Two separate illustrations of an animal head and a fire on a mountain

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

Start Free Trial

Editor's Choice

What evidence shows Roger is part of the choir boys in Lord of the Flies?

Quick answer:

Roger is part of the choir boys in Lord of the Flies as implied by his introduction alongside other choir members like Maurice and Simon. When Ralph calls an assembly, Roger is described as a "slight, furtive boy" who is grouped with the choir boys, suggesting his inclusion in Jack's choir. Although not explicitly stated, the context and grouping with other choir members indicate Roger's choir affiliation.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

When Ralph initially calls an assembly, Jack and his group of choir boys ominously traverse the beach in their dark cloaks and square hats as they walk towards the platform. When the group of choir boys arrives at the platform, Ralph explains that they are in the process of taking everyone's name and Golding writes that Maurice is the choir boy next in size to Jack. Golding then writes,

"There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. He muttered that his name was Roger and was silent again" (27).

Golding then continues to name more of the choir boys by mentioning Bill, Robert, Harold, Henry, and Simon . While Golding does not explicitly say that Roger is a choir boy, he implies this fact by including him among the names of Jack's choir. It is also...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

figurative when Golding writes that nobody "knew" Roger, which is another way of saying that the choir boys don't realize his true, wicked personality. Roger is a sadist who keeps to himself and remains aloof. The other boys do not comprehend his genuine, evil nature, and he is not portrayed as a charismatic boy. They do technically know him because he is their fellow choir boy, but they do not understand him on a personal level.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

To me, there is one big piece of evidence that makes me think that Roger is one of Jack Merridew's choir boys.

Look at the rest of the passage that you cite -- the one where it says that no one knows him.  If you look at that paragraph, it seems that all of the people giving their names in that paragraph are choir boys.  It does not say it explicitly, but Maurice is one, and then later in the paragraph Simon is one.  He is the one that fainted.  So that clearly implies that he is one of them.

I think that saying no one knows him doesn't mean they don't know who he is.  I think it just means he's not good friends with anyone.

I also think of him as one of Jack's people because he is so evil.  But I probably shouldn't because Simon wasn't evil...

Approved by eNotes Editorial