What is the importance of Simon in Lord of the flies

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What is the importance of Simon in Lord of the Flies?

Write about

  • the importance of the part Simon plays in the plot
  • how Simon is different from the other boys
  • what Simon might represent
  • the ways the writer user Simon to convey his ideas

Simon appears only in very few occasions, when compared with other main characters such as Ralph, Piggy and Jack. All those incidents are very significant to the plot. In the first chapter, Simon is introduced as a boy who is weak and “is always throwing a faint.” As the chapter progresses Golding moves on to describe Simon by his physical appearance- “a skinny, vivid boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and coarse.” Simon plays a very important role when Jack is introduced. Jack’s harshness and choir’s attitudes towards Jack are well revealed at this point- “Wearily obedient, the choir huddled into line and stood there swaying in the sun...Then one of the boys flopped on his face in the sand...

Simon is presented as the peacemaker. When Jack passes remarks on Piggy, (saying that he didn’t do anything), Simon resolves the conflict saying “We used his specs, he helped that way.” This shows that Simon tries to hold things together. He is the person who keeps all the boys together and happy. This is also well depicted in chapter 4 when “Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat to Piggy” as Jack didn’t offer any meat to Piggy.

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“Simon is always about” helping everyone. He helps Ralph to build the huts which is a very important in terms of civilisation. Here Simon contributes to the plot while standing out as a person who is willing to take physical labour.

Simon’s vision is very important as it’s foreshadowing what’s going to happen on the island. In chapter 4, when everyone is disturbed by the thought of the beast, Simon says “What I mean is...may be it’s only us.” This is the essence of this book. He is trying to say that it is the evil within the human heart ...

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