Lord of the Flies ch9

1/16/14 Lord of the Flies ch9

Summary: Simon goes close up to “the beast” and finds out it is just a dead man. At the same time, Ralph and Piggy and the rest of their group go to Jacks feast. He recruits most of Ralphs group to be a hunter in his tribe. Then, Simon comes running in and is mistaken as the beast during the crazed tribes dance. The boys dont stop attacking Simon until well after he is dead.

Quote: “The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise, something about a body on the hill.”

Sig. of Quote: The tribe of boys had killed a poor boy within their excitement, a boy who was just about to end their terror and tell the truth of the real beast. They basically killed the one who could save their sanity.

Reflection:  In this chapter the fake beast is set free, and the true beasts are discovered. The tribe of boys are taken over by fun and games that they don't realize that what's fun to them is actually horrible. They are the beast. When they mistaken Simon as the beast, their actions were screaming, striking, biting, and tearing at poor, hopeless Simons small body. When they first got to the island, the beast was just something of their imagination, but the fear ate away at them so much that they became the beast. They are a tribe of terrible beasts.

Question: How couldn't they tell that Simon was a boy and not the terrible beast they mistaken him for?