Lotf

The symbol of the parachutist, the changing nature, and the children’s actions are used to create the tension in Chapter 9. The parachutist, as it is thought to be the beast, scares the children who runs off and gives up hope of starting the fire at the top of the mountain, where the parachutist is and the most effective place for the fire to be, while the changing nature mirrors how the tension is increasing, by the increasing storm.
The parachutist is what starts the gradual increase of tension. As the first time Jack, Roger and Ralph saw the “beast,” as the parachutist is referred to as, they were frightened. However, when Simon approached the parachutist, he was not frightened. This states that Simon must be familiar with the parachutist. This is because they are related in the way that they are the first to die of their age- the parachutist being the first adult to die, and Simon being the first child to die. This is not known until the end of the chapter, and, therefore, foreshadows Simon’s death. The fact that the parachutist’s movement is considered as a “parody,” states it is not really moving, and is more of a joke than anything. It is also referring to how funny and strange it is that Simon, who is not considered as brave, is the only one brave enough to climb up the mountain to encounter the “beast,” while Jack, who is considered as the bravest, is not brave enough to do what Simon, who is less brave than him, did. This supports the fact that the parachutist is related to Simon, as if he felt like he had to see the beast, like it was his destiny. Also, the fact that the parachutist is only referred to as “the figure” or “the beast,” shows that no one knows whether or not the man is a human at all, increasing horror for the unknown. I perceive that this is because the parachutist to be a symbol for Simon’s soul, as, at approximately the same time that Simon died, the wind picked up and blew the parachutist away from the island. This is similar as to...