wgolding.lordoftheflies-第50部分

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；　driving　Id　whose　only　function　seems　to　be　to　insure　the　survival　of　the　host　in　which　it　is　embedded　or　embodied；　which　function　it　performs　with　tremendous　and　single…minded　tenacity。　Although　it　is　possible　to　find　other　names　for　this　force；　the　modern　picture　of　the　personality；　whether　drawn　by　theologians　or　psychoanalysts；　inevitably　includes　this　force　or　psychic　structure　as　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　Natural　Man。　The　tenets　of　civilization；　the　moral　and　social　codes；　the　Ego；　the　intelligence　itself；　form　only　a　veneer　over　this　white…hot　power；　this　uncontrollable　force；　〃the　fury　and　the　mire　of　human　veins。〃　Dostoievsky　found　salvation　in　this　freedom；　although　he　found　damnation　in　it　also。　Yeats　found　in　it　the　only　source　of　creative　genius　（〃Whatever　flames　upon　the　night；/　Man's　own　resinous　heart　has　fed。〃）。　Conrad　was　appalled　by　this　〃heart　of　darkness；〃　and　existentialists　find　in　the　denial　of　this　freedom　the　source　of　perversion　of　all　human　values。　Indeed　one　could；　if　one　were　so　minded；　go　through　the　entire　canon　of　modern　literature；　philosophy　and　psychology　and　find　this　great　basic　drive　defined　as　underlying　the　most　fundamental　conclusions　of　modern　thought。
　The　emergence　of　this　concealed；　basic　wildness　is　the　theme　of　the　book；　the　struggle　between　Ralph；　the　representative　of　civilization　with　his　parliaments　and　his　brain　trust　（Piggy；　the　intellectual　whose　shattering　spectacles　mark　the　progressive　decay　of　rational　influence　as　the　story　progresses）；　and　Jack；　in　whom　the　spark　of　wildness　burns　hotter　and　closer　to　the　surface　than　in　Ralph　and　who　is　the　leader　of　the　forces　of　anarchy　on　the　island；　is　also；　of　course；　the　struggle　in　modern　society　between　those　same　forces　translated　onto　a　worldwide　scale。　The　central　incident　of　the　book；　and　the　turning　point　in　the　struggle　between　Ralph　and　Jack；　is　the　killing　of　the　sow　on　pp。　123…127）。　The　sow　is　a　mother：　〃sunk　in　deep　maternal　bliss　lay　the　largest　sow　of　the　lot　。。。　the　great　bladder　of　her　belly　was　fringed　with　a　row　of　piglets　that　slept　or　burrowed　and　squeaked。〃　The　killing　of　the　sow　is　acplished　in　terms　of　sexual　intercourse。
　
　They　were　just　behind　her　when　she　staggered　into　an　open　space　where　bright　flowers　grew　and　butterflies　danced　around　each　other　and　the　air　was　hot　and　still。
　Here；　struck　down　by　the　heat；　the　sow　fell　and　the　hunters　hurled　themselves　at　her。　This　dreadful　eruption　from　an　unknown　world　made　her　frantic；　she　squealed　and　bucked　and　the　air　was　full　of　sweat　and　noise　and　blood　and　terror。　Roger　ran　round　the　heap；　prodding　with　his　spear　whenever　pigflesh　appeared。　Jack　was　on　top　of　the　sow；　stabbing　downwards　with　his　knife。　Roger　＇a　natural　sadist；　who　bees　the　〃official〃　torturer　and　executioner　for　the　tribe＇　found　a　lodgment　for　his　point　and　began　to　push　till　he　was　leaning　with　his　whole　weight。　The　spear　moved　forward　inch　by　inch；　and　the　terrified　squealing　became　a　high…pitched　scream。　Then　Jack　found　the　throat　and　the　hot　blood　spouted　over　his　hands。　The　sow　collapsed　under　them　and　they　were　heavy　and　fulfilled　upon　her。　The　butterflies　still　danced；　preoccupied　in　the　center　of　the　clearing。
　
　The　entire　incident　is　a　horrid　parody　of　an　Oedipal　wedding　night　and　these　emotions；　the　sensations　aroused　by　murder　and　death；　and　the　overpowering　and　unaccustomed　emotions　of　sexual　love　experienced　by　the　half…grown　boys；　release　the　forces　of　death　and　the　devil　on　the　island。3
　The　pig's　head　is　cut　off；　a　stick　is　sharpened　at　both　ends　and　〃jammed　in　a　crack〃　in　the　earth。　（The　death　planned　for　Ralph　at　the　end　of　the　book　involves　a　stick　sharpened　at　both　ends。）　The　pig's　head　is　impaled　on　the　stick；　〃。。。　the　head　hung　there；　a　little　blood　dribbling　down　the　stick。　Instinctively　the　boys　drew　back　too；　and
