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average are very common traits among people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The reader
gets the impression that Simon is different from the beginning of the novel.

The stigmatization of epilepsy affects how Simon is portrayed in the novel. In her article
on her own experiences with epilepsy, Erica Wagner writes, “For many with the condition and
their families, epilepsy casts a dark shadow; that a diagnosis carries the legacy of the days when
sufferers were not allowed to marry or were confined to lunatic asylums” (43). Golding's novel
was published in 1952 originally so the stigma Wagner describes could apply to Simon; he might
have been instructed to never tell anyone about his illness prior to the events of the story. If he
had told Ralph or Piggy about his illness, his death might have been avoided. Simon exhibits
behavior that points to something being different about him. In particular, he seems to have a
way of knowing things. At one point, he says to Ralph, “You’ll get back to where you came
from” (Golding 105 Kindle edition). This statement comes before Simon's epileptic episode and
death. Taking the end of the novel into account, it seems as though Simon knew he was going to
die and that Ralph would survive. He is also antisocial to a degree. He goes off by himself at
several points during the novel, including when he has his experience with the titular Lord of the
Flies.

By making Simon different than the other boys, Golding creates an enlightened figure
that discovers the truth about the boys' fears. As one article discussing the thematic elements of
the novel says, “the spiritual power is vested in the character of Simon. He is a Christ-like figure
and is helpful to all those in need” (Rahman 231). Simon is the one who discovers the truth about
the boys’ fears, but the others do not see the truth he tries to present them. In his final moments,
Simon is even described as the beast. Golding writes, “The beast was on its knees in the center…
It was crying out… about a body on the hill” (143 Kindle edition). Referring to Simon as the

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