Lord of the Flies

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   ms-mcgregor Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   In Chapter 5, Simon is trying to communicate something about "mankind’s essential illness.” Because he is so frightened about talking to the crowd of boys, his message is garbled. He is unable to communicate what, in time, turns out to be a major theme of the novel. This is the idea that the Beast is really a dark side of humanity, one that must be overcome, not by spears and arrows, but by government and competent authority. Simon believes that every person has an evil side inside of him that, if left alone, will eventually make people turn into savages. This is "mankind's essential illness", the evil that lurks inside every person.

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   Posted by ms-mcgregor on Wednesday September 24, 2008 at 10:24 PM
   
   

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