Quote by William Golding, Lord of the Fli

Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast. The assembly cried out savagely and Ralph stood up in amazement. You, Simon? You believe in this? I don't know, said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him. But ... The storm broke. Sit down! Shut up! Take the conch! Sod you! Shut up! Ralph shouted. Hear him! He's got the conch! What I mean is . . . maybe it's only us. Nuts! That was from Piggy, shocked out of decorum. Simon went on. We could be sort of. . . . Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind's essential illness. Inspiration came to him. What's the dirtiest thing there is? As an answer Jack dropped into the uncomprehending silence that followed it the one crude expressive syllable. Release was immense. Those littluns who had climbed back on the twister fell off again and did not mind. The hunters were screaming with delight.(note: The inherent evils within man appear once law and order are taken from society.)

Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast. The assem

Summary

This quote illustrates the confrontation between rationality and human nature in the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. When Simon suggests that the feared "beast" may actually be the darkness within themselves, the others reject this notion and react aggressively. Simon's attempt to express mankind's fundamental sickness and the potential for evil is met with disbelief and ridicule, exemplifying how the absence of civilization and structure allows the inherent evil to flourish. Golding uses this scene to highlight the dark and destructive tendencies that emerge when society's rules and norms are abandoned.

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By William Golding, Lord of the Fli

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