CHAPTER 9: Why is the beast "harmless and horrible" in Lord of the Flies?Thanks!

The dreaded beast of which the boys of Lord of
the Flies are so afraid is not a living thing. Simon discovers that it is
actually the body of an airman, whose parachute dangles from a rock on the mountain.
Though the head of the airman is covered in flies, it is a harmless being; Simon frees
it and the body eventually finds a last resting place in the sea. Nevertheless, the
beast continues to cause fear among the boys, who do not know its true identity. They
continue to offer pig's heads as an offering, and when Simon appears during the boys'
circle dance, they descend upon him--thinking him the beast--hoping to put an end to
their greatest fear. When they find that they have killed Simon and not the beast, their
fears return. It is the beast which has caused the boys to cast away their civilized
ways, descending into a savage, nearly pagan way of life.