　
　3。　The　reader　will　wish　to　pare　Epstein's　psychoanalytic　interpretation　with　Claire　Rosenfield‘s　〃Men　of　a　Smaller　Growth；〃　reprinted　on　pp。　261…276。…Eds。
　
　the　forest　was　very　still。　They　listened；　and　the　loudest　noise　was　the　buzzing　of　flies　over　the　spilled　guts。〃　Jack　offers　this　grotesque　trophy　to　〃the　Beast；〃　the　terrible　animal　that　the　littler　children　had　been　dreaming　of；　and　which　seems　to　be　lurking　on　the　island　wherever　they　were　not　looking。　After　this　occurs　the　most　deeply　symbolic　incident　in　the　book；　the　〃interview〃　of　Simon；　an　embryo　mystic；　with　the　head。　The　head　seems　to　be　saying；　to　Simon's　heightened　perceptions；　that　〃Everything　is　a　bad　business。　。　。　。　The　half…shut　eyes　were　dim　with　the　infinite　cynicism　of　adult　life。〃　Simon　fights　with　all　his　feeble　power　against　the　message　of　the　head；　against　the　〃ancient；　inescapable　recognition。〃　The　recognition　against　which　he　struggles　is　the　revelation　to　him　of　human　capacities　for　evil　and　the　superficial　nature　of　human　moral　systems。　It　is　the　knowledge　of　the　end　of　innocence；　for　which　Ralph　is　to　weep　at　the　close　of　the　book。　The　pigs　head　seems　to　threaten　Simon　with　death　and　reveals　that　it　is　〃the　Beast。〃　〃　'Fancy　thinking　the　Beast　was　something　you　could　hunt　and　kill！'　said　the　head。　For　a　moment　or　two　the　forest　and　all　the　other　dimly　appreciated　places　echoed　the　parody　of　laughter。　'You　knew；　didn't　you？　I'm　part　of　you？　Close；　close；　close！　I'm　the　reason　why　it's　no　go？　Why　things　are　what　they　are？'　〃
　At　the　end　of　this　fantastic　scene　Simon　imagines　he　is　looking　into　a　vast　mouth。　〃There　was　blackness　within；　blackness　that　spread　。　。　。　Simon　was　inside　the　mouth。　He　fell　down　and　lost　consciousness。〃　This　mouth；4　the　symbol　of　ravenous；　unreasoning　and　eternally　insatiable　nature；　appears　again　in　Pincher　Martin；　in　which　the　development　of　the　theme　of　a　Nature　inimical　to　the　conscious　personality　of　man　is　developed　in　a　stunning　fashion。　In　Lord　of　the　Flies；　however；　only　the　outline　of　a　philosophy　is　sketched　and　the　boys　of　the　island　are　figures　in　a　parable　or　fable　which　like　all　parables　or　fables　contains　an　inherent　tension　between　the　innocent；　time…passing；　storytelling　aspect　of　its　surface　and　the　great；　〃dimly　appreciated〃　depths　of　its　interior。
　
　4。Cf。　Conrad's　〃Heart　of　Darkness〃：　〃I　saw　＇the　dying　Kurtz＇　open　his　mouth　wide…it　gave　him　a　weirdly　voracious　aspect；　as　though　he　wanted　to　swallow　all　the　air；　all　the　earth；　all　the　men　before　him。〃　Indeed　Golding　seems　very　dose　to　Conrad；　both　in　basic　principles　and　in　artistic　method。
　
　
　Lord　of　the　Campus1
　
　BACK　in　England　last　week　after　a　year　in　the　U。　S。；　British　Author　William　Golding　recalled　his　interrogation　by　American　college　students。　〃The　question　most　asked　was；　'Is　there　any　hope　for　humanity？'　I　very　dutifully　said　'yes。'　〃　Golding's　credentials　for　being　asked　such　a　monumental　query…and　for　answering　it…rest　on　one　acplishment：　his　Lord　of　the　Flies；　a　grim　parable　that　holds　out　precious　little　hope　for　humanity；　and　is　the　most　influential　novel　among　U。　S。　undergraduates　since　'Salinger's　Catcher　in　the　Rye。2
　When　Lord　of　the　Flies　was　first　published　in　the　U。　S。　in　1955；　it　sold　only　2；383　copies；　and　quickly　went　out　of　print。　But　British　enthusiasm　for　it　has　been　gradually　exported　to　Ivy　League　English　departments；　and　demand　for　the　book　is　now　high。　The　paperback　edition；　published　in　1959；　has　already　sold　more　than　65；000　copies。　At　the　Columbia　University　bookstore；　it　outsells　Salinger。
