How Mankind Changes When Removed from Society
In the modernist novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of young, British boys are stranded on an island and have to fend for themselves. The British are often stereotyped as extremely proper and civilized. Throughout the book, the exact opposite is proven. Golding uses the characters as symbols to demonstrate that when humans are separated from society, they have a natural instinct to become increasingly savage and barbaric, despite some of their efforts to resist the urges.
At Jack’s and Ralph’s first encounters with each other and the island, they get along well and there is little tension between them. Ralph is described as “the fair boy” (Golding 7), implying that he is proper and well educated. Jack is characterized as the typical redhead,
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Roger is described as the boy "who kept to himself with avoidance and secrecy." (18). He has a different type of sadistic desire than Jack. Roger enjoys hurting people and causing them physical pain. Roger comes into a role of power when Jack leaves Ralph, because he too enjoys hunting and the barbaric sensations. Jack’s tribe begins to steal and raid Ralph’s group, while they have clay and pig blood masks on their faces. Ralph finally confronts the tribe to tell them to stop terrorizing them, meanwhile Piggy is blind because Jack stole his glasses. Roger then purposefully launches a “monstrous red [boulder]. . . across [Piggy’s] neck” (181), splattering Piggy onto the rocks down below. Roger has no reason to kill Piggy, he just sees the opportunity and enjoys to hurt people. No one even reacts to Piggy’s death, they keep on fighting about who should lead the boys, and Jack ends up winning. Throughout the rest of the novel, Roger is used as the torturer for the tribe, and thoroughly enjoys his new job. Roger demonstrates the absolute farthest that mankind can go without society