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Lord of the flies characterization essay
Characters aspects of human nature in lord of the flies
Characters and character development in Lord of the Flies
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Roger Is Only Evil What makes a killer a killer? Is it a disturbed childhood, or a loss of sanity? Or is it simply giving into temptation or losing of control of all actions? It is the dangerous combination of savagery and loss of society that truly makes a killer in William Golding’s “Lord Of The flies.” When a group of young British boys have been deserted on an inhabited island they need to learn to function as their own little society, but within only weeks the children lose respect and acknowledgement to society. Roger, one of the boys on the island is an arrogant, barbarous child will do whatever he's told as long as he feels like he has power and fits in. Roger follows all of the descriptions that fulfil the definition of being …show more content…
a killer. Roger is fully responsible and guilty for the death of Piggy. Roger is a murderer; without thinking twice, Roger murders the most logical and adult figure upon the island, Piggy.
Roger was fiddling and toying with the rock on top of the hill, so he knew what the rock was capable of. Later on in the next chapter, Rodger murders Piggy out of spite and anger. “High overhead, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever” (Golding 208). Piggy was scared of what will happen to him. Roger, out of control from the confrontation between Jack and Ralph, uses his knowledge to his upper hand and kills Piggy with the enormous boulder. “Piggy was thrown sideways from the rock, turning over as he went. He fell 40 feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea” (Golding 209). Since Roger had the choice whether to pull the lever or not, Roger is a …show more content…
murderer. Not only is Roger at the age where children “are truly responsible for their actions at age thirteen” (Sachs 2). He is also considered a “biggun”. This means that the younger children look up to Roger. Responsibility and ownership plays a major role in the events that took place. A boy not even truly realizing that he is killing another because he has never been put into that situation, because he doesn't know how to make realization of his own actions.. All of the boys on the island are most definitely around 13 of age, some possibly even older. Roger knows exactly what he was doing; he is at the age that he is more than aware of his actions, especially ones of such violence. Since he knew what that rock was capable of, he is responsible even further more for the death of Piggy. If Roger really was truly responsible, then he would not have given into the temptation. That can do much more than serve as evidence to hold Roger accountable for the death of Piggy. Roger is responsible for the death of Piggy in consideration to his age and knowledge of what the consequences or outcomes of his choice would be. In many ways some could argue that there is not enough evidence to pin the murder of Piggy on Roger, he simply could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Not once in that statement does it state that there is a boulder involved. Perhaps Roger thought that the lever was simply just a stick and he was just looking for a leaning post. Another possibility is that Piggy was not the target but Ralph was. Even if that was the case this still shows that Roger was still tempted to give in too savagery and go through with the worst that he could. Even if there is not enough evidence to support that he purposely killed Piggy, Roger still did kill him in the
end. To conclude, due to many instances upon which Roger is found responsible and very much involved in Piggy's death. Not only is he guilty of murdering Piggy, but there must be something wrong with him. “ He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He has been- he giggled excitedly-he has been tied up for hours, waiting”(Golding lord,159). Only someone who has some kind of problem would “giggle excitedly” at the beating of a little boy. Only someone who is made up of evil. At the age of 13 or even younger everyone has the concept of death and murder understood, so Roger knew exactly what he was doing. There was no rhyme or reason for it but yet he still made the decision for the worse. The murder was no accident because he knew exactly what the rock was capable of. The murder was on purpose because Jack has taught his followers that there is something wrong with Piggy and threats Piggy numerous times. Roger not only is made of murder, but is made up of only the dark things in the world.
