wgolding.lordoftheflies-第1部分

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　Acknowledgments
　
　A　casebook　edition　of　any　work　of　literature　is　necessarily　the　result　of　work　and　good　will　by　numerous　people。　We　are　deeply　indebted　to　the　writers　who　contributed　the　original　materials　contained　in　this　volume。　
　We　also　wish　to　thank　the　authors；　editors；　and　publishers　who　so　kindly　granted　permissions　for　use　of　the　previously　published　materials　collected　in　this　volume。　Full　acknowledgment　for　their　valuable　aid　is　printed　in　the　headnote　for　each　of　the　articles　as　well　as　original　sources　of　publication。　
　The　editors　gratefully　acknowledge　the　special　courtesies　of　William　Golding；　J。　T。　C。　　Golding；　Frank　Kermode；　Donald　R。　Spangler；　Bruce　P。　Woodford；　A。　C。　Willers　and　James　Keating。　The　Introduction　to　this　book　originally　appeared　in　the　Arizona　Quarterly。　It　is　reprinted　here　（revised）　by　permission　of　the　editor；　Albert　F。　Gegenheimer。　
　For　her　expert　aid　in　preparing　the　manuscript；　our　thanks　to　Mrs。　Paul　V。　Anderson；　and　our　special　gratitude　to　Miss　Helen　Davidson；　who　not　only　performed　routine　secretarial　duties　but　offered　advice　and　kept　spirits　buoyant　with　her　penetrating　wit。
　J。R。B。　
　A。P。Z。；　Jr。
　
　
　Foreword
　ARTHUR　P。　ZIEGLER；　JR。
　
　It　is　most　astonishing　and　lamentable　that　a　book　as　widely　read　and　frequently　used　in　the　classroom　as　William　Gelding's　Lord　of　the　Flies　has　received　so　little　analytical　attention　from　the　critics。　True；　it　has　not　been　neglected；　this　volume　attests　to　that。　But　despite　the　profusion　of　essays　by　a　number　of　well…known　and　worthy　critics；　few　close　analyses　of　Golding's　technique　can　be　found　among　them；　few　explications　of　the　workings　of　the　novel　will　be　discovered。
　Indeed；　despite　a　running　controversy　over　the　meaning　of　the　novel；　critical　articles　fall　largely　into　a　pattern　of　plot　summary　and　applause　for　the　arrangement　of　the　novel's　materials　followed　by　observations　on　Golding's　view　of　human　nature；　often　embellished　with　the　critic's　response　to　that　view。
　There　are　exceptions　…　they　will　be　found　among　the　essays　in　this　book　…　like　Claire　Rosenfield's　psychological　study　of　meaning；　Carl　Niemeyer's　parative　study　of　the　novel　and　its　antipathetic　predecessor　The　Coral　Island；　Donald　R。　Spangler's　penetrating　study　of　the　function　of　Simon；　and　William　Mueller's　discussion　of　the　use　of　the　various　hunts。
　Further　explorations　are　needed　in　many　areas；　however；　among　them　a　careful　scrutiny　of　the　opening　descriptions　of　Ralph　and　Jack　in　Chapter　One。　It　is　useful；　but　perhaps　not　very　subtle；　to　point　out　that　the　former　is　immediately　declared　the　〃fair　boy；〃　that　he；　like　the　angel　Gabriel；　sounds　a　horn　that　announces　good　news　…　that　of　survival　…　that　Jack　with　his　angular　frame；　black　cloak　and　cap；　and　red　hair　is　Lucifer…like。
　More　Biblical　parallels　must　be　developed　…　the　paradisiacal　setting；　the　symbolic　nakedness　or　near　nakedness　of　all　the　boys　except　Jack　and　his　followers　…　but　most　especially　needed　is　a　study　that　explains　items　that　do　not　ply　with　the　original　Biblical　pattern　but　that　perhaps　serve　as　tip…offs　to　the　theme　and　the　ironies　that　Golding　employs　without　fully　delineating　until　the　last　page；　for　instance　the　〃response〃　of　the　paradise　to　the　boys…　first　from　the　heat；　then　a　bird　with　an　echoed　〃witch…like　cry；〃　then　the　entangling　creepers　（more　like　the　Eden　of　Milton　than　Genesis）…together　with　the　important　information　that　Ralph；　not　Jack；　has　a　snake…clasp　belt；　that　Jack　wears　a　golden　badge。　We　have　implications　very　early　that　Golding's　view　is　not　simple；　traditionally　Christian；　or　predictable　in　spite　of　the　title；　that　it　is　a　plex　rebuttal　to　the　ever…present　faith　in　man's　potential　for　regeneration　and　redemption。　Here　is　a　fruitful　area　of　research：　do　all　these　elements　of　the　novel；　some　seemingly　inconsistent；　even　extraneous；　operate　in　unified　support　of　theme？
