In Chapter 8, Simon is in the presence of the Lord of the Flies. He tries not to look at the disgusting image of the severed pig's head on top of a stick, but cannot help himself. When Simon looks at the hog's white teeth, dim eyes, and the blood dripping from the head, Golding writes, "his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition" (138). The "ancient, inescapable recognition" Golding references is...
In Chapter 8, Simon is in the presence of the Lord of the Flies. He tries not to look at the disgusting image of the severed pig's head on top of a stick, but cannot help himself. When Simon looks at the hog's white teeth, dim eyes, and the blood dripping from the head, Golding writes, "his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition" (138). The "ancient, inescapable recognition" Golding references is essentially man's understanding of the presence of evil in this world. Unlike the other boys on the island, only Simon has the insight to realize that the "beast" is actually the inherent wickedness present in each individual. The Lord of the Flies symbolically represents Satan, the manifestation of evil, and when Simon looks into its face, he understands that the boys are inherently evil. Golding refers to Simon's understanding as "ancient" because the belief in some form of ultimate evil has been around since recorded history.
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