wgolding.lordoftheflies-第41部分

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　How　romantically　it　starts！　Several　bunches　of　boys　are　being　evacuated　during　a　war。　Their　plane　is　shot　down；　but　the　〃tube〃　in　which　they　are　packed　is　released；　falls　on　an　island；　and　having　peppered　them　over　the　jungle　slides　into　the　sea。　None　of　them　are　hurt；　and　presently　they　collect　and　prepare　to　have　a　high　old　time。　A　most　improbable　start　But　Mr。　Golding's　magic　is　already　at　work　and　he　persuades　us　to　accept　it。　And　though　the　situation　is　improbable　the　boys　are　not。　He　understands　them　thoroughly；　partly　through　innate　sympathy；　partly　because　he　has　spent　much　of　his　Me　teaching。　He　makes　us　feel　at　once　that　we　are　with　real　human　beings；　even　if　they　are　small　ones；　and　thus　lays　a　solid　foundation　for　the　horrors　to　e。
　Meet　three　boys。
　Ralph　is　aged　a　little　over　twelve。　He　is　fair　and　well　built；　might　grow　into　a　boxer　but　never　into　a　devil；　for　he
　
　1。　Mr。　Forster's　Introduction　appears　in　Lord　of　the　Flies；　New　York：　Coward…McCann；　Inc。；　1962。　It　is　reprinted　here　by　permission　of　the　publisher。
　
　is　sunny　and　decent；　sensible；　considerate。　He　doesn't　understand　a　lot；　but　has　two　things　clear：　firstly；　they　will　soon　be　rescued…why；　his　daddy　is　in　the　Navy！…and　secondly；　until　they　are　rescued　they　must　hang　together。　It　is　he　who　finds　the　conch　and　arranges　that　when　there　is　a　meeting　he　who　holds　the　conch　shall　speak。　He　is　chosen　as　leader。　He　is　democracy。　And　as　long　as　the　conch　remains；　there　is　some　semblance　of　cooperation。　But　it　gets　smashed。
　Meet　Piggy。
　Piggy　is　stout；　asthmatic；　shortsighted；　underprivileged　and　wise。　He　is　the　brains　of　the　party。　It　is　the　lenses　of　his　spectacles　that　kindle　fire。　He　also　possesses　the　wisdom　of　the　heart。　He　is　loyal　to　Ralph；　and　tries　to　stop　him　from　making　mistakes；　for　he　knows　where　mistakes　may　lead　to　in　an　unknown　island。　He　knows　that　nothing　is　safe；　nothing　is　neatly　ticketed。　He　is　the　human　spirit；　aware　that　the　universe　has　not　been　created　for　his　convenience；2　and　doing　the　best　he　can。　And　as　long　as　he　survives　there　is　some　semblance　of　intelligence。　But　he　too　gets　smashed。　He　hurtles　through　the　air　under　a　rock　dislodged　by　savages。　His　skull　cracks　and　his　brains　spill　out。
　Meet　Jack。
　Jack　is　head　of　a　choir…a　bizarre　assignment　considering　his　destiny。　He　marches　them　two　and　two　up　the　sundrenched　beach。　He　loves　adventure；　excitement；　foraging　in　groups；　orders　when　issued　by　himself；　and　though　he　does　not　yet　know　it　and　shrinks　from　it　the　first　time；　he　loves　shedding　blood。　Ralph　he　rather　likes；　and　the　liking　is　mutual。　Piggy　he　despises　and　insults。　He　is　dictatorship　versus　democracy。　It　is　possible　to　read　the　book　at　a　political　level；　and　to　see　in　its　tragic　trend　the　tragedy　of　our　inter…war　world。　There　is　no　doubt　as　to　whose　side　the　author　is　on　here。　He　is　on　Ralph's。　But　if　one　shifts　the
　
　2。While　there　is　no　question　as　to　Piggy's　intelligence；　one　must　not　overestimate　the　range　of　his　awareness。　His　physical　deficiencies　suggest　the　weakness　in　his　point　of　view。　Piggy　denies　the　existence　of　the　beast　and　insists　that　〃life　is　scientific〃；　even　after　the　triumph　of　the　hunters；　he　expects　to　enter　Jack's　fortress　and　reason　with　him　for　return　or　the　bifocals。　Like　all　of　Golding's　rationalists；　Piggy　has　a　one…dimensional　view　of　human　nature：　he　fails　to　perceive　〃the　darkness　of　man's　heart。〃…Eds。
