A running theme in Lord of the Flies is that man is savage at heart, always ultimately reverting
             back to an evil and primitive nature. The cycle of man's rise to power, or righteousness, and his
             inevitable fall from grace is an important point that book proves again and again, often
             comparing man with characters from the Bible to give a more vivid picture of his descent. Lord
             Of The Flies symbolizes this fall in different manners, ranging from the illustration of the
             mentality of actual primitive man to the reflections of a corrupt seaman in purgatory.
             The novel is the story of a group of boys of different backgrounds who are marooned on an
             unknown island when their plane crashes. As the boys try to organize and formulate a plan to get
             rescued, they begin to separate and as a result of the dissension a band of savage tribal hunters is
             formed. Eventually the "stranded boys in Lord of the Flies almost entirely shake off civilized
             behavior: (Riley 1: 119). When the confusion finally leads to a manhunt [for Ralph], the reader
             realizes that despite the strong sense of British character and civility that has been instilled in the
             youth throughout their lives, the boys have backpedaled and shown the underlying savage side
             existent in all humans. "Golding senses that institutions and order imposed from without are
             temporary, but man's irrationality and urge for destruction are enduring" (Riley 1: 119). The
             novel shows the reader how easy it is to revert back to the evil nature inherent in man. If a group
             of well-conditioned school boys can ultimately wind up committing various extreme travesties,
             one can imagine what adults, leaders of society, are capable of doing under the pressures of
             trying to maintain world relations.
             In the novel, Simon is a peaceful lad who tries to show the boys that there is no monster on the
             island except the fears that the boys have. "Simon tries to state the truth: ...