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

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 boy's - What Simon might represent - The ways the writer uses Simon to convey his ideas. 'Then one of the boys flopped on his face in the sand and the line broke up.' Even at this point, the very first mention of Simon in The Lord of the Flies, Simon is marked out as something different. Throughout the book, he is the outsider. Inhabiting the 'dubious region' between biguns and littluns - he is singled out for his faints, as Jack says, 'In Gib.; and Addis; and at matins over the precentor,' and, like Piggy, is often the subject of group ridicule. For example, when on page 92 he admits to being out at night, his mumbled excuses are put down with Jack's dismissive 'he was taken short' - and he is crushed by 'the derisive laughter that rose.' He also seeks solitude, not companionship - but somehow is never afraid, unlike the other boys - who are all afraid at one time or another. In due course, as the story progresses, he seems to become even more of a social recluse - even Ralph, who Simon generally seems to support, confides to Jack that 'He's queer. He's funny.' And this is without the one important, most drastic difference between Simon and the others - which only the reader finds out about - Simon's

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1208
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

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

What is the importance of Simon in The Lord of the Flies? Write about: First. The importance of the part Simon plays in the plot Second. How Simon is different from the other boys Third. What Simon might represent Fourth. The ways the writer uses Simon to convey his ideas Simon is a very important character in the story because he represents the good in all people and he is not touched by evil at all. The first mention that we get of Simon is at the beginning when he is in Jack's choir and faints from the heat. From here we realise that Simon is different to the others in that he sees the good in things for example, at the end of the first chapter Simon sees the beauty of flowers that look like candles, "Here they paused and examined the bushes around them curiously. Simon spoke first. 'Like candles. Candle bushes. Candle buds.'", this could suggest that Simon is very spiritual. Furthermore in the third chapter he is the only one to stay with Ralph and build the shelters, all the other boys just go and play in the sand or the sea. Simon also represents good in the story because he is always helping the other boys and has no evil or violent actions during the life of his character, one example of this is that he helps the littleuns to get fruit "Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach", this is a truly altruistic action and helps the reader paint a

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 953
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

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

First Coursework Assignment: Year 10 Term 2 A written response to one major author with a well-established reputation whose work was published after 1914. (Chosen author: William Golding, 'Lord of the Flies'.) What Is The Importance Of Simon In The Story? In the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding, Simon plays a very important part. He is constantly shown to be the Christ-like figure among the boys and he performs acts in the story that could be compared to acts from the bible. He is all goodness and proves this in good deeds, which are performed, at times, in the face of adversity from the other boys. It has been suggested by some that Lord of the Flies is just an adventure story. However, it could be argued, through the representation of Simon's character, that it is a story that depicts a battle between good and evil. This theme is one that was influenced by Golding's own experiences of atrocities in World War II. When Simon is first introduced to the story he is marching in the choir. He makes a significant entrance when he faints as the choir arrives at the assembly platform. Jack, the head chorister, describes him as 'always throwing a faint'. He then carries on explaining the places the choir have sung in, where Simon has fainted; 'Gib, Addis and at Matins over the precentor'. Through the story Simon shows to have an illness because he faints or

  • Word count: 2230
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Study the character of Simon from the novel Lord of the Flies.

Simon maintains a positive outlook on the boys' situation. He represents purity and goodness and can be seen as a Christ-like figure. He constantly reinforces his belief that they will be rescued when the other boys are pessimistic and have given up hope. During chapter 5, Simon is perceptive enough to recognise that the "beast" the boys are obsessive about is "only us" - he recognises the evil and savagery that is within them and threatening to take them over with the loss of all rationality. It is in Chapter 5 that Simon encounters the head of the pig killed by the other boys in the forest. This event provides the title for the book as he names the pig's head "Lord of the Flies". He converses with the pig's head, partly through his own imagination and partly via an unaccountable and savage voice. For Simon this is the confirmation of his belief that he is coming face-to-face with "The beast in everyone". He collapses in a faint and this foreshadows his death in chapter 9. In chapter 9, Simon is killed by the other boys, fulfilling the prophecy of the Lord of the Files that all of the boys would fall foul of the savagery that possesses them when they are all together. Rationality is lost when the force of their bestial nature takes over. When Simon is killed, he is killed as part of a savage dance and assumed to be the beast in the forest in the blind force of the

  • Word count: 2485
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

The role of Simon in the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding.

In the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding, Simon plays a very important part. He is constantly shown to be the Christ-like figure among the boys and he performs acts in the story that could be compared to acts from the bible. He is all goodness and proves this in good deeds, which are performed, at times, in the face of adversity from the other boys. It has been suggested by some that Lord of the Flies is just an adventure story. However, it could be argued, through the representation of Simon's character, that it is a story that depicts a battle between good and evil. This theme is one that was influenced by Golding's own experiences of atrocities in World War II. When Simon is first introduced to the story he is marching in the choir. He makes a significant entrance when he faints as the choir arrives at the assembly platform. Jack, the head chorister, describes him as 'always throwing a faint'. He then carries on explaining the places the choir have sung in, where Simon has fainted; 'Gib, Addis and at Matins over the precentor'. Through the story Simon shows to have an illness because he faints or passes out several times. It is probably epilepsy. Jack, who enjoys pointing this out to others, sees his faints as a weakness. When Simon wakes he looks at Ralph. Then he tells everyone that his name is Simon. Ralph is looking for an extra person to go with him and

  • Word count: 2186
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

What Role does Simon play in the novel Lord of the Flies?