　
　vision　to　a　still　deeper　level…the　psychological…he　is　on　the　side　of　Piggy。　Piggy　knows　that　things　mayn't　go　well　because　he　knows　what　boys　are；　and　he　knows　that　the　island；　for　all　its　apparent　friendliness；　is　equivocal。
　The　hideous　accidents　that　promote　the　reversion　to　savagery　fill　most　of　the　book；　and　the　reader　must　be　left　to　endure　them…and　also　to　embrace　them；　for　somehow　or　other　they　are　entangled　with　beauty。　The　greatness　of　the　vision　transcends　what　is　visible。　At　the　close；　when　the　boys　are　duly　rescued　by　the　trim　British　cruiser；　we　find　ourselves　on　their　side。　We　have　shared　their　experience　and　resent　the　smug　cheeriness　of　their　rescuers。　The　naval　officer　is　a　bit　disappointed　with　what　he　finds…everyone　filthy　dirty；　swollen　bellies；　faces　daubed　with　clay；　two　missing　at　least　and　the　island　afire。　It　ought　to　have　been　more　like　Coral　Island；　he　suggests。
　
　Ralph　looked　at　him　dumbly。　For　a　moment　he　had　a　fleeting　picture　of　the　strange　glamour　that　had　once　invested　the　beaches。　But　the　island　was　scorched　up　like　dead　wood…Simon　was　dead…and　Jack　had　。　；　。　The　tears　began　to　flow　and　sobs　shook　him。　He　gave　himself　up　to　them　now　for　the　first　time　on　the　island；　great；　shuddering　spasms　of　grief　that　seemed　to　wrench　his　whole　body。　His　voice　rose　under　the　black　smoke　before　the　burning　wreckage　of　the　island；　and　infected　by　that　emotion；　the　other　little　boys　began　to　shake　and　sob　too。　And　in　the　middle　of　them；　with　filthy　body；　matted　hair；　and　unwiped　nose；　Ralph　wept　for　the　end　of　innocence；　the　darkness　of　man's　heart；　and　the　fall　through　the　air　of　the　true；　wise　friend　called　Piggy。
　
　This　passage…so　pathetic…is　also　revealing。　Phrases　like　〃the　end　of　innocence〃　and　〃the　darkness　of　man's　heart〃　show　us　the　author's　attitude　more　clearly　than　has　appeared　hitherto。　He　believes　in　the　Fall　of　Man　and　perhaps　in　Original　Sin。　Or　if　he　does　not　exactly　believe；　he　fears；　the　same　fear　infects　his　second　novel；　a　difficult　and　profound　work　called　The　Inheritors。　Here　the　innocent　（the　boys　as　it　were）　are　Neanderthal　Man；　and　the　corrupters　are　Homo　Sapiens；　our　own　ancestors；　who　eat　other　animals；　discover　intoxicants；　and　destroy。　Similar　notions　occur　in　his　other　novels。
　Thus　his　attitude　approaches　the　Christian：　we　are　all　born　in　sin；　or　will　all　lapse　into　it。　But　he　does　not　plete　the　Christian　attitude；　for　the　reason　that　he　never　introduces　the　idea　of　a　Redeemer。　When　a　deity　does　appear；　he　is　the　Lord　of　the　Flies；　Beelzebub；　and　he　sends　a　messenger　to　prepare　his　way　before　him。
　The　approach　of　doom　is　gradual。　When　the　little　boys　land　they　are　delighted　to　find　that　there　are　no　grown…ups　about。　Ralph　stands　on　his　head　with　joy；　and　led　by　him　they　have　a　short　period　of　happiness。　Soon　problems　arise；　work　has　to　be　assigned　and　executed；　and　Ralph　now　feels　〃we　must　make　a　good　job　of　this；　as　grown…ups　would；　we　mustn't　let　them　down。〃　Problems　increase　and　bee　terrifying。　In　his　desperation　the　child　cries；　〃If　only　they　could　get　a　message　to　us；　if　only　they　could　send　us　something　grown…up　。。。　a　sign　or　something。〃　And　they　do。　They　send　something　grown…up。　A　dead　parachutist　floats　down　from　the　upper　air；　where　they　have　been　killing　each　other；　is　carried　this　way　and　that　by　the　gentle　winds；　and　hooks　onto　the　top　of　the　island。
