Characterisation is an important way in which the author shows his view of humanity to the readers in this microcosm. Ralph, the main protagonist in the novel, represents leadership as a properly socialised and civilised young man. He is the stereotypical leader- “fair hair”, blue eyes, attractive, charismatic and decently intelligent. He also has common sense- which most other boy’s lack- Ralph is the one who devises the idea of calling all the other boys on the island to him, he is also the one who thinks of the signal fire and the shelters. He recognises and applies Piggy’s intellectualism and sees the false fears for what they are and superstitions as barriers to the group survival. His capacity for leadership is evident …show more content…
Simon is apart from the rest of the boys not just because of his frail frame or fainting spells, or his constant concern for the more vulnerable of the group. Simon, throughout the novel, is described as a holy or even ‘Christ-like’ figure. An example of this is when he stands up to Jack and helps Piggy get his glasses back.
Before his death, Simon reaches an abstract understanding of human’s evil nature as “mankind’s essential illness”. When Simon tried to visualise what the creature looked like, “there arose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick”. This is Golding’s view of humanity as flawed by inherent depravity.
In contrast to Piggy’s and Ralph knowledge of life, Simon sees the darker sides of life and nature. For him, the dead sow’s eyes are “dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life”, whilst others just see the “dead eyes” of the pig. Roger is the opposite of Simon – he represents the sadist and the sociopath who enjoys hurting others. Roger is described in the first chapter as a boy “who kept to himself with avoidance and secrecy” his secret is, that inside, he is much more of a savage than Jack could ever be: which is proven later in the