When put under the constant fear of losing complete control, people begin to see their true savage behaviour. Throughout William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, the evil on the island originates within the boys themselves, resulting in their descent into savagery. Many of the boys on the island struggle to maintain order, as they fight the internal and external conflict with humanity and savagery. The transformations of Ralph, Roger, and Jack as they turn into savages demonstrates what the evil within themselves can accomplish.
Roger's development from bully to sadist reinforces the notion of evil within him, which leads to his savage behaviour. He demonstrates this evil inside him when he taunts the littluns, stopping only because his "arm [is] conditioned by a civilization that [knows] nothing of him and [is] in ruins" (Golding 57). Roger has an extinctive disconnection from civilization, which allows him to harm others without emotion. When Roger participates in the second pig hunt, his transformation to savagery is more noticeable. As "[he runs] around the heap, [he prods] his spear whenever flesh [appears]" (Golding 125). The reader knows Roger is sadistic, and this scene in the novel shows how far that part of his personality can extend to. Through the murder of Piggy and the destruction of the conch, Roger's ties with civilization completely vanish (Golding 167). Piggy's death and the loss of the conch symbolize the disappearance of some of the last remnants of order. .
Through his sadistic behavior and ravenous thirst for blood, Roger validates the evil within him. All Ralph wants is order on the island and a taste of civilization. When the boys first arrive on the island, Piggy and him discover the conch in the lagoon. The way the conch is used, for authority of speech, symbolizes order and civilization (Golding 29). Ralph's need for order on the island is evident at this time.
