“ | Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever. Below him, Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat. (. . .) High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. | „ |
~ Roger's dehumanization as he prepares to unleash the boulder. |
Roger is the secondary antagonist of William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, and the 1963 and 1990 film adaptations. Initially a choir boy, he serves as Jack Merridew's right hand and torturer, taking sadistic pleasure in maiming and killing those who disobey the "law of the jungle".
He was portrayed by Roger Elwin in the 1963 film adaptation, and by Gary Rule in the 1990 film adaptation.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
- Despite only being a kid, his actions are taken seriously at most times.
- Raping and murdering pigs primarily for his own enjoyment.
- Mistaking Simon for the Beast and inadvertently murdering him (along with several other boys). However, he shows no remorse for his murder, unlike Ralph and Piggy.
- Murdering Piggy by levering a rock to strike him.
- Torturing Samneric and several other boys.
- Attempting to kill Ralph and his gang.
- He is the most cruel and evil antagonist in this novel, even more than Jack Merridew. Jack is insecure and hurts others primarily to show that he is in power, while Roger is purely sadistic and goes very far with his actions (i.e. raping pigs for his entertainment instead of simply killing them for food and killing Piggy for no reason except sadism).
- While he does maintain a good relationship with Jack Merridew and his gang, nothing in the novel or movie adaptations really do anything to show that he truly cares for the other, and likely only follows him out of pragmatism.
- While he mostly assists Jack in his plans, Roger manages to stand out due to his worst actions being done individually of the other's orders.
Trivia[]
- At the end of the novel, it is stated that the boys felt remorse for what they did and what they have become. It is unknown if Roger was one of these boys or if he simply did not say anything and did not show any remorse (though the latter is more likely).
External Links[]
- Roger on the Villains Wiki
- Roger on the Lord of the Flies Wiki
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Pure Evils | ||
Live-Action Films See Also |