　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　required　reading　at　a　hundred　U。　S。　colleges；　is　on　the　list　of　suggested　summer　reading　for　freshmen　entering　colleges　from　Occidental　to　Williams。　At　Harvard　it　is　remended　for　a　social…relations　course　on　〃interpersonal　behavior。〃
　An　M。　I。　T。　minister　uses　it　for　a　discussion　group　on　original　sin。　At　Yale　and　Princeton…where　Salinger；　like　the　three…button　suit；　has　lost　some　of　his　mystique　as　he
　
　1。The　following　article　is　reprinted　by　permission　from　Time　The　Weekly　Newsmagazine；　copyright　（c）　Time　Inc。　1962。　See　〃Lord　of　the　Campus；〃　Time；　LXXIX　（June　22；　1982）；　84。
　2。See　Golding's　remarks　on　Salinger's　novel　in　the　interview　by　Douglas　M。　Davis；　〃A　Conversation　with　Golding；〃　New　Republic；　148　（May　4；　1963）；　28…30。…Eds。
　
　bees　adopted　by　the　outlanders…the　in…group　popularity　of　Golding's　book　is　creeping　up。　At　Smith；　where　Lord　of　the　Flies　runs　a　close　second　in　sales　to　Salinger's　Franny　and　Zooey；　1；000　girls　turned　out　for　a　lecture　by　Golding。　The　reception　was　the　same　at　the　thirty　campuses　Golding　visited　during　his　year　as　a　rarely　writer…in…residence　at　Virginia's　Hollins　College。3
　
　CREATING　THEIR　OWN　MISERY。　The　British　schoolboys　in　Lord　of　the　Flies　are　a　fe。w　years　younger　than　Salinger's　Holden　Caulfield…they　are　six　to　twelve…but　are　not　self…pitying　innocents　in　a　world　made　miserable　by　adults。　They　create　their　own　world；　their　own　misery。　Deposited　unhurt　on　a　deserted　coral　island　by　a　plane　during　an　atomic　war；　they　form　the　responsible　vacation…land　democracy　that　their　heritage　calls　for；　and　it　gradually　degenerates　into　anarchy；　barbarism　and　murder。　When　adult　rescue　finally　es；　they　are　a　tribe　of　screaming　painted　savages　hunting　down　their　elected　leader　to　tear　him　apart。　The　British　naval　officer　who　finds　them　says；　〃I　should　have　thought　that　a　pack　of　British　boys　would　have　been　able　to　put　up　a　better　show　than　that。〃　Then　he　goes　back　to　his　own　war。
　Says　Golding：　〃The　theme　is　an　attempt　to　trace　the　defects　of　society　back　to　the　defects　of　human　nature。　Before　the　war；　most　Europeans　believed　that　man　could　be　perfected　by　perfecting　society。　We　all　saw　a　hell　of　a　lot　in　the　war　that　can't　be　accounted　for　except　on　the　basis　of　original　evil。〃
　
　〃PEOPLE　I　KNEW　IN　CAMP。〃　What　accounts　for　the　appeal？　Part　of　it　is；　of　course；　pure　identification。　A　Harvard　undergraduate　says　the　book　〃rounds　up　all　the　people　I　knew　in　camp　when　I　was　a　counselor。〃　On　another　level；　Golding　believes　students　〃seem　to　have　it　in　for　the　whole　world　of　organization。　They're　very　cynical。　And　here　was　someone　who　was　not　making　excuses　for　society。　It　was
　
　3。　See　Golding's　series　of　four　articles　on　his　visit　to　the　United　States。　〃Touch　of　Insomnia；〃　Spectator；　207　（October　27；　1961）；　569…70；　〃Glass　Door；〃　Spectator；　207　（November　24；　1961）；　732…33；　〃Body　and　Soul；〃　Spectator；　208　（January　19；　1962）；　65…66；　〃Gradus　ad　Parnassum；〃　Spectator；　208　（September　7；　1962）；　327…519。…Eds。
　
　new　to　find　someone　who　believes　in　original　sin。〃　The　prickly　belief　in　original　sin　is　not　Golding's　only　unfashionable　stand。　Under　questioning　by　undergraduates；　he　cheerfully　admitted　he　has　read　〃absolutely　no　Freud〃4　（he　prefers　Greek　plays　in　the　original）　and　said　there　are　no　girls　on　the　island　because　he　does　not　believe　that　〃sex　has　anything　to　do　with　humanity　at　this　level。〃
　At　51；　bearded；　scholarly　William　Golding　claims　to　have　been　writing　for　44　years…through　childhood　in　Cornwall；　Oxford；　wartime　duty　as　a　naval　officer；　and　19　years　as　a　schoolmaster。　Golding　claims　to　be　an　optimist…emotionally　if　not　intellectually…and　has　a　humor　that　belies　the　gloomy　themes　of　his　allegories。　One　critical　appraisal　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　that　impressed　him　came　from　an　English　schoolboy　who　went　to　an　island　near　Puerto　Rico　last　year