　This　is　not　the　end　of　the　horrors。　But　it　is　the　supreme　irony。　And　it　remains　with　us　when　the　breezy　rescuers　arrive　at　the　close　and　wonder　why　a　better　show　wasn't　put　up。
　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　a　very　serious　book　which　has　to　be　introduced　seriously。　The　danger　of　such　an　introduction　is　that　it　may　suggest　that　the　book　is　stodgy。　It　is　not。　It　is　written　with　taste　and　liveliness；　the　talk　is　natural；　the　descriptions　of　scenery　enchanting。　It　is　certainly　not　a　forting　book。　But　it　may　help　a　few　grown…ups　to　be　less　placent　and　more　passionate；　to　support　Ralph；　respect　Piggy；　control　Jack　and　lighten　a　little　the　darkness　of　man's　heart。　At　the　present　moment　（if　I　may　speak　personally）　it　is　respect　for　Piggy　that　seems　needed　most　I　do　not　find　it　in　our　leaders。
　
　King's　College　
　Cambridge　May　14；　
　1962
　
　
　
　
　
　Simon1
　DONALD　R。　SPANGLER
　
　IN　Lord　of　the　Flies　the　character　Simon　has　about　him　a　general　aura　of　saintliness。　Critics　have　suggested　that　Simon　is　a　Christ　figure。　And　William　Golding；　on　the　artist's　part；　has　said　that　he　intended　to　present　a　Christ　figure　in　the　novel；　intimating　that　Simon　is　the　character　he　meant　so　to　present。2　Accordingly；　it　might　be　of　value　to　examine　what　textual　evidence　there　is　to　document　the　function　of　Simon　as　a　Christ　or　〃saint〃　in　Lord　of　the　Flies。
　Even　before　identified　by　name　Simon　is　introduced　as　the　choir　boy　who　had　fainted；　an　oblique　bit　of　characterization　that；　in　retrospect；　is　seen　to　have　impressed　upon　the　reader　the　hallucinatory；　and　hence；　mystical…religious　proclivities　of　a　boy　who　is　subject　to　〃spells。〃　His　name；　when　we　are　given　it；　reveals　in　its　etymology　the　distinguishing　〃attunedness〃　of　the　mystic…Simon；　〃the　hearkening。〃　And　the　Mother　Goose　appellative；　simple；　hints　of　the　〃holy　idiot〃　folk…type。
　Simon　is　skinny；　a　trait　that；　in　a　child；　suggests　the　adult　correlative　of　ascetic　self…abnegation。　A　〃vivid　little　boy；〃　his　face　〃glows；〃　radiant　after　the　manner　of　nimbus　and　halo。　Jungle　buds　rejected　by　the　others　because　inedible；　Simon's　religious　imagination　sees　as　〃candles。〃　（The　buds　open　at　night　into　aromatic　white　flowers；　whose　scent…　incense…prayer…and　color…white…innocence…confirm　the　value　that　he　singularly　had　sensed　them　to　have。）3　And
　
　1。　This　article　was　written　for　this　volume。
　2。James　Keating；　〃Interview　with　William　Golding；〃　May　10；　1962。　See　p。　192　in　this　volume。
　3。The　buds　also　appear　in　Ballantyne's　The　Coral　Island；　but　significant　here　is　the　rejection　of　them　by　everyone　but　Simon。
　
　when　the　lethargic　Piggy　fails　to　help　gather　fire　wood；　Simon　defends　him　to　the　others　by　observing　that　the　fire　had　been　started　with　Piggy's　glasses；　that　Piggy　had　〃helped　that　way；〃　a　ratiocination　on　Simon's　part　the　casuistry　of　which　is　surely　offset　by　its　overriding　passion。
　In　the　scene　in　which　Simon　〃suffers　the　little　children　to　e　unto　him；〃　Golding's　description　unmistakably　evokes　the　Biblical　accounts　of　Christ　amid　the　bread…hungry　masses：
　
　Then；　amid　the　roar　of　bees　in　the　afternoon　sunlight；　Simon　found　for　them　the　fruit　they　could　not　reach；　pulled　off　the　choicest　from　up　in　the　foliage；　passed　them　back　down　to　the　endless；　outstretched　hands。　When　he　had　satisfied　them　he　paused　and　looked　round。
　
　In　this　passage　and　elsewhere　Simon's　abstinence　from　eating　meat　contributes　to　the　impression　of　his　saintliness；　particularly　since　the　no