wgolding.lordoftheflies-第43部分

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ut　like　a　bubble　as　the　children　watched；　（p。　53。）
　
　It　is　this　kind　of　sensitivity　to　language；　this　effortless　precision　of　statement　that　makes　the　novel　worth　the　most　patient　attention。　And　what　applies　to　the　island　applies　to　the　characters　also。　As　Jack　gradually　loses　his　name　so　that　at　the　end　of　the　novel　he　is　simply　the　Chief　we　feel　this　terrible　loss　of　identity　ing　over　in　his　total　inability　to　do　anything　that　is　not　instinctively　gratifying。　He　begins　to　talk　always　in　the　same　way；　to　move　with　the　same　intent。　But　this　is　in　final　terrible　stages　of　the　novel。　If　we　turn　back　to　the　beginning　of　the　novel　we　find　Mr。　Golding　catching　perfectly　a　tone　of　voice；　a　particular　rhythm　of　speech。　Ralph　is　talking　to　Piggy　shortly　after　they　have　met：
　
　〃I　could　swim　when　I　was　five。　Daddy　taught　me。　He's　a　mander　in　the　Navy。　When　he　gets　leave　he'll　e　and　rescue　us。　What's　your　father？〃
　Piggy　flushed　suddenly。
　〃My　dad's　dead；〃　he　said　quickly；　〃and　my　mum…〃
　He　took　off　his　glasses　and　looked　vainly　for　something　with　which　to　clean　them。
　〃I　used　to　live　with　my　auntie。　She　kept　a　candy　store。　I　used　to　get　ever　so　many　candies。　As　many　as　I　liked。　When'll　your　dad　rescue　us？〃
　〃Soon　as　he　can。〃　（p。　11。）
　
　Notice　how　skillfully　Mr。　Golding　has　caught　in　that　snatch　of　dialogue；　not　only　schoolboy　speech　rhythms；2　but　also；　quite　unobtrusively；　the　social　difference　between　the　two　boys。　〃What's　your　father？〃；　〃When'll　your　dad　rescue　us？〃　There　are　two　continents　of　social　experience　hinted　at　here。　I　draw　attention　to　this　passage　simply　to　show　that　in　a　trivial　instance；　in　something　that　would　never　be　quoted　in　any　account　of　〃the　importance〃　of　the　book；　it　is　the　gifts　which　are　peculiar　to　a　novelist；　〃to　make　you　hear；　to　make　you　feel　。　。　。　to　make　you　see；〃　that　are　being　displayed。
　Perhaps；　however；　we　feel　these　gifts　most　unmistakably　present　not　in　the　way　the　landscape　is　presented　to　us；　nor　the　characters；　but　rather　in　the　extraordinary　momentum　and　power　which　drives　the　whole　narrative　forward；　so　that　one　incident　leads　to　another　with　an　inevitability　which　is　awesome。　A　great　deal　of　this　power　es　from　Mr。　Golding's　careful　preparation　for　an　incident：　so　that　the　full　significance　of　a　scene　is　only　gradually　revealed。　Consider；　for　instance；　one　of　these。　Early　in　the　book　Ralph　discovers　the　nickname　of　his　panion　with　delight：
　
　〃Piggy！　Piggy！〃
　Ralph　danced　out　into　the　hot　air　of　the　beach　and　then　returned　as　a　fighter　plane；　with　wings　swept　back；　and　machine…gunned　Piggy。
　
　Time　passes；　games　give　way　to　hunting；　but　still　the　hunting　can　only　be　talked　about　in　terms　of　a　game　and　when　Jack　describes　his　first　kill；　it　takes　the　form　of　a　game：
　
　〃I　cut　the　pig's　throat…〃
　The　twins；　still　sharing　their　identical　grin；　jumped　up　and　ran　round　each　other。　Then　the　rest　joined　in；　making　pig…dying　noises　and　shouting。
　
　2。In　their　notes　for　this　edition　the　authors　define　all　of　the　schoolboy　slang　terms　that　are　likely　to　confuse　adult　readers。…　Eds。
　
　〃One　for　his　nob！〃
　〃Give　him　a　fourpenny　one！〃
　Then　Maurice　pretended　to　be　the　pig　and　ran　squealing　into　the　centre；　and　the　hunters；　circling　still；　pretended　to　beat　him。　As　they　danced；　they　sang。
　〃Kill　the　pig。　Cut　her　throat。　Bash　her　in。〃
　Ralph　watched　them；　envious　and　resentful。　Not　till　they　flagged　and　the　chant　died　away；　did　he　speak　〃I'm　calling　an　assembly。〃
　
　There　is　an　exasperation　in　Ralph's　statement　which　places　him　outside　the　game；　the　fantasy　fighter　plane　has　no　place　in　this　more　hectic　play；　the　line　between　pretense　and　reality　is　being　more　difficult　to　see。　The　first　incident　emerged　from　an　overflow　of　high　spirits；　the　second　from　the　deeper　need　to　municate　an　experience。　When　the　game　is　next　played；　the　exuberant　mood　has　evaporated。　Maurice's　place　has　been　taken　by　Robert：
