Simon's untimely death in Chapter 9 of Lord of The Flies is a classic example of subverting expectations, a classic literary trope. You're set up to believe that Simon will tell the other boys the true nature of the beast and then it all comes crashing down, just like Simon does off a cliff. Your empathy makes you hope that everything works out fine, the boys solve their differences and get rescued. Meanwhile on the other hand your cynicism that has been built up over the events of the book tells you other wise. You know something bad is going to happen deep down, especially after The Lord of the Flies's ominous message, but you don't know exactly what and you aren't really expecting it.
It's the crucible in which the rest of the story is forged by. The spiritual figure is betrayed after coming down from a meeting with a deity on a mountain. Sound familiar? He wasn't crucified and I doubt that Simon will return three days later but it does draw about several biblical comparisons.
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