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d's essential illness。〃
12。Dodds； p。xvi
13。 Lord of the Flies； p。 185。 All quotations are taken from the edition contained in this volume。 Subsequent page references will appear in parentheses。
In the chapter called 〃Beast from Water〃 the parliamentary debate bees a blatant allegory in which each spokesman caricatures the position he defends。 Piggy （the voice of reason） leads with the statement that life is scientific；〃 adds the usual Utopian promises （〃when the war's over they'll be traveling to Mars and back〃）； and his assurance that such things will e to pass if only we control the senseless conflicts that impede progress。 He is met with laughter and jeers （the crude multitude）； and at this juncture a littlun interrupts to declare that the beast （ubiquitous evil） es out of the sea。 Maurice interjects to voice the doubt which curses them all： 〃I don't believe in the beast of course。 As Piggy says； life's scientific； but we don't know； do we？ Not certainly 。 。 。〃 （81）。 Then Simon （the inarticulate seer） rises to utter the truth in garbled； ineffective phrases： there is a beast； but 〃it's only us。〃 As always； his saving words are misunderstood； and the prophet shrinks away in confusion。 Amid speculation that he means some kind of ghost； there is a silent show of hands for ghosts as Piggy breaks in with angry rhetorical questions： 〃What are we？ Humans？ Or animals？ Or savages？〃 （84）。 Taking his cue； Jack （savagery in excelsis） leaps to his feet and leads all but the 〃three blind mice〃 （Ralph； Piggy； Simon） into a mad jig of release down the darkening beach。 The parliamentarians naively contrast their failure with the supposed efficiency of adults； and Ralph； in despair； asks for a sign from that ruined world。
In 〃Beast from Air〃 the sign； a dead man in a parachute； is sent down from the grownups； and the collapse foreshadowed in the allegorical parliament es on with surprising speed。 Ralph himself looks into the face of the enthroned tyrant on the mountain； and from that moment his young intelligence is crippled by fear。 He confirms the reality of the beast and his confession of weakness insures Jack's spectacular rise to power。 Yet the ease with which Jack establishes his Dionysian order is hardly unaccountable。 In its very first appearance the black…caped choir； vaguely evil in its military esprit； emerged ominously from a mirage and marched down upon the minority forces assembled on the platform。 Except for Simon； pressed into service and out of step with the mon rhythm； the choir is posed of servitors bound by the ritual and mystery of group consciousness。 They share in that munion； and there is no real 〃conversion〃 or transfer of allegiance from good to evil when the chorus； ostensibly Christian； bees the tribe of hunters。 The lord they serve inhabits their own being。 If they turn with relief from the burdens of the platform； it is because they cannot transcend the limitations of their own nature。 Even the parliamentary pool of intelligence must fail in the attempt to explain all that manifests itself in our turbulent hearts； and the assertion that life is ordered； 〃scientific；〃 often appears mere bravado。 It embodies tile sin of pride and； inevitably； evokes in some form the great god it has denied。
It is Simon who witnesses his ing and hears his words of wrath。 In the thick undergrowth of the forest the boy discovers a refuge from the war of words。 His shelter of leaves is a place of contemplation； a sequestered temple； scented and lighted by the white flowers of the night…blooming candlenut tree； where； in secret； he meditates on the lucid but somehow over…simple logic of Piggy and Ralph and the venal emotion of Jack's challenges： There； in the infernal glare of the afternoon sun； he sees the killing of the sow by the hunters and the erection of the pig's head on the sharpened stick。 These acts signify not only the release from the blood taboo but also obeisance to the mystery and god who has e to be lord of the island…world。 In the hours of one powerfully symbolic afternoon Simon sees the perennial fall which is the central reality of our history： me defeat of reason and the release of Dionysian madness in souls wounded by fear。
Awed by the hideousness of the dripping head （an image of the hunter's own nature） the apprentice bacchantes suddenly run away； but Simon's gaze is 〃held by that ancient； inescapable recognition〃 （128）…an incarnation of the beast or devil bom again and again out of the human heart。 Before he loses consciousness the epileptic visionary 〃hears〃 the truth which is inaccessible to the illusion…bound rationalist and the unconscious or irrational man alike： 〃 'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill！' said the head。 For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter。 'You knew； didn't you？ I'm part of you？ Close； close； close！ I'm the reason why it's no go？ Why things are as they are？' 〃 （133）。 When Simon recovers from this trauma of revelation he finds on the mountain top that the 〃beast〃 is only a man。 Like the pig itself； the dead man in the chute is fly…blown； corrupt； an obscene image of the evil that has triumphed in the adult world as well。 Tenderly； the boy releases the lines so that the body can descend to earth； but the fallen man does not die。 After Simon's death； when the truth is once more lost； the figure rises； moves over the terrified tribe on the beach； and finally out to sea …a tyrannous ghost （history itself） which haunts and curses every social order。
In his martyrdom Simon meets the fate of all saints。 The truth he brings would set us free from the repetitious nightmare of history； but we are； by nature； incapable of receiving that truth。 Demented by fears our intelligence cannot control； we are at once 〃heroic and sick〃 （96）； ingenious and ingenuous at the same time。 Inevitably we gather in tribal union to hunt the molesting 〃beast；〃 and always the intolerable frustration of the hunt ends as it must： within the enchanted circle formed by the searchers； the beast materializes in the only form he can possibly assume； the very image of his creator； and once he is visible； projected （once the hunted has bee the hunter）； the circle closes in an agony of relief。 Simon； call him prophet； seer or saint； is blessed and cursed by those intuitions which threaten the ritual of the tribe。 In whatever culture the saint appears； he is doomed by his unique insights。 There is a vital； if obvious； irony to be observed in the fact that the lost children of Golding's fable are of Christian heritage； but when they blindly kill their savior they re…enact an ancient tragedy； universal because it has its true source in the defects of the species。
The beast； too； is as old as his maker and has assumed many names； though of course his character must remain quite consistent The particular beast who speaks to Simon is much like his namesake； Beelzebub。 A prince of demons of Assyrian or Hebrew descent； but later appropriated by Christians； he is a lord of the flies； an idol for unclean beings。 He is what all devils are： an embodiment of the lusts and cruelties which possess his worshipers and of p