Simon’s Choice is a young adult novel written by Anthony DeSa in 1993 that explores controversial topics like euthanasia, abortion and suicide. Set in contemporary America, the novel follows 17-year-old Simon Stillman as he wrestles with helping his terminally-ill grandfather end his suffering after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. While Simon’s Choice brings up many difficult moral questions that still resonate today, at its core it’s a moving story about family, compassion and finding the courage to do what one believes is right.
The story begins with Simon receiving the devastating news that his grandfather, Pop, has been diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer and only has a few months left to live. Pop had always been a pillar of strength and wisdom in Simon’s life, so watching him slowly deteriorate from the disease is incredibly painful. Pop is in excruciating pain from the cancer and frustrated that modern medicine can no longer cure him, only prolong his suffering. He makes Simon promise that if the pain ever becomes unbearable, he will help Pop end his life with dignity on his own terms.
Simon is rocked by this request and torn by his conflicting emotions. On one hand, he loves his grandfather dearly and can’t stand to see him in such agony. But helping to end a life, even a terminal one requesting aid, goes against Simon’s moral principals. He fears the legal and ethical ramifications it could have. Simon turns to his friends, girlfriend Amy and school counselor Mr. Tate for guidance, but finds little consensus on the philosophically and legally grey area of assisted suicide. Each person has a nuanced perspective on the complex issue that further complicates Simon’s dilemma.
DeSa does an excellent job presenting multiple sides of the assisted suicide argument through Simon’s varied conversations. On one side, some argue that ending a life goes against medical ethics and society’s value of all human life. Others believe that in the case of terminal suffering, a compassionate death with dignity should be a basic human right. No easy answers are provided, reflecting how ethically complex this topic truly is. The only certainty is Simon’s unwavering love for his grandfather and desire to ease his pain, even if means challenging conventional mores.
As Pop’s health declines at a rapid pace, his pain levels rise to unbearable new heights. He begs Simon to fulfill his promise and help him die peacefully in his sleep with a fatal dose of sleeping pills. On the night Simon promised to aid his grandfather, he wrestles with his conscience alone in a late night journey through town. He reflects on memories with Pop and how much the man who helped raise him has already suffered. In a poignant moment of clarity, Simon realizes that preserving life is not always the highest moral value if that life consists only of intolerable pain.
With tears in his eyes, Simon returns home and carries out Pop’s final request. He helps his grandfather die with dignity while surrounded by family who also believe it was the most compassionate choice. In the aftermath, Simon must cope with his complex feelings of grief, guilt and freedom while also facing potential legal consequences for hisactions. Though haunted by what he’s done, Simon finds solace in knowing Pop is no longer suffering. He realizes some principles, like mercy, courage and unconditional love, sometimes require breaking rules.
DeSa handles the culminating event and its aftermath thoughtfully instead of taking an easy path. Though assisting a suicide was illegal at the time of publication, the author doesn’t portray Simon as a criminal but rather a young man pushed to the limits by his loyalty to family. DeSa never condones or condemns Simon’s choice, letting the reader come to their own conclusion on the morality. Throughout the novel, but especially in these climactic scenes, there is an undercurrent of universality to the story that has resonance regardless of one’s stance on assisted suicide. At its heart, it deals with humanity’s eternal struggle between following laws and following conscience when they directly conflict.
Simon’s Choice explores complex philosophical quandaries through nuanced storytelling that avoids easy answers. Though dealing with weighty subject matter, DeSa ensures the characters and their relationships remain the emotional core. Even decades later, the novel still sparks insightful discussion on medical ethics, mortality and an individual’s duty to themselves vs society. While the specific dilemma Simon faces may be thankfully rare, we have all likely wrestled at some point with reconciling what we feel is right with what is lawful or socially acceptable. Overall, the book is a memorable and introspective work that merits discussion in high school classrooms. Through compelling fiction, DeSa illuminates how societal issues affect real people on deeply personal levels.
Anthony DeSa’s young adult novel Simon’s Choice is a thoughtful exploration of difficult end-of-life decisions that remains fresh and relevant after thirty years. With poetic prose and fully realized characters, DeSa crafts an emotionally impactful story centered around a grandson’s devotion to his dying grandfather. Though dealing with abortion, suicide and medical ethics, at its core the novel is a profoundly moving examination of compassion, morality and what we owe to those we love most. Even if readers come to different opinions on assisted suicide, Simon’s Choice sparks insightful reflection on our relationship with mortality, law and doing what we sincerely believe is right. For its nuanced handling of complex issues and enduring ability to generate discussion, the novel deserves recognition as an important work of young adult literature.
Andrew Stroud