Simon: Just Another Choirboy?

3 Pages 671 Words

Simon: Just Another Choirboy?

In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, many characters symbolize different aspects of the novel. All of the characters have major flaws in their personalities that allow them to succumb to savagery. Simon however, does not. Simon does not allow himself to get sucked out of civilization and into savagery. Simon is a Jesus-like figure.

Simon is like Jesus by the way he tries to help people. For example, the book states that, “Here the littluns who had run after him caught up with him…Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands.” Simon is obviously taking some time alone to go ponder something going on in his complicated life, or to simply take a luxurious break from the strenuous labor of building the shelters. In the bible, Jesus shows these exact feelings towards children, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, so He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them’, and he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” In addition, he helps Ralph with the huts when nobody else will, this is shown when Ralph says, “All day I’ve been working with Simon, and no one else.” The rest of the boys are drawn too much towards the island’s fantastic beauty, but Simon has a better work ethic, he can resist running of to romp around in the jungle, so he does what he’s supposed to do and helps to build the shelters, even though no one else is helping. He is willing to sacrifice everything else he could do, just to be a beneficial help to the civilization that is crumbling down around him and submitting to barbaric predilections. Simon and Jesus were both willing to work for something for the good of others, and the spread of goodwill and kindness.

Another way that Simo...