The quote I drawed from the book is from when Piggy and Ralph were yelling at Jack for the specs back and Roger starts to push the rock over. The quote is "High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever" (Golding 180) This shows how Roger, not on accident, but purposely leaned all his weight on the lever to release the rock that eventually fell and killed Piggy. I believe that this is when Roger was in “full demon mode” which I talked about earlier. The fact that a young boy would drop a rock on purpose to kill someone is absolutely inhumane. Therefore this is final example of how Roger changed his identity in the
With an understanding of the inherent darkness in all men and first-hand experience with savagery and violence in World War II, William Golding used Lord of the Flies as not only a historical allegory and a pulpit from which to address the darkness in all men, but also as a metaphor and a example that no one is exempt from human nature. Golding’s characters in Lord of the Flies reflect this idea greatly, but none more so than Roger. Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding uses the character of Roger to show the follies of mankind and the ability of all people to turn to savagery, as well as the inherent nature of man and society’s internalized acceptance of violence, stemming from Golding’s own experiences with the subject. Golding created Roger to be an extension of Jack’s own personality; Roger externalizes Jack’s internal sadism and amplifies his lust for power over others. From the beginning of the novel to the end, he exemplifies the sadism of the savages on the island and catalyzes much of the violence that goes on throughout, from the viciousness of the pig hunts to the premeditated death of Piggy. While not being a central character in Lord of the Flies, and while remaining a primarily static character throughout, Roger becomes a pivotal example of the disintegration of the human condition and the ability of all men to turn to cruelty when presented with the opportunity and put in circumstances that foster anarchy and violence, such as those that the boys find themselves in in Lord of the Flies. Through a use of complex psychopathy, a disintegration of societal morality, and violent imagery and symbolism, Golding shows that, while everyone is potentially civilized, humans are essentially savage by nature.
Furthermore, it is clear that William Golding creates a world of increasing violence when taking accountability of the momentous characters in his novel. In the Lord of the Flies, Golding creates two characters who portray violent inclinations; Jack and Roger. Roger initially exhibits his hunger for violence when he “gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them”(62) at Henry. Yet, he threw them around him not to hurt him
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
and Jack are in the forest and they see the pig for the first time Jack does not
When the boys first landed on the island, Golding describes Roger in the quote, “There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself . . . He muttered that his name was Roger and was silent again,” (Golding 14) Roger wasn’t really one of the bolder boys and was timid at the beginning, when they had first landed on the island. He says his name quietly and that is all to be heard of shy little Roger. Roger is also the one who suggests having a vote to pick a chief, ending the argument between Ralph and Jack and coming up with a solution that is more sophisticated than other options. When they are trying to light a fire, Roger says “‘You make a bow and spin the arrow,’ . . . He rubbed his hands in mime,” (Golding 32). This indicates that Roger knows about how to survive and that he is slowly coming out of his shell, the transition to savagery has begun.
... In the end, Piggy faces "sniggering," "jeering" and "booing" from the others before Roger unleashes the boulder that knocks Piggy off the cliff and onto the rocks below. This demonstrates that the further the intensity of bullying increases the more society decline and this should terrify the reader because of the shear amount of bullying we have in modern day society.
Granted, Jack Merridew himself did not kill Piggy; however, he did plan to kill anyone who was in his way when stealing Piggy’s glasses. “We’ll keep along the sands. Then if he comes, we’ll do our dance again” Jack had planned to kill Ralph, just like they killed Simon in their dance, if he meddled with his plans. Piggy just happened to be the one who interfered with Jack’s plans. Jack’s followers listened to what he said, and Roger rolled the rock at Piggy, killing him. Jack never really cared for Piggy from the start. He wanted him out of his way so he could become chief; he was the only thing that kept Ralph in charge. Jack would have done anything for that position, and Piggy interfered, which resulted in his murder. Jack did plan to kill someone, and Piggy happened to be first.
Jack uses fear to pull people to his side. And Piggy’s fear for his wellbeing but Roger is different. He fears civilization. At the start of the book, it states, “There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy” (18). Already, Roger has a secret that no one knows about. In chapter four: “Roger gathered a handful of stones and began throwing them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” (64,65). This quote gives more detail about Roger’s secret. At this point, Roger is still influenced by society’s rules of his past life. It is not until the last hunt for pigs. Where he shows his true nature, and forgets his fears entirely. Instead indulges in his sadistic love of torture. “Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push until he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved inch by inch and the terrified squeals became a high-pitched scream.” (149). Furthermore, Roger has darker skin than the other boys and at the time the book was taken place, darker-skinned people were considered a lower class and was mistreated because of it. Roger does vicious things because he was mistreated and the anger is finally getting to him, which turns him into civilization’s worst nightmare.
