Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Have you ever felt trapped in your own identity before? Trapped in someone that you can’t seem to get out of. Every time you try to scream for help, nobody is there to hear your hidden cries. Maybe there is someone there for you, but maybe you are just afraid of what they would think of you. Many authors create mindsets for their characters by using their own personal experiences, likings, and environment to affect the story. Becky Albertalli, the author of Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, is a perfect example of this situation. She uses her own story to create a fictional, yet very similar to reality, storyline. Becky’s experiences of teaching, personal likings, and religious preferences may have influenced her to create Simon vs The Homo

Adolescents live in a society that are not used to people that don’t identify the same as they do. This can create confusion in both parties. The straight side resulting teasing, name calling, taunting,and even blackmail. This leads to the homosexual side resulting to societal pressure. (Remafedi). Expecting these outcomes can take a toll on the homosexuals willingness to come out to society. Being confined in your own identity, can cause anxiety and depression. In Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Simon did not want to come out to others. Putting the story in first person, allowed us to get insight of Simon’s mental state through his process of hiding and then being forced to come out. Simon was very reluctant in telling others, scared of how is relationships would change with others. He began to experience more panic when Martin found his emails open in the library, near page 1. The emails shown were back and forth responses between Simon and Blue, Simons male crush. Martin, confused and unknowledgeable about the situation, immediately resulted to blackmail. Simon feeling pressured, did everything that Martin asked of him in order for his secret not to get out. Overtime, about page 165, when Simon started to get closer to Blue, Simon began to become open to the idea of coming out to his friends and family. Simon unable to complete Martins task assigned, Martin

The author created a realistic world by showing the actions committed by straight and gay adolescents as well as their thought process when interacting with each other. By doing so, the author will hopes to guide homosexuals to a world where they are more comfortable in coming out to others. From her understanding of the lonliness that homosexualts feel, from working as a psychologist with the LGBTQ community, the author hoped that the book would give them a ro-model that is in a similar situation that they are in. Albertalli has faced many obstacles during the making of her book that may have influenced how Simon feels as well as the people around him. Albertalli’s attempt to quit her book and the people that pushed her forward to continue writing was reflected in when the people around Simon pushed him forward to feel true to himself. Simon no longer had to hide who he was because the people around him were supportive of who he was. Albertallis anxious tendencies were also portrayed in Simon. Both the author and Simon are shown to care very much about what others think of them. This has taken a toll on how outgoing both of them are. Without Albetalli’s experiences, we would have never been able to see the mindset of Simon, who identifies differently than the social norm. Not only does this book guide others,