In short, Wordsworth considers the idiot boy to be a purer, more authentic example of human nature precisely because he is not shaped or influenced by the corrupting nature of sophisticated society. We might say today that he has “no filters” and that with him, “what you see is what you get.” His outward behavior is a precise reflection of his inner life. And he is also one who lives much closer to nature. He is, in fact, an example of that noble savage that is typically seen as the epitome of Rousseau’s ideal human being.