What Role does Simon play in the novel Lord of the Flies? 'The Lord of the Flies'. A journey into the exploration of the imagination, civilization and even the dark side, in which all humans experience. Guided through the story from a child's perception turns a savage and murderous tale of isolation and division within an ethnic, social and class microcosm into an innocent youthful cry-out of how war on the outside adult world can, so easily create amongst a group of school boys. The boys from the beginning out-cast Simon, the mystic boy who is the only one who has the courage to indentify the beast sighted on the mountain. However, his thoughtful ways and symbolic characteristics prevent him from portraying what he discovers as well as the perfected actions that would have resolved the savagery destined to be created. In the Novel, Simon can be seen as a 'Jesus' like character, the one who knows what should be done but his lack of communication skills and his inadequate courage and confidence stops him from voicing what he really feels. The rest of the boys, Ralph included have a more physical and materialistic relationship with the island, when regarding hunting, fruit, and fire. However, Simon possesses a private and personal retreat that he escapes to in order to break free from the savage ways of the boys. Because of the frequent fainting episodes and hallucinations

  • Word count: 587
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

In what ways is Simon important in 'Lord of the Flies'?

In what ways is Simon important in 'Lord of the Flies'? Plan · Introduction - General story line of book - Who is Simon? - What is he like? · What does he do? - Events in the book - What do these say about him? - How do these affect others? - What does he/his actions represent/symbolise? · What happens to him? - What do the others think of him? - How does he interact with different characters? - Why is his death like it is? - How does his death affect the others? · Conclusion - Sum up the answer to the question - Reasons - Relate back In what ways is Simon important in 'Lord of the Flies'? The Lord of the Flies is a book written by William Golding published in 1954. It deals with the possibility of a group of evacuated boys crash landing on a desert island and observes how they struggle to not only stay alive but to get rescued and most centrally live together. There are many boys on this island hence the large number of characters, Simon is one of these. He is generally a quiet and spiritual boy with a love of nature and can often be found helping younger characters and aiding the development of the island. Simon plays a pivotal role in a number of events on the island, studying these could help us to understand why he is important to the overall story. Early on in the book we see him helping to build shelters on the beach, this tells us Simon must

  • Word count: 1400
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Essay Focus on the Murder of Simon in 'Lord of the Flies'

Essay Focus on Simon - 'Lord of the Flies.' Read from 'Towards midnight...' to the end of Chapter 9. Contrast this description of Simon's beatification to the previous description of his murder. How is Simon's role in the Novel captured by this extract? The description of Simon's murder and the description of his final journey out to sea after his death are completely different to each other. In the first, the boys brutally murder Simon because they think he is the beast. In the second, Simon is beatified and martyred as his body is carried out to sea. When the boys murder Simon, Golding's use of language helps to create the sense of crowd mentality that the boys are feeling as the storm around them grows. Language such as 'unbearable noise,' 'explosion,' and 'abominable,' give the impression that the storm is deafening the boys, and that the cacophony of sound is contributing to the sense of hysteria that is driving the boys to their actions. In comparison to this, the use of language in the description of Simon's beatification is much softer, and gives the reader a sense of calm, in contrast to the feeling of agitation in the description of Simon's murder. For example, there is a wide use of language suggesting light in the description, such as, 'phosphorescence,' moonbeams,' and 'brightness.' This gives the reader the idea that Simon is being watched over by God, or a

  • Word count: 714
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Explore the importance of the character Simon in "Lord of the Flies".

Lord of the Flies - William Golding By Devesh Amar Explore the importance of the character Simon in "Lord of the Flies" William Golding was born and brought up in the early 1900's in England, where he lead a well educated childhood under the guidance of his scientific and rational parents. But his parent's influence was often in vain, as the darkness and unknown created a barrier of irrational thoughts. He then went on to serve the Royal Navy during the Second World War (1939-1945), where he experienced for himself the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis, the dropping of the first atom bomb and the cruelty and brutality of combat. These memories had obviously touched Golding, who expressed this change by his pessimistic view that "anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head." After the war, Golding resumed his normal profession of teaching at a boy's school in Salisbury, after which he wrote and published his first book in 1954- "Lord of the Flies". This was based on the plot of R.M. Ballantyne's text "The Coral Island". The same plot is used by Golding, in which three boys have been shipwrecked on an island, but eventually escape death from vicious cannibals because of their miraculous conversion in Christians. But Golding wanted to express to the world how real

  • Word count: 4716
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

What Is The Importance Of Simon In the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding?

What Is The Importance Of Simon In The Story? In the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding, Simon plays a very important part. He is constantly shown to be the Christ-like figure among the boys and he performs acts in the story that could be compared to acts from the bible. He is all goodness and proves this in good deeds, which are performed, at times, in the face of adversity from the other boys. It has been suggested by some that Lord of the Flies is just an adventure story. However, it could be argued, through the representation of Simon's character, that it is a story that depicts a battle between good and evil. This theme is one that was influenced by Golding's own experiences of atrocities in World War II. When Simon is first introduced to the story he is marching in the choir. He makes a significant entrance when he faints as the choir arrives at the assembly platform. Jack, the head chorister, describes him as 'always throwing a faint'. He then carries on explaining the places the choir have sung in, where Simon has fainted; 'Gib, Addis and at Matins over the precentor'. Through the story Simon shows to have an illness because he faints or passes out several times. It is probably epilepsy. Jack, who enjoys pointing this out to others, sees his faints as a weakness. When Simon wakes he looks at Ralph. Then he tells everyone that his name is Simon. Ralph is

  • Word count: 2196
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay