Sorry i've been holding back the demons but some of y'all need to watch the fucking movie I just saw someone say "Simon probably never learned to read :("
Brother there is a Whole Scene and joke. Dedicated to the fact that Simon can, in fact, read.
You are NOT being a hater. I've seen multiple fics do this, too. I've also been holding back the demons, but this is also my Opinion Blog, and I can do what I want.
Sorry, I just- hold on a minute. I gotta put on my Big Boy Media Literacy Degree Voice for this.
You know how all of America sort of stereotypes the South to be full of hillbilly illiterate red-pilled gun owners?
That's what the COI is doing to Eden. The COI believe themselves to be intellectually superior and speaking to a sub-human. They treat Simon like an actual animal on multiple occasions. It's a bunch of self-proclaimed scientists talking down to an agrarian religious man. There's a lot of prejudice happening, and it's not just because of who Simon is, or what he did, although, that does play a part in it.
There's a great prose by @antilocaprine on this exact topic here, which I recommend everybody read before they write for Simon.
Tossing around characterization ideas that reinforce the discrimination Simon faced in the movie is some bullshit, in my opinion. I think this is one of the writing topics I cannot be flexible about.
And before you ask me, "what discrimination?" I mean, look:
It's not about Simon being a convict. These people have enslaved their incarcerated populace. They know well enough that their convicts are capable and useful in job settings under the right pressure, and they abuse the fuck out of that.
No. These guys think Simon can't tell his own ass from a rocket launcher because he's from Eden, specifically. They very explicitly use the word Eden in a derogatory manner in the film.
So, when I see people write him struggling to read, it's an instant click-away. I can't stand it. Let our lad intellectually flourish. He's SO bright and resourceful.
