simon character notes lord of the flies

Copyright © Iestyn Tyne 2013

William Golding

LORD OF THE FLIES

Images from Lord of the Flies 1963 film.


SIMONCharacter Notes


Simon is one of Jack’s Choirboys. He faints in the heat at the very beginning and is often seen as being strange by the others. The only boy who discovers the truth about the beast.

Main actions in the novel:Has a fit as he marches along the beach in the choir.Goes exploring with Ralph and Jack.Goes off alone into the forest.Gives a piece of meat to Piggy.Conversation with the ‘Lord of the flies’, and faints

after doing so.Discovers the dead parachutist on the mountain-top.Killed when he discovers the truth about the beast.

OVERVIEW


Thoughtful and Kind Simon alone helps Ralph to build shelters while the

other boys go off to play or to hunt.

‘All day I’ve been working

with Simon. No one else.

They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing,’

Ralph


Thoughtful and Kind Very supportive of Ralph as a Chief – he is loyal to

Ralph, and wants him to go on being chief.

Simon

‘Simon stirred in the dark.’

‘Go on being Chief’


Thoughtful and Kind Stands up and protects Piggy when Jack is nasty

towards him. When Jack breaks Piggy’s glasses, Simon finds them and

hands them back to him. Jack won’t give Piggy meat, so Simon gives him his own.

‘...Simon, who got there first, found

them for him. Passions beat about

Simon on the mountain-top with

awful wings.’


Thoughtful and Kind Popular with the littluns. He stops and picks high fruit for them from the trees – they

follow him into the forest. He is a Christ-like figure for them to follow.

‘...pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to

the endless, outstretched hands.’


Thoughtful and Kind He wants to share what he has found out about the beast

with the others, to set their minds at ease. The irony is that he wants to reassure them, but this

leads him to his death.

‘The beast was harmless and

horrible, and the news must reach

the others as soon as possible.’


Solitary Simon seems to enjoy being ‘utterly alone’. He leaves the bright beach and walks purposefully off into

the dark jungle, and we are not told why. His little haven is like a church where he worships.

‘Then he turned his back on this and walked into

the forest with an air of purpose’


Solitary He wanders off into the forest at strange hours, when

he wants to be alone. A littlun sees him moving around in the trees after dark

and thinks he is the beast.

‘I wanted – to go to a place – a

place I know.’

Simon


Solitary Offers to go back across the island alone in the dark to

tell Piggy that the big boys will not be back till late after hunting the beast.

All the other boys would be scared to go alone, so this shows his courage and his wish to be alone.

‘I’ll go if you like. I don’t

mind, honestly.’

Simon


Solitary Goes up the mountain on his own to look for the

beast.


Shy Simon has difficulties in expressing himself. When exploring, Simon shows his excitement for their

surroundings by shyly stroking Ralph’s arm.

‘Simon stroked Ralph’s arm shyly,

and they had to laugh again.’


Shy Hates speaking aloud in front of the other boys. Simon feels they should know his opinion on the beast,

however he cannot express himself and the others laugh at him, causing him to withdraw and shrink back.

When he says they should climb the mountain the ‘pressure of the assembly’ stops him from explaining himself properly.

‘...a perilous necessity to speak; but to speak in an

assembly was a terrible thing to

him.’


Physically Weak The first thing we learn about Simon is that he is the

choirboy who faints on the beach when the choir stop marching.

It has happened before- Jack is dismissive and says he’s always fainting.

He’s always throwing a

faint....he did in Gib.; and Addis;

and at matins over the precentor.’

Jack


Physically Weak He is not as old or tall as the biguns, but not as small as

the littluns. He is skinny. Jack and Ralph get him to walk between them then they

can talk over his head.

If Simon walks in the middle of

us...then we can talk over his head.’

Ralph


Physically Weak Loses consciousness when he is in the clearing with the

pig’s head. He has a nosebleed before coming round, which alleviates

some of the pressure in his head as his ‘fit passed.’

‘Simon was inside the

mouth. He fell down and lost

consciousness.’


Spiritual figure People have often said that Simon represents a Jesus-like

figure in this book. Does nothing to harm people Hands out food to the littluns Makes a foreseeing / foreshadowing announcement Dies for telling the truth

‘What I mean is...maybe it’s only

us.’

Simon


Spiritual Figure The conversation between Simon and the Lord of the Flies

could be looked upon as a confrontation between good and evil.

Lord of the Flies: Beelzebub – another name for the devil


Spiritual Figure The descriptions of Simon often have a religious /

spiritual twist to them. The candle buds as he sits alone in the forest – They remind us

of a peaceful candle-lit church. After death, the descriptions of his body as it is washed out to

sea give a heavenly impression.

‘The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of

his shoulder became sculpted marble’


Behaves Strangely The others think he is weird and strange, and call him

names. Piggy says he’s cracked. Even Ralph becomes impatient with Simon at times during

the novel.

‘He’s queer. He’s funny.’

Ralph


Behaves Strangely Believes, and is confident in the fact that they will be

rescued. Tells Ralph that he will go home (IRONY: Simon himself is

killed). Ralph is comforted after being initially scornful.

‘You’re batty.’

‘No, I’m not. I just think you’ll get back

all right -.’Ralph

Simon


Behaves Strangely Has a conversation with The Lord of the Flies in the form of

a pig’s head. All the things said are coming from within Simon’s head. This shows us that he knows the truth – that the evil is

inside each and every one of us.

‘You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of

you? Close, close, close!

Lord of the Flies


Sensitive and Understanding Joins Jack and Ralph’s discussion about the littluns’

nightmares. His comment makes the others think. Ralph agrees with

what he has to say.

‘As if it wasn’t a good island.’

Simon


Sensitive and Understanding He is very aware of, and very sensitive to people’s emotions

and hostility amongst the boys which occur when arguments break out.

He feels surrounded by passions.

‘Passions beat about Simon on the mountain-top with awful

wings.’


Sensitive and Understanding Never thinks of the beast as a living, breathing creature

which lives in the forest. Feels a ‘flicker of incredulity’ when he goes along with the

other boys to try and hunt down the beast. He tries on several occasions to explain how he connects

the beast to humans, but they don’t understand him.

‘What I mean is...maybe it’s only

us.’

Simon


Horrific Death The boys use their bare hands and teeth to tear at Simon’s

flesh and beat him to death. Even Piggy and Ralph are involved in this animalistic

savagery. Shows us what even the most decent human beings are

capable of – this is the beginning of open savagery and murder on the island. ‘There were no

words, and no movements but the tearing of

teeth and claws.’

simon character notes lord of the flies

Education

simon copyright iestyn

jack copyright iestyn

ralph copyright iestyn

ralphcopyright iestyn

devilcopyright iestyn

simon walks

descriptions of simon

simon strokedralphs