　Symbolism　is　one　of　the　most　puzzling　aspects　of　this　book。　The　names　of　the　four　major　characters　are　a　perplexing　illustration。　Simon；　the　mystic　of　the　group；　has　a　name　clearly　linked　with　an　Apostle　of　Christ；　the　one；　strange　to　say；　who　denied　Him　three　times。　（Simon　does　deny　the　objective　existence　of　the　beast；　but　is　this　a　parallel？）　Jack　also　has　such　a　name；　since　his　first　name　is　a　nickname　for　John；　the　announcer　of　Christ；　also　a　follower　of　Christ；　arid　his　last　name　is　Merridew；　an　echo　at　least　of　Mary。　Ralph's　name；　oddly　enough；　is　unrelated　to　the　New　Testament　and　in　fact　is　said　to　be　akin　to　the　Anglo…Saxon　Raedwulf；　〃wolf…council。〃　Piggy's　nickname　appears　even　more　incongruous　because　it　is　Simon　rather　than　Piggy　who　is　slain　as　a　substitute　pig。　The　only　instance　in　which　a　name　seems　incontestably　appropriate　is　that　of　Roger；　where　etymology　directs　us　to　the　Anglo…Saxon　Hrothgar；　〃spear…fame。〃　1
　In　The　Coral　Island　the　three　protagonists　are　named　Jack；　Ralph；　and　Peterkin　Gay。　Golding　claims　that　he　changed　the　latter　name　to　Simon　to　emphasize　his　priestly　qualities2…implying　some　intention　on　his　part　to　make　at　least　one　name　symbolic…while　another　critic　insists　that　Peterkin　is　altered　not　to　Simon　but　to　Piggy。3　But　that　is　beside　the　point。　The　central　question　is；　〃To　what　extent　do　the　names　function　symbolically？〃　Do　we　just　select　Simon　and　Roger　and；　because　inconvenient；　forget　the　others？　Or　is　there　another　more　subtle　solution？
　We　are　also　mystified　by　the　relationship　between　Lord　of　the　Flies　and　The　Coral　Island。　Before　undertaking　a　study　of　Golding's　book；　must　one　study　Ballantyne's？　To　what　degree　do　details　in　the　former　depend　upon　the　latter；　and；　more　confusing；　to　what　degree　do　both　books　contain　the　same　details　because　of　similarity　of　setting？
　No　one　has　produced　a　full…scale　synthesis　of　the　symbols　of　the　novel　either；　nor　has　anyone　prepared　a　fully　adequate　study　of　characterization。　Ralph　himself　is　an　enigma。　Does　he　represent　the　idealist　and　Piggy　the　pragmatist？　Or　the　reverse？　Why　are　Piggy　and　Jack　foes　from　the　start；　but　Ralph　and　Jack　friends　for　a　considerable　length　of　time？　Is　it　important　that　Ralph　disdains　Piggy　for　so　long？　Why　does　Ralph　the　leader　have　such　difficulties　controlling　the　littluns　even　though　they　instantly　recognize　him　as　chief　rather　than　Jack？　Why　doesn't　Ralph　establish　a　closer　bond　with　Simon？　Why　does　Golding…have　Ralph　enjoy　drawing　blood？　As　one　examines　the　novel　closely；　he　may　find　himself　confronted　with　a　highly　ambiguous　protagonist；　and　for　what　purpose？　Do　these　plications　help　or　hinder　the　operation　of　the　novel？　These　are　vital　matters　in　evaluating　it。
　One　could　add　to　this　list　of　needed　studies　indefinitely：　a　detailed　look　at　the　use　of　war　and　fighting　（they　are　important　from　the　first　page　to　the　last）；　a　discussion　of　the　relationship　of　nature　descriptions　and　events；　a　look　at　the　historical　predecessors　of　the　mountain；　and　how　they　bear　on　the　novel　（Calvary；　Sinai；　Ararat；　Olympus；　to　name　a　few　possibilities）；　the　cause　of　the　evil　（Is　it　really　〃original　sin〃？）；　and　so　on。
　Yet　in　spite　of　the　gaps　in　the　criticism；　some　mendable　studies　have　been　undertaken；　and　we　have　tried　to　assemble　the　most　useful　of　them　in　this　book。　Supplementing　them　are　two　interviews　with　Golding　in　which　he　discusses　both　his　own　conception　of　the　novel　and　related　matters。4
