Simon is a character in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In the novel, Simon is one of a group of boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island after their plane crashes. The boys are left to fend for themselves and eventually form their own society, with Simon playing a key role as a thinker and philosopher.
One of the main conflicts in the novel is the question of whether or not a beast exists on the island. Many of the boys, including the character Ralph, believe that there is a beast on the island and are terrified of it. Simon, however, is skeptical of the existence of the beast and expresses doubts about it throughout the novel.
There are several reasons why Simon may doubt the existence of the beast. One reason is that Simon is a rational thinker and is not easily swayed by fear or superstition. He is willing to consider the evidence and think critically about the situation, rather than blindly accepting the belief in the beast.
Another reason why Simon may doubt the existence of the beast is that he believes that the beast is a product of the boys’ own fears and imaginations. Throughout the novel, Simon is portrayed as a wise and perceptive character who is able to see through the boys’ fear and recognize that the beast is a manifestation of their own inner turmoil and chaos.
It is also possible that Simon doubts the existence of the beast because he does not see any concrete evidence of its existence. While some of the boys claim to have seen the beast or heard it, Simon does not experience any encounters with the beast and therefore may not believe that it is real.
In conclusion, Simon doubts the existence of the beast in Lord of the Flies because he is a rational thinker who is not easily swayed by fear or superstition, because he believes that the beast is a product of the boys’ own fears and imaginations, and because he does not see any concrete evidence of its existence.