In William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, the character Simon dies violently at the hands of his peers. When Simon stumbles out of the forest, he is delirious, having suffered from seizures and hallucinations all day. Unfortunately, he stumbles into a group of boys in an equally deranged state.
The boys, led by Jack, are celebrating killing the pig. Their celebration has become a ritual that allows their base instincts of violence and groupthink to be expressed. Wearing masks, the boys chant about killing and perform semi-religious expressions toward the Beast.
As a result, when Simon comes out of the forest, as a pig would and as the Beast would, his appearance easily integrates into their celebration, which has already demonstrated a blend between reality and fantasy. The mob's mentality is one of a semi-religious fervor that allows the release of violence and fear through demonstration.
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