Simon Birch Essay, Research Paper

Simon Birch

In order to flourish a tree must have strong roots. They are essential in the growth of the tree and without them it will eventually wither away. The same can be said about a person and his roots. Not knowing who you are or where you come from can make things very tough. It can fill your life with a never-ending curiosity and an incredible desire to seek the truth. In the movie Simon Birch, the character of Joe is determined to discover who his father is. Simon Birch not only helps Joe seek this truth, but, in doing so, instills a great deal of faith in him.

Simon is a person that possesses an inconceivable amount of faith. The life he was dealt left him with no choice. Just the mere fact that he was alive was a miracle, and he reminded others of it all the time. His parents regarded him as their peculiar little disappointment and faith was one of the only things he had to fall back on (the other being his friendship with Joe). He was sure of two things; 1) God had a plan for everybody, and 2) he was God?s instrument. His plan, he thought, consisted of God making him a hero. When all was said and done, his theory held true in more than one way.

After the sudden death of Joe?s mother, Simon felt obligated to help Joe find his father. The duo would spend their free time trying to guess who this man could be. After a short time this guessing game would prove to be inadequate. Joe?s desire in pursuing who his father was, was not a game. It was serious business that, in turn, would require some type of investigation. At first they were inclined to believe that Joe?s father was Mr. Baker, their school?s swimming coach. What they did next shows us the unyielding determination of the two. They broke into his office in search of the baseball that killed Joe?s mother. When their journey failed to provide the desired result, Joe snapped. He threw a trophy through the window, alerting the janitor of their presence. Then they were taken to the sheriff where they were assigned community service. What they didn?t know was that their miniscule sentence would forever change the lives of many people.

Simon and Joe were scheduled to help out on a retreat as a result of their wrongdoing. But when the time came, Joe found himself flying solo. Reverend Russell wouldn?t let Simon go along because he ruined the church?s pageant. While they were gone on the retreat Simon sneaked into the reverend?s office in search of his baseball cards. He found his cards, but he also found the missing piece to the puzzle which consumed Joe?s life. In the reverend?s office, through a glass panel on the drawer to a chest, Simon saw a baseball. This wasn?t just an ordinary baseball; it had a special meaning. This was the baseball that had killed Rebecca Wenteworth, Joe?s mother. Simon knew what was to be done next. He had to tell Joe. The first thing he did was call Ben Goodrich and tell him the situation. Within minutes they were off to notify Joe. Ironically, just as they were walking into the door of the cabin the reverend was breaking the news to Joe. His reaction was one of aversion. The puzzle was now complete and he couldn?t stand the way it looked. The truth was now out in the open, but he would rather have left it caged. What he had thought he wanted to know so much, he wished he hadn?t.

In life there are only two things that are certain; people are born, and they will eventually die. What is done in between is entirely up to you. You can make your mark, or you can just simply die like most of us. Simon Birch wasn?t like most of us. He had more faith than the mind can conceive. God did have a plan for him. His destiny was to help Joe find his father. In the end he proved to be a hero, and what better way to die than sacrificing your life for the well-being of others.