The passage where Simon's body is swept away by the sea
describes nature in brilliant detail. There is discussion of the sun and the moon, the
sand and the water. This beautiful scenery belies the rage and violence the boys have
learned and executed there. There is also an allusion to the supernatural. The moonlight
makes Simon glow: "The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became
sculptured marble." (Golding, chapter 9) Also, it characterizes the moonlight as
creatures that seem to gather around Simon and carry him into the water. Nature is,
literally and figuratively, receiving Simon to herself.
The
fact that the other boys are afforded a chance to remain innocent by not having to deal
with the harsh reality of burying a peer is important to the remainder of the novel.
They cannot face their actions just yet, or they will break down as a society
entirely.
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