The parachutist is an important symbol as it is the animal on or approaching the island. The paratroopers’ corpse is first seen by Sam and Eric, where they thought they saw the beast as a giant animal with wings.
What is the symbolic meaning of the paratrooper, how and why is he confused with the beast, how is he a symbol of the beast?
The Beast of the Air is a pilot and his parachute flaps in the wind on the mountain. That the boys mistake it for an animal is appropriate because they didn’t know what it was, so they referred to it as an animal, like everything they don’t know on the island.
Why is the skydiver still mistaken for the beast?
The paratrooper is confused with the beast because its movement portends the possibility of life, but its mysterious appearance cannot be seen from afar.
What does the dead pilot in Lord of the Flies symbolize?
However, the dead pilot, which symbolizes war and people’s ability to kill each other, points to another kind of beast, the evil that exists in all people. The fact that Simon can never break the news because the boys murder him underscores the fact that the beast resides in the characters.
What does the parachute in Lord of the Flies symbolize?
The flying corpse in the parachute symbolizes the end of adult supervision. As law and order in the adult world crumbles, childish chaos grows under Jack’s control. Simon forms a special bond with the skydiver as he climbs the mountain to see if the skydiver is still alive.
What does the figure on the falling mountain mean?
There was a speck over the island, a rapidly falling figure under a parachute, a hanging figure with dangling limbs. It is a nod to World War II, with its death and destruction, that informed Goldings of mankind’s ability to do evil when writing Lord of the Flies.
Is the skydiver the beast?
The paratrooper is an important symbol in Lord of the Flies because it approximates William Goldings’ portrayal of the beast on or near the island. In what children think is an animal, this is really the beginning of corruption. This is evidenced by the skydiver’s location and trajectory.
What happens to the paratrooper in Chapter 9?
Howling wind and waves carry Simon’s mutilated corpse into the sea, where it floats surrounded by glowing fish. At the same time, the wind blows the skydiver’s body up the mountainside onto the beach, sending the boys screaming into the darkness.