Question

What does Simon fear in Lord of the Flies?

Accepted Answer

It could be argued Simon doesn't fear anything in Lord of the Flies. He is too rational and calm to be taken in by the story of the so-called "beast". His lack of fear, however, leads to him losing his life, because he does not realize how fearful he should be of the other boys.

Answer

Unlike the other boys on the island, Simon is rational and does not fear the beast. Simon is a wise character and can recognize that the beast is not a threatening, mysterious creature lurking throughout the island. As a symbolic Christ-figure, Simon possesses a unique knowledge of the human soul and recognizes that the beast is mankind's inherent wickedness. Even after Samneric claim that they witnessed the beast, and Ralph and Jack confirm that the menacing creature is waiting at the top of the mountain, Simon remains skeptical and is not afraid.
 
At the end of chapter 8, Simon hallucinates and listens to the Lord of the Flies speak to him via a severed pig's head. During the enlightening conversation, the Lord of the Flies confirms Simon's belief that the beast is not a tangible being that can be hunted or killed. The severed pig's head informs Simon that the beast is part of everyone on the island and warns him not to interfere with the boys having fun. Following Simon's interaction with the Lord of the Flies, he is determined to climb the mountain to confront the ominous figure that frightened the others. Simon's journey to the top of the mountain depicts him as a fearless, intuitive boy. Once Simon reaches the top of the mountain, he discovers that the beast is simply the rotting corpse of a deceased paratrooper.

Answer

I'd say that Simon is about the least fearful character in this great novel. He has a number of character traits that help him to keep fear at bay. He is level-headed, a rational thinker, and instinctively calm.
While the rest of the boys are living in terror of a so-called beast whom they believe to be somewhere on the island, Simon is the one who has the guts to go and look for it—and find it. The thing that the boys have perceived as a beast turns out to be a dead paratrooper. Discovering the true identity of the "beast" turns out to be to Simon's detriment. Being the nice guy that he is, he went back to the beach to tell the others that they had nothing to be afraid of.
The boys on the beach, however, were the thing that Simon should have been afraid of. Stirred up into a frenzy by their fear and dancing, the boys have been caught up in a trance-like frame of mind that I would liken to something you would find in a cult. The boys see Simon approaching, assume that he is the beast, and savagely murder him.
In a nutshell, Simon didn't really fear anything. He was right to not fear the so-called "beast," but should have had a healthier fear for his fellow humans.

Answer

Simon does not fear the beast that the others believe lurks on top of the mountain. In fact, he has no fear of outward harm. What he does fear is the beast within: the potential for evil that lies within the hearts of all humans. He fears what a turn to evil will do to the group.
Simon, a Christ figure, does what he can to serve the other boys. He is not interested in power the way Ralph is, and he is not simply concerned with his own survival. He shares with the others and even helps the youngest boys to get the "choicest" of the fruit he picks. He climbs in search of the monster in order to help dispel the irrational fears of his peers.
Sadly, Simeon, a person who is essentially fearless of what the world can do to him, ends up brutally murdered by the other boys, an end that adds to his Christlike status.

Answer

Simon is the only boy on the island who understands the true nature of the beast. Unlike the other boys who believe that there is a carnivorous, dangerous beast stalking the island, Simon shows no fear and actually suggests climbing to the top of the mountain to look for the beast. When Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies, his suspicions concerning the true identity and nature of the beast are confirmed. Simon understands that the beast is the inherent wickedness of each person on the island. Therefore, Simon does not fear the beast and freely roams throughout the island. He not only volunteers to walk back through the forest alone at night to inform Piggy and the littluns what is happening, but he also travels to the top of the mountain alone after Ralph, Jack, and Roger insist they witnessed the beast. When Simon bravely climbs to the top of the mountain, he discovers that the beast is actually a dead paratrooper. Unfortunately, Simon is mistaken for the beast when he walks onto the beach during a terrible storm and is brutally murdered by the boys. Overall, Simon does not fear the beast and does not reveal that he is afraid of anything throughout the novel. He is perceived as a Christ figure, who has prophetic knowledge and insight into the true nature of the beast.

Answer

Simon is the least fearful of all the boys on the island. One can see this when Simon addresses the issue of a "beast" on the island. It is Simon that warns the boys of the internal threat that looms about the island.  But it is in his subconscious state in the presence of the Lord of the Flies that he realizes the terrible fate of the boys on the island. This event causes him to become fearful.

Answer

Ironcially, it is Simon who, early in the novel, expresses the least fear.  He understands that fear is a dangerous and useless emotion, and insists on going in search of the beast in order to prove that there is nothing to fear.  However, what Simon finds ignites the fear in him.  He realizes that the beast is the dark side of boys' nature.  He fears what the boys will do to each other as they become less civilized, and foresees that what has happened to the boar will happen to the boys.

Lord of the Flies

What does Simon fear in Lord of the Flies?

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