Rodger's Transformation In Lord Of The Flies

As one becomes older, past memories and encounters can dictate the type of life someone ends up living. Ralph, Jack, and Roger are the three characters whose lives have been most impacted by their experience on the island in the last 25 years. In this sequel from Lord of the Flies, Ralph has changed greatly thanks to his inability to understand the why factor in his actions; Jack has transitioned from a vicious, irrational child, to a shy, furtive young man; However, Rodger has not changed as he still has his psychopathic tendencies, but uses it for self-protection.
    First off, Ralph has changed from a logical thinker on the island to a confused and dazed young man, unable to understand the why factor in his actions over the last 25 years.

Ralph kept his military background alive and served 11 years in the naval force.  Ralph always felt that his father's strong military mentality alive while on the island, and Ralph felt the navy was the only occupation for him.  Ralph proves to be a worthy leader, always keeping his soldiers strong and willing to fight, similar to how he attempted to lead the boys on the island. In addition, Golding states: "Ralph had to bind himself together with his will." (Golding,1954, p.116).  This quote represents how Ralph is willing to continue on even when he really does not want to. However, Ralph struggles to find logic with many of his thoughts.  Golding represented this thought process early in the Lord of the Flies when he writes: "If faces are different when lit from above or below—what is a face? What is anything?” (p.76). This minimal thought process from Ralph ends up padding his life with questions.  Ralph questions his actions on the island constantly. Ralph questions his father’s lack of effort to search for his son, even when Ralph was missing for so long.  This thought process leaves Ralph flustered with questions and no answers. Ralph may never understand the why factors in his life, yet that will not stop him from being the natural born leader he is.
    Secondly, Jack has transitioned from a vicious, irrational child, to a confident and straightforward young man over the last 25 years after his time on the island.  Jack was notorious for the brutal murder of a mother pig as well as the senseless beating of others on the island with no reason behind it. More significantly, however, Jack became like anyone else in regular society after his experience on the island.  Once Jack returned home, he lost his thirst for power. Jack never had the drive to control others or abuse them.  As a result, Jack acted the way he did on the island from anxiety and fear, he was never a real threat to any of the boys.  Golding displayed this clearly when he writes: “All right then." He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet. The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye."I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you." (p.127).  This passage reveals Jack’s emotional and sympathetic personality.  Jack lives out this personality in real life following his time on the island.  He becomes quite popular and is known as an overall great guy in the eyes of his acquaintances.  Anxiety and fear may have brought out the worst in Jack,  but the beast he became could not hide his sympathetic, childlike characteristics.
    Lastly, Rodger has not transitioned much at all from his experience on the island throughout the 25 years after he was on the island.

Roger struggled with anger issues and with expressing his feelings, yet he managed.  Roger was well known for his physicality with other kids at school once he returned from the island. Similarly to what we saw on the island, Roger showed no sympathy.  An example of this is observed when Golding writes: "round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law." (p.60). This quote represents how Roger feels no remorse for his actions, and does not have much respect for the law.  Surprisingly, however, these traits work out in Rogers favor as he saves his cousin's life 20 years after he saved Jack’s on the island. Golding writes: “Ralph stood to face them, his spear ready. By him stood Piggy still holding out the talisman, the fragile, shining beauty of the shell. High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever.” (p.180). Roger let that rock go to save a threatened Jack.  Roger did this in a sense of self-defense, not anger. Roger did the same for his cousin who was being attacked one night by gang members on a walk back from dinner.  Roger saw his cousin was cornered and acted quickly to save his cousin by whacking the gang members with a pipe, Killing them both.  Roger’s cousin was untouched. Although Roger has lethal tendencies from time to time, he uses

them to save others who need it most, not for his own self-pleasure
.Ralph’s inability to understand the why factor in his decisions has left him confused and dazed.

Jack’s change in behavior has transformed him from the power hungry savage to a quiet and insecure young man.  Finally, Roger’s feelings of no remorse allowed him to save his cousin by stopping them from attacking one of his family members. On the contrary, Ralph has become one an intelligent naval officer, and will always go the extra mile for his men; Jack was nothing more than a shy kid under extreme stress who simply needed the correct guidance; Finally, Roger still carries unhealthy tendencies, yet they only seem to strike when Roger senses danger. One event can have a domino effect on the rest of one’s life.  Therefore, one must always second guess their actions or it could dictate how they live the rest of their

life.