Final answer:
Simon's death in 'Lord of the Flies' symbolizes the loss of innocence and rational society among the boys, serving as a tragic metaphor for the effects of savagery and the disintegration of societal order.
Step-by-step explanation:
The importance of Simon's death in the novel Lord of the Flies is multifaceted, encompassing spiritual and thematic elements as well as social commentary.
Simon's demise serves as a crucial turning point in the book, symbolizing the loss of innocence and the descent into savagery by the boys on the island. His burial, while not described in elaborate detail within the novel, symbolizes the end of goodness and rationale in the microcosmic society the boys have formed.
Much like the death of Lazarus in the New Testament represents hope and rebirth, Simon's death illustrates a loss of hope and the definitive disintegration of an orderly and moral society amongst the stranded boys.
It acts as a powerful and tragic metaphor for the consequences of unchecked human impulses and the absence of societal constructs.