Weston Minter
English 4 AP- A3
9/16/11
Simon Character Sketch
In the novel Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding uses classic methods of
characterization to evolve Simon into the archetypal Christ-like figure in society. By
extension, Golding uses Simon’s death to reveal the theme of the ultimate destruction of
spirituality when faced with savagery and brutality.
Simon’s character in Lord of the Flies is a stark contrast to the savage, brutish
boys living alongside him on the island. While the other boys are selfish and cruel,
Simon is shown to be caring and helpful to the others on the island. On page 56 Simon
“found for them the fruit they could not reach”. This shows Simon to be kind and loving
to the children of the island, which is an example of Simon’s Christ-like archetype.
Golding portrays Simon as a timid, shy young boy when he is faced with having to
speak in front of the other boys at the assemblies. On page 89 Simon’s “heartbeats
were choking him”. It is obvious here that Simon doesn’t like talking about his ideas,
however brilliant and clever they may be. Simon is the speaker of the truth in the novel,
yet none of the boys ever listen to what he has to say. Simon tends to put everything in
perspective when he speaks and tells truths about the boys on the island that none of
them want to hear. For example, Simon says on page 89, “Maybe there is a beast…
maybe it’s just us.” This bold statement was quickly shot down by the others, but this
just adds to the fact that Simon thinks on a higher, more mature level than any of the
other boys. Golding uses Simon’s physical appearance to signify innocence. Golding
describes Simon as a “small, skinny” boy who was “delightfully gay and wicked”.
Simon’s death represents the ultimate destruction of spirituality on the island. The boys
have almost totally lost all connection to society and the outside world. Golding has
shown that the boys on the island have turned into savages and no longer have any
morals. This helps reinforce the theme of the loss of spirituality when faced with
savagery and brutality.
Simon is a very important character in Lord of the Flies. He represents what is
pure and good in society. Golding portrays Simon to be a spiritual, Christ-like figure.
The reader sees evidence of this archetype many times throughout the novel. One
reason Simon can be compared to Jesus Christ is that many of the things he does are
spiritual or supernatural. For example, he has Epilepsy, which was once thought of as a
curse that gives one prophetic powers. Another way Golding uses Simon to evolve this
archetype is through Simon’s prediction that just Ralph would “get back alright”. This is
symbolic of Christ because in the Bible Jesus predicted his own death more than once,
and Simon, of course, is predicting his own death to Ralph in Lord of the Flies. One
strikingly similar correlation between Simon and Jesus Christ is the fact that Simon was
tempted by the Lord of the Flies just as Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil to
abandon his mission in the Bible. This is shown on page 143 when the Lord of the Flies
says, “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast”. It is no coincidence
that Golding chose to use the name Lord of the Flies, as it is a direct translation of the
word “Beelzebub”, which means devil, or evil figure. Another reason Simon is
considered to be the spiritual figure in the novel is the fact that he goes to the clearing to
meditate. This clearing in the forest is seen almost as a Garden of Eden. Also, Jesus
Christ would go to the Mount of Olives to pray and meditate as well, which further
emphasizes the Christ-like archetype. It also says on page 57, “The candle-buds
opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the
first stars.” This is significant because candles are often found in churches, which
portrays the spiritual theme. Golding’s method of characterization definitely helps evolve
Simon’s spiritual archetype.
Overall, Golding’s use of the classic methods of characterization develops Simon
into a vibrant, round character, and evolves him into a spiritual Christ-like archetype in
Lord of the Flies.