Lord of the Flies: Simon Character Analysis (AQA GCSE English Literature) : Revision Note
Simon represents the only truly good character in the novel, and his death is therefore all the more tragic: it suggests that, freed from the rules or moral codes that bind civilisation, human nature will eliminate goodness.
Simon character summary
Why is Simon important?
Simon is the most morally “good” of the boys on the island, and is shown to behave in selfless ways that benefit the wider group. His murder represents the triumph of human evil over goodness, and suggests that humans are drawn to savagery over morality and cooperation.
He is kind and cooperative: he is the only boy shown to altruistically help others: he picks fruit for the littluns and helps to build shelters, and he also sticks up for Piggy when other boys mock his lack of physical strength. The other boys see his behaviour as strange, though, and he is increasingly isolated from the wider group.
He is perceptive: Simon sees the beauty in his new surroundings (such as flowers that Jack “slashes”), and is the first boy to realise that there is no “beast” on the island, although he is not believed when he tells the others that “maybe it’s only us”.
He is a Christ-like victim: Simon climbs a mountain to discover that the “beast” is simply a harmless corpse. His selflessness in rushing to tell the others that it is “harmless”, even after being ostracised, has Christ-like connotations, as does his barbaric death at the hands of those he sought to save.
Simon Language Analysis
The language spoken by, or used to describe Simon, is often prophetic or packed with religious symbolism that relates to Golding’s message about humanity’s tendency towards savagery:
Prescient language: Simon is the first boy to realise that “the beast” is not “something you could hunt and kill” but is “part of you”, and he alone understands that the true evil on the island comes from the boys themselves. He also seems to predict Ralph’s fate, telling him that he will “get back alright”.
Religious imagery: When Simon feeds the littluns, he offers them only “the choicest” fruit, and is surrounded by “endless, outstretched hands” like a prophet surrounded by worshippers. When he is murdered, his body seems to shine like “silver”, and nature itself seems to mourn his death.
Simon key quotes
Simon character development
Chapters 1-4 | Chapters 5-8 | Chapters 9-12 |
Kind but isolated: Simon is introduced as one of Jack’s choristers; the others see his fainting as a weakness. He supports Ralph’s rules for civilisation and is the only boy shown to help feed the littluns and build shelter. He goes alone into the jungle and finds a peaceful glade that he likes to sit in. | Brave and perceptive: The boys are scared of a “beast”, so Simon goes with Ralph and Jack to hunt it. He spends more time alone in his glade, and he is spoken to by “the Lord of the Flies” — a severed pig’s head. He realises that the real “beast” is inside the boys, and finds only a corpse, not a monster, atop the mountain. | A victim of the “beast”: Simon rushes to warn the boys that the beast is not real, but interrupts a tribal dance. The boys mistake him for the beast, and murder Simon in a savage attack. Only Ralph accepts his role in Simon’s murder. Ralph later recalls Simon’s prophetic words as he flees from Jack’s hunters. |
Simon character interpretation
Morality and Christianity
Simon’s status as an outsider is implied by his fainting at various points in the novel, suggesting that he has a medical condition such as epilepsy that makes it harder for him to fit in with the other boys, who see him as weak. Worse, while Simon helps others, his goodness does not inspire others to act altruistically. In fact, far from being an inspiration to the other boys, his capacity for good and cooperative spirit mean that he is seen as “queer” by the group. He does not seem to have any friends, and is shown to be isolated on the island.
Despite how he is treated, though, Simon risks his safety by climbing the mountain to find the beast and then, even after being violently sick, rushes to tell the others that it is “harmless”. His bravery and selflessness after being marginalised has Christ-like connotations, as does his barbaric death at the hands of those he was rushing to save.
It is significant that all of the other boys are involved in his murder; through this, Golding seems to suggest that humanity naturally tends towards savagery, and that this human impulse is stronger than external value systems, such as the moral code of Christianity.
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