　Through　our　arrangement　of　and　notes　to　the　articles；　we　have　tried　to　reflect　the　intricate　texture　of　the　novel　as　illustrated　by　the　critics　and　to　point　up　areas　of　perplexity　and　disagreement。　The　bibliography　at　the　close　of　the　volume　indicates　possibilities　for　further　reading　and　study。
　
　Introduction
　JAMES　R。　BAKER
　
　Lord　of　the　Flies　offers　a　variation　upon　the　ever…popular　tale　of　island　adventure；　and　it　holds　all　of　the　excitements　mon　to　that　long　tradition。　Golding's　castaways　are　faced　with　the　usual　struggle　for　survival；　the　terrors　of　isolation；　and　a　desperate　out　finally　successful　effort　to　signal　a　passing　ship　which　will　return　them　to　the　world　they　have　lost。　This　time；　however；　the　story　is　told　against　the　background　of　an　atomic　war。　A　plane　carrying　some　English　boys；　aged　six　to　twelve；　from　the　center　of　conflict　is　shot　down　by　the　enemy　and　the　youths　are　left　without　adult　pany　on　an　unpopulated　Pacific　island。　The　environment　in　which　they　find　themselves　actually　presents　no　serious　challenge：　the　island　is　a　paradise　of　flowers　and　fruit；　fresh　water　flows　from　the　mountain；　and　the　climate　is　gentle。　In　spite　of　these　unusual　natural　advantages；　the　children　fail　miserably　and　the　adventure　ends　in　a　reversal　of　their　（and　the　reader's）　expectations。　Within　a　short　time　the　rule　of　reason　is　overthrown　and　the　survivors　regress　to　savagery。
　During　the　first　days　on　the　island　there　is　little　forewarning　of　this　eventual　collapse　of　order。　The　boys　are　delighted　with　the　prospect　of　some　real　fun　before　the　adults　e　to　fetch　them。　With　innocent　enthusiasm　they　recall　the　storybook　romances　they　have　read　and　now　expect　to　enjoy　in　reality。　Among　these　is　The　Coral　Island；　Robert　Michael　Ballantyne's　heavily　moralistic　idyll　of　castaway　boys；　written　in　1858　yet　still；　in　our　atomic　age；　a　popular　adolescent　classic　in　England。　In　Ballantyne's　tale　everything　es　off　in　exemplary　style。　For　Ralph；　Jack；　and　Peterkin　（his　charming　young　imperialists）；　mastery　of　the　natural　environment　is　an　elementary　exercise　in　Anglo…Saxon　ingenuity。　The　fierce　pirates　who　invade　the　island　are　defeated　by　sheer　moral　force；　and　the　tribe　of　cannibalistic　savages　is　easily　converted　and　reformed　by　the　example　of　Christian　conduct　afforded　them。　The　Cord　Island　is　again　mentioned　by　the　naval　officer　who　es　to　rescue　Golding's　boys　from　the　nightmare　they　have　created；　and　so　the　adventure　of　these　enfants　terribles　is　ironically　juxtaposed　with　the　spectacular　success　of　the　Victorian　darlings。2　The　effect　is　to　hold　before　us　two　radically　different　pictures　of　human　nature　and　society。　Ballantyne；　no　less　than　Golding；　is　a　fabulist　3　who　asks　us　to　believe　that　the　evolution　of　affairs　on　his　coral　island　models　or　reflects　the　adult　world；　a　world　in　which　men　are　unfailingly　reasonable；　cooperative；　loving　and　lovable。　We　are　hardly　prepared　to　accept　these　optimistic　exaggerations；　though　Ballantyne's　story　suggests　essentially　the　same　flattering　image　of　civilized　man　found　in　so　many　familiar　island　fables。　In　choosing　to　parody　and　invert　this　image　Golding　posits　a　reality　the　tradition　has　generally　denied。
　The　character　of　this　reality　is　to　be　seen　in　the　final　episode　of　Lord　of　the　Flies。　When　the　cruiser　appears　offshore；　the　boy　Ralph　is　the　one　remaining　advocate　of　reason；　but　he　has　no　more　status　than　the　wild　pigs　of　the　forest　and　is　being　hunted　down　for　the　kill。　Shocked　by　their　filth；　their　disorder；　and　the　revelation　that　there　have　been　real　casualties；　the　officer　（with　appropriate　fatherly　indignation）　expresses　his　disappointment　in　this　〃pack　of　British　boys。〃　There　is　no　basis　for　his　surprise；　for　life　on　the　island　has　only　imitated　the　larger　tragedy　in　which　the　adults　of　the　outside　world　attempted　to　govern　themselves　reasonably　but　ended　in　the　same　game　of　hunt　and　kill。　Thus；　according　to　Golding