　
　Jack　shouted。
　〃Make　a　ring！〃
　The　circle　moved　in　and　round。　Robert　squealed　in　mock　terror；　then　in　real　pain。
　〃Ow！　Stop　it！　You're　hurting！〃
　The　butt　end　of　a　spear　fell　on　his　back　as　he　blundered　among　them。
　〃Hold　him！〃
　They　got　his　arms　and　legs。　Ralph；　carried　away　by　a　sudden　thick　excitement；　grabbed　Eric's　spear　and　jabbed　at　Robert　with　it。
　〃Kill　him！　Kill　him！〃
　All　at　once；　Robert　was　screaming　and　struggling　with　the　strength　of　frenzy。　Jack　had　him　by　the　hair　and　was　brandishing　his　knife。　Behind　him　was　Roger；　fighting　to　get　close。　The　chant　rose　ritually；　as　at　the　last　moment　of　a　dance　or　a　hunt。
　〃Kill　the　pig！　Cut　his　throat！　Kill　the　pig！　Bash　him　in！〃
　Ralph　too　was　fighting　to　get　near；　to　get　a　handful　of　that　brown；　vulnerable　flesh。　The　desire　to　squeeze　and　hurt　was　over…mastering。
　
　The　climax　is　reached　when　the　game　turns　into　the　killing　of　Simon…the　pig；　first　mentioned　in　Ralph's　delighted　mockery　of　Piggy's　name；　made　more　real　in　the　miming　of　Maurice　and　then　in　the　hurting　of　Robert；　bees　indistinguishable　from　Simon　who　is　trampled　to　death。　This　series　of　incidents；　unobtrusive　in　any　ordinary　reading；　nevertheless　helps　to　drive　the　book　forward　with　its　jet…like　power　and　speed。　Just　before　Simon's　arrival　at　the　feast；　there　is　a　sudden　pause　and　silence；　the　game　is　suspended。　〃Roger　ceased　to　be　a　pig　and　became　a　hunter；　so　that　the　centre　of　the　ring　yawned　emptily；〃　It　is　that　final　phrase　which　crystallizes　the　emotion；　so　that　we　feel　we　are　suddenly　on　the　brink　of　tragedy　without　being　able　to　locate　it。　It　is　now；　after　the　violence；　that　the　way　is　clear　for　the　spiritual　climax　of　the　novel。　As　Simon's　body　is　carried　out　to　sea　we　are　made　aware；　in　the　writing；　of　the　significance　of　Simon's　whole　function　in　the　novel；　the　beauty　of　the　natural　world　and　its　order　hints　at　a　harmony　beyond　the　tortured　world　of　man　and　to　which　now　Simon　has　access。　And　Mr。　Golding　has　made　this　real　to　us；　not　by　asserting　some　abstract　proposition　with　which　we　may　or　may　not　agree；　but　by　〃the　power　of　the　written　word。〃
　During　the　last　part　of　this　Introduction　when　I　have　been　urging　the　importance　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　as　a　fiction；　you　may　think　that　I　am　putting　forward　some　claim　for　Mr。　Golding　as　a　stylist；　a　writer　of　fine　prose；　rather　in　the　manner　of　Oscar　Wilde　saying　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　good　books　and　bad　books；　only　well　written　and　badly　written　books。　This　is　dangerously　misleading　if　we　interpret　this　as　meaning　we　can　separate　what　is　being　said　from　how　it　is　being　said。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　we　intend　that　the　content　of　a　novel　only　〃lives〃　in　direct　relation　to　the　writer's　ability　to　municate　it　imaginatively；　then　Wilde's　remark　is　surely　true。　Ultimately；　Mr。　Golding's　book　is　valuable　to　us；　not　because　it　〃tells　us　about〃　the　darkness　of　man's　heart；　but　because　it　shows　it；　because　it　is　a　work　of　art　which　enables　us　to　enter　into　the　world　it　creates　and　live　at　the　level　of　a　deeply　perceptive　and　intelligent　man。　His　vision　bees　ours；　and　such　a　translation　should　make　us　realize　the　truth　of　Shelley's　remark　that　〃the　great　instrument　for　the　moral　good　is　the　imagination。〃
　
　
　
　
　
　An　Old　Story　Well　Told1
　WILLIAM　R。　MUELLER
　
　I
　