A majority of these individuals are linked through commonalities of their childhood as well as their personality traits and behaviors. The serial murderer’s personality is an intricate recipe of biological, environmental and social circumstances. Though early abuse can cause feelings of aggression and delinquency, childhood experiences alone cannot be to blame. Many people are abused early on as children, and never become killers. Similarly, biological issues, such as brain abnormalities, as we as certain personality disorders would not individually create a murderer. Rather, a distinctive combination of psychological issues, impairments in the brain, and personality disorders help mold a brutal serial killer. Killers cannot be simply born into this world, but under the right circumstances, they will be created.
Simon is the only member of the choir who does not become a hunter along with the other choir boys and Jack their leader. He is also the only one on the island to put the pieces together and realizes the “beast” lives within themselves. “What I mean is . . . maybe it’s only us.” (Golding, 89) The boys have all gathered for an important assembly and in the midst of all the arguing about who gets to speak and who has the conch Simon realizes the beast lives within the boys. This shows how Simon is intelligent and problem solving, he outsmarted all the other boys who fear something in the forest while the thing they should fear most lives in their hearts. Contrarily Roger is ruthless, unforgiving, and savage. For most of the book Roger is under Jack’s ruling but still seems to make room for his own rules here and there. In chapter eleven Jack, Piggy, and Samneric go to regain Piggy’s glasses from Jack and the choir boys, when they begin to argue Roger rolls the boulder down the cliff striking and killing Piggy. “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” (Golding, 181) Him doing so is almost solely because he can, because there is no one on the island that can bark orders at him, he can get away with anything he wants
In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of young boys from England are evacuated out of their country due to a war. The plane is then shot down and results into a plane crash on a deserted island. The boys are left all alone with no adults, no supplies, and no one to come and rescue them. They are all on their own and have to establish a new “society”. The boys have to choose someone to govern them and that person ends up being Ralph, who had an internal struggle between what is right and wrong closer to the end of the novel. The boys turn into savages, killing each other, and showing their evil inside each of them. According to, William Golding man is inherently evil, evil is in all of us, but it is oppressed by society, and comes out when there is not anything to hold us back, civilization is what holds back evil from coming out, or it is what triggers evil inside of man.
...iments of low self-regard, disgrace, and deficiency. This is the point at which the seed of retribution is planted. From an early age serial killers vent their fury, jealousy, and dismissal from an early age towards defenseless casualties, for example, creatures, as they become out of this stage they swing to vent toward honest people that look like the tormentors of their initial life. Pre-oedipal in the family unit is the thing that separates serial killers structure other physically manhandled youngsters; this is the key element to maniacal fury. Serial killers make their casualties feel what they felt as youngsters, henceforth the examples of slaughters from a little child to a grown-up. In the wake of being de-railed as kids, the enslavement of control in playing "GOD" in another person 's life is the thing that drives serial killers into an extreme force rage.
So what makes a serial killer? Levin points out that contrary to popular belief, serial killers don't just 'snap'; or 'go crazy'; (Douglas, p. 137). Many of the serial killers have been the victims of childhood abuse. Jack Levin stated 'Research shows many serial killers suffered abuse, incest or neglect as children and develop poor self images'; (Douglas, p. 137). Serial killers often have a childhood marked by the absence of any nurturing relationship. 'They often come from families where the parents were absent or ineffective, where authority was not defined, and where they could engage in destructive behavior undeterred-violent play, cruelty to animals, and incidents of arson being some of the childhood behavior patterns noted among many serial killers'; (Clark, p. 206).
It seems as though there is so much more evil than good in the world today. We hear of war and fighting 24/7 but we rarely hear about the good things that happen. Everyone is born with both good and bad within them. We, as humans, must choose which one we want to be. In The Lord of the Flies, Ralph is good while Jack is evil. Ralph represents the good side of us while Jack represents the evil side. Although sometimes it is easier to be evil, it pays off to be good. The novel is a perfect example of how all people are born with both sides. At the beginning, the boys choose the good side, with morals and civilization. But as the story moves on, the boys find it more exciting to be on the bad side. It shows that all the boys are torn between good and bad and there is a very thin line that separates both. We realize that people are born inherently good and bad because in life there are always right and wrong choices, children are born good but are easily influenced to do bad, and it is always harder to do what is right than what is wrong.