems to care about. He “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” (Golding 138) Even knowing that the other boys think that he’s wacky he still tries to s...

    Read More

  • Inherent Evil of Man Exposed in Lord of the Flies

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the story Simon acted as the Christ Figure. The death of Simon symbolized the loss of religious reasoning. As the boys killed Simon they had let out their savage urges and acted in a cannibalistic manor. Even after the death of Simon Jack and his tribe did not feel any penitence to what they had done, killing to them had become second nature.The circle became a horseshoe. A thing was crawling out of the forest. It came darkly, uncertainly. The shrill screaming that rose before the beast was like a pain. The beast stumbled into the horseshoe."Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" (Golding 141).In this quote a figure had crawled out of the forest and the ring had opened to let it inside. Mistaken as the beast by the Jack's tribe, Simon was beaten to death. After the group disbanded for shelter from the storm. The storm subsided and the tides moved in and out, Simon's body was washed to sea. Here because of the storm, the darkness and fear the boys became hysterical. They acted savagely not knowing what they were doing. The boys did not take a second look to what their actions were. They had let their malicious urges control them. He cam-disguised. He may come again even though we gave him the head of our kill to eat. So watch; and be careful (Golding 148). Here Jack is warning his tribe about the beast. Not caring or taking any notice to what had taken place with Simon. Jack or his tribe does not feel any remorse for the murder they had committed, whether they realized that or not. To Jack and his tribe what they had done was a pretentious accomplishment. A death could go by their eyes blindly.

    Read More

  • The Raven and The Haunted Palace by Edgar Allan Poe

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    Meyer, M. (2013). Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s.

    Read More

More about A Christ-Like Figure in Lord of the Flies

Open Document