In the novel, Lord of the Flies, it is the “beast” which is the most important and symbolic. It remains, whether considered real or imaginary by the boys on the island, a significant ‘being’. William Golding has chosen to personify the evil that is inside human beings, in the beast. The beginnings of the idea of the beast occur, when Ralph, having been chosen by the group of boys as their leader, is now taking …showed first 75 words of 1624 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1624 total…s head symbolises all of this to Simon, and also the cynicism of adults and the superficiality of their world. It is Simon who sees the parachutist as personifying the capacity of adults for death and destruction. The beast was a creation of the boys’ own imaginations. Many people do not want to look inside themselves and do not want to acknowledge this aspect of their nature, look for something external to be its cause.