　Lord　of　the　Flies　uncovers　the　fallen　and　unredeemed　human　heart；　it　sketches　the　enormities　of　which　man；　unrestrained　by　human　law　and　resistant　to　divine　grace；　is　capable。　The　varying　degrees　of　goodness；　as　manifested　by　Simon；　Piggy　and　Ralph；　are　simply　no　match　for　a　murderous　Jack　or　a　head…hunting　Roger。　When　we　first　meet　the　boys；　recently　dropped　onto　an　island　after　escaping　from　their　bomb…ravaged　part　of　the　world；　they　are　still　trailing　faint　clouds　of　glory。　Even　Roger；　who　shares　with　Jack　the　most　diabolic　potentialities　of　them　all；　early　in　the　novel　manifests　a　thin　sheath　of　decency　and　restraint；　in　throwing　stones　at　one　of　the　smaller　boys　he　is　careful　to　miss；　to　leave　untouched　and　inviolate　a　small　circle　surrounding　his　teased　victim：　〃Here；　invisible　yet　strong；　was　the　taboo　of　the　old　life。　Round　the　squatting　child　was　the　protection　of　parents　and　school　and　policemen　and　the　law。　Roger's　arm　was　conditioned　by　a　civilization　that　knew　nothing　of　him　and　was　in　ruins。〃　The　novel　delineates　the　gradual　unconditioning　of　the　arm　and　the　unveiling　of　the　heart　of　Roger　and　some　of　his　panions。
　Lord　of　the　Flies　is；　of　course；　more　than　an　expository　disquisition　on　sin。　Were　it　only　that；　it　would　have　gone　virtually　unnoticed。　The　book　is　a　carefully　structured　work　of　art　whose　organization…in　terms　of　a　series　of　hunts…　serves　to　reveal　with　progressive　clarity　man's　essential　core。　There　are　six　stages；　six　hunts；　constituting　the　dark…
　
　1。This　article　is　reprinted　in　part　by　permission　of　The　Christian　Century；　80　（October　2；　1963）；　1203…06。　Copyright　（c）　1963　by　the　Christian　Century　Foundation。
　
　est　of　voyages　as　each　successive　one　takes　us　closer　to　natural　man。　To　trace　the　hunts…with　pigs　and　boys　as　victims…is　to　feel　Gelding's　full　impact。
　As　Ralph；　the　builder　of　fires　and　shelters；　is　the　main　constructive　force　on　the　island；　Jack；　the　hunter；　is　the　primary　destructive　force。　Hunting　does　of　course　provide　food；　but　it　also　gratifies　the　lust　for　blood。　In　his　first　confrontation　with　a　pig；　Jack　fails；　unable　to　plunge　his　knife　into　living　flesh；　to　bear　the　sight　of　flowing　blood；　and　unable　to　do　so　because　he　is　not　yet　far　enough　away　from　the　〃taboo　of　the　old　life。〃　But　under　the　questioning　scrutiny　of　his　panions　he　feels　a　bit　ashamed　of　his　fastidiousness；　and；　driving　his　knife　into　a　tree　trunk；　he　fiercely　vows　that　the　next　time　will　be　different。
　And　so　it　is。　Returning　from　the　second　hunt　he　proclaim；　proudly　that　he　has　cut　a　pig's　throat。　Yet　he　has　not　reached　the　point　of　savage　abandonment：　we　learn　that　he　〃twitched〃　as　he　spoke　of　his　achievement…an　involuntary　gesture　expressing　his　horror　at　the　deed　and　disclosing　the　tension　between　the　old　taboo　and　the　new　freedom。　His　reflection　upon　the　triumph；　however；　indicates　that　pangs　of　conscience　must　certainly　fade　before　the　glorious　feeling　of　new　and　devastating　power：　〃His　mind　was　crowded　with　memories；　memories　of　the　knowledge　that　had　e　to　them　when　they　closed　in　on　the　struggling　pig；　knowledge　that　they　had　outwitted　a　living　thing；　imposed　their　will　upon　it；　taken　away　its　life　like　a　long　satisfying　drink。〃
　The　third　hunt　is　unsuccessful；　the　boar　gets　away。　Nonetheless　it　plants　the　seed　of　an　atrocity　previously　undreamed；　and　it　is　followed　by　an　ominous　make…believe；　a　mock　hunt　in　which　Robert；　one　of　the　younger　boys；　plays　pig；　the　others　encircling　him　and　jabbing　with　their　spears。　The　play　bees　frenzied　with　cries　of　〃Kill　the　pig！　Cut　his　throat！　Kill　the　pig！　Bash　him　in！〃　An　almost　overwhelming　dark　desire　possesses　the　boys。　Only　a　fraction　of　the　old　taboo　now　remains；　the　terrified　Robert　emerges　alive；　but　with　a　wounded　rump。　What　is　worse；　the　make…believe　is　but　the　prelude　to　an　all　too　real　drama。
　
　II
　
　The　fourth　hunt　is　an　electrifying　success；　a　mayhem　acplished　with　no　twitch　of　conscience；　no　element　of　pretense。　The　boys　discover　a　sow　〃sunk　in　deep　maternal　bliss；〃　〃the　great　bladde