Devil of Decay In the "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, several boys get themselves stranded on a deserted island. Upholding English etiquette, the boys act proper for a while, until the thought of a beast is brought up by a little kid. Ralph, the elected leader of the boys, dismisses this beast. Simon, the intellectual and receptive boy, has his own notions about the beast. In the chapter "Beast from Air", Ralph calls …showed first 75 words of 530 total…

…showed last 75 words of 530 total…live. The beast has truly taken root in their small society. Golding wants to convey the idea to the reader that there is a devil of degeneration and decay in every person and that it can come out more when they are isolated from the rest of the world. This powerful devil is part of the unpredictable realm of human nature. These boys represent the struggle between that devil and what civility they still have.