What Is Rogers Descent Into Savagery In Lord Of The Flies

Roger’s descent into savagery in Lord of the Flies reveals the true nature of mankind. Throughout the course of the book, Roger seems to lose grip on civilization slowly and begins to show signs of aggression and the need for power. From the beginning of the book when he stabs a pig and towards the end when he ultimately kills Piggy, Roger’s development into savagery becomes more apparent. Through the character of Roger, Golding is trying to show mankind’s nature is to be aggressive and authoritative. Roger’s violent nature begins to fully emerge during one of the boys’ pig hunts where Roger impales a pig. According to the text, “Roger found a lodgement for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squeal became a high pitched scream” (Golding 135). The way Roger stabs the pig highlights his aggression and craving for violence. At that moment, he wanted to be in complete control of the pig and did so by killing her in a way that would be most painful. Although he is not yet hurting a human and instead a pig, his assault nevertheless demonstrates that his actions are motivated by the

Roger, watching the fight and waiting on top of a mountain, pulls a lever under a boulder which sends it downhill and ultimately kills Piggy. According to the text, “Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever” (Golding 180). At this point in the book, Roger loses all sense of innocence and fully welcomes the evil in him, as he brutally murders someone without hesitation or remorse. Roger clearly enjoys and obsesses over the power that violence brings him. Roger has lost sight of all the societal rules and norms and now fully embraces his harmful nature. Through the measures that he takes, it is revealed that the nature of mankind is evil and