Saturday, May 5, 2012

What are quotes in Lord of the Flies that show Simon represents morality and Ralph represents civilized behavior?

Ralph is the elected chief of the boys and is a proponent of civilization. He desperately attempts to establish a civil society on the island and creates a list of priorities that will increase the boys' chances of rescue. In chapter 5, Ralph holds an assembly to discuss the lack of civility on the island and encourage the boys to follow through with the directives and tasks they are given. Ralph attempts to establish order at the beginning of the assembly by saying,

We have lots of assemblies. Everybody enjoys speaking and being together. We decide things. But they don’t get done (Golding, 112).

When the boys proceed to interrupt during the assembly and speak out of order, Ralph is quick to chastise them by saying,

There’s too much talking out of turn . . . because we can’t have proper assemblies if you don’t stick to the rules (Golding, 128).

In chapter 11, Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric travel to the opposite side of the island in order to retrieve Piggy's glasses. After Piggy admonishes Jack and his tribe of savages for their behavior, Ralph once again demonstrates his civilized behavior by asking,

Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up? (Golding, 259).

Simon is depicted as a Christ figure who represents morality and supreme knowledge. There are numerous examples of Simon's benevolence and morality throughout the novel. Simon demonstrates his morality by helping the littluns retrieve fruit. Golding writes,

Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, 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 (78).

When Jack refuses to give Piggy a share of the meat, Simon once again reveals his morality by giving him a piece. Golding writes,

Simon, sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it (104).

In chapter 7, Simon also portrays his morality by volunteering to travel back through the dark forest at night in order to inform Piggy and the littluns that everyone is alive. Simon volunteers himself by saying,

I’ll go if you like. I don’t mind, honestly (Golding, 178).

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