Hunter McKeon

Lord of the Flies essay

English 10H

Jack vs Roger comparison paper

Karen Marie Moning once said, Some people are bad and struggle
every day to keep it under control. Others are corrupt to the core and dont
give a damn, as long as they dont get caught. But evil is a completely
different creature. Evil is bad that believes its good. She believed that there
are different levels of people making bad decisions, and that some people try
to control it while others embrace it. Throughout history we can see the
difference in men who are bad or corrupt and their joy doesnt come from
hurting other people like Bernie Madoff, and men who are truly evil and enjoy
harming others like Adolph Hitler. In the book, Lord of the Flies, Golding
shows us two people who exemplify this difference in Jack and Roger.
Although they are both savages on the island, Jack has become corrupt from
the power he has obtained on the island and enjoys being chief and hunting;
whereas, Roger is Jacks number two so he has power, but he finds his joy in
hurting the other boys. Therefore, Jack and Roger are similar in that they are
both savage, but differ in how they embrace their inner darkness and how
the other boys view them.
Jack and Roger are both savages but they dont embrace their
savagery and deal with their actions the same way. When Samneric are
captured by Jacks tribe, Jack begins to poke them with a spear asking them
questions but not getting any answers, and then we get to see Rogers truly
evil side. Thats not the way Samneric lay looking up in quiet terror. Roger

Hunter McKeon

Lord of the Flies essay

English 10H

advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority. (Golding, 182)

We see that Jack hurt the boys a little to get information, and Roger moved
Jack aside because he had an opportunity to hurt other boys which pleases
Roger which shows that he is truly evil unlike Jack who hurts other for power
not fun. Jack believes he can't kill the pigs because they can see him, so he
tries to camouflage his face. the mask was a thing on its own, behind
which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness. (Golding, 64)
Although Jack made the mask to make it easier to hunt a pig, it becomes a
way for Jack to hide from his evil actions. When Ralph and Piggy are climbing
up Castle Rock to get back Piggy's specs from Jack they encounter savages
guarding the castle. Ralph bent back his head and glimpsed Rogers dark
face at the top. (175, Golding) Roger does not wear a mask because he
does not want to hide his actions because he isnt ashamed by them. This
symbolism that Golding uses with the boys all wearing mask to hide their
actions except Roger leads us to the conclusion that he is truly evil and
accepts it. From these examples, we can see that both boys are completely
savage, but Jack still has a conscious which is why he wears a mask to hide
his actions; but, Roger accepts the evil within him so he doesnt wear a
mask, and he enjoys hurting the boys which makes him truly evil unlike Jack
who is just corrupt.
Jack and Ralph do the same, savage things on the island because they
both succumb to the darkness within them, but the way they do them
changes the way the other boys view them. After Jack's tribe has built their

Hunter McKeon

Lord of the Flies essay

English 10H

fort on Castle Rock, Roger is climbing up and Robert challenges him. Roger: "
You couldnt stop me coming if I wanted" Robert: "couldnt I?" (Golding, 159)
Jack had set up a defense where the boy keeping guard could drop a Boulder
onto any intruders. "He's a proper chief isn't he?"(Golding, 159) Roger and
Robert both admire Jack and respect him as a leader, even though he has
made corrupt decisions because he has manipulated them. We get to see a
different view on Jack seen in chapter 11. After Jack takes piggy's specs,
Ralph, Piggy, and Samneric go up to Castle Rock to retrieve Piggy's specs.
When they get to the top Ralph and Jack get into an argument. Jack: "Who's
a thief?" Ralph: You are!" Jack wrenched free and swung at Ralph with his
spear." (Golding, 177) Ralph sees Jack as a thief, and doesn't have any
respect for him, or his hunting, but doesnt seem his as evil even though he
is against him. From this we can see that there are different opinions of Jack
from opposing sides, but no one thinks of him as evil; however, with Roger
both sides see him as evil. After the boys kill Piggy and drive Ralph away
Roger comes down from the fort. Jack: "Why aren't you on watch?" Roger: I
just came down-" The hangman's horror clung round him." (Golding, 182)
Golding uses specific connotation calling Roger a hangman which is a symbol
of evil, from which we can imply that Jack sees Roger as evil. Another
example of the boys seeing Roger as evil comes in chapter 12. After being
driven from Castle Rock, Ralph returns to talk to Samneric. They tell him
about Roger and Jack, " You dont know Roger. He's a terror." And the chiefthey're both-" "-terrors-" "-only Roger-" ( Golding, 189) The boys are scared

Hunter McKeon

Lord of the Flies essay

English 10H

of both boys, but the way they talk about Roger shows that he must've done
something terrible to them unlike Jack who just poked them. Roger didn't
have to torture the boys, but he did for fun which is why the boys see him as
more evil and terrifying than Jack. Because of Roger's actions and
motivations behind them, which is pure enjoyment of hurting other boys, the
boys view him as pure evil; whereas, with Jack the boys are scared of him,
but they see that he does what he does for power, and not for pleasure
which is why they view Jack as corrupt not evil.
It is true that Jack commits horrible and selfish acts, but he does so to
gain power or clear his conscience. On the other hand Roger commits
horrendous acts not for power, but because he finds pleasure in hurting the
boys. Also the fact that Jack wears a mask to free himself from guilt, but
Roger doesn't because he isn't ashamed by his actions, shows a difference in
the boys. It shows that Jack, who performs terrible deeds and is very selfish
still has a conscience and doesnt find joy from hurting the boys; but, Roger
who performs detestable actions, embraces it and actually enjoys hurting the
other boys which is what makes him truly evil unlike Jack who is just a
corrupt savage.