Content warning: This section of the guide discusses war, violence, and sexual assault.

Simon Boudlin is the protagonist and primary third person narrator of the novel. Simon is characterized as a passionate, intense young man who, in part due to his strong emotions, struggles with controlling his temper and enjoying the company of others. Simon is described as boyish and young-looking, with curly red hair and a short stature; while his physical appearance does not significantly change, his internal life slowly becomes more mature in contrast to his youthful appearance. Simon loves deeply and struggles when those he loves, like Doris, Damon, and his mother, are hurt or threatened; many plots in the novel are set in motion by his irrational responses of anger to these situations. Simon’s difficulty conveying his own powerful emotions is aided by music. He is closer to his fiddle than to any human character, reacting with extreme violence when the instrument is threatened. He views the music he plays as an outpouring of his personal life and values.

Simon grows over the novel from a young man afraid of responsibility into a man theoretically ready for marriage,

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now