wgolding.lordoftheflies-第48部分

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ents　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　bladder　of　her　belly　。　。　。　fringed　with　a　row　of　piglets　that　slept　or　burrowed　and　squeaked。〃　What　a　prize！　Wounded；　she　flees；　〃bleeding　and　mad〃；　〃the　hunters　followed；　wedded　to　her　in　lust；　excited　by　the　long　chase　and　the　dropped　blood。〃　The　sow　finally　falters　and　in　a　ghastly　scene　Jack　and　Roger　ecstatically　consummate　their　desires：
　
　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　downward　with　his　knife。　Roger　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　fifth　hunt；　moving　us　even　closer　to　the　unbridled　impulses　of　the　human　heart；　is　a　fine　amalgam　of　the　third　and　fourth。　This　time　Simon　is　at　the　center　of　the　hideous　circle；　yet　the　pursuit　is　no　more　make…believe　than　it　was　with　the　heavy…teated　sow。　Simon　is　murdered　not　only　without　punction　but　with　orgiastic　delight。
　The　final　and　climactic　abhorrence　is　the　hunt　for　Ralph。　Its　terror　will　not　be　celebrated　here；　suffice　it　to　say　that　one　refinement　not　present　in　the　Simon　episode　is　added　…a　stick　Roger　sharpens　at　both　ends。　It　had　indeed　been　used　for　the　sow；　with　one　point　piercing　the　earth　and　the　other　supporting　the　severed　head；　but　its　human　use　had　not　yet　been　tested　on　that　island　paradise。
　Such　being　Mr。　Golding's　art　and　conviction；　it　is　little　wonder　that　some　readers　have　judged　him　offensive；　revolting；　depravedly　sensational；　utterly　wicked。　He　has　been　impelled　to　say　that　many　human　beings；　left　unrestrainedly　to　their　own　devices；　will　find　the　most　natural　expression　of　their　desires　to　lie　in　human　head…hunting。　Those　who　affirm　that　man　is　made　in　God's　image　will　be　given　some　pause；　but　upon　reflection　they　will　probably　interpret　the　novel　as　a　portrayal　of　the　inevitable　and　ultimate　condition　of　a　world　without　grace。　Those　who　affirm　that　man　is　basically　and　inherently　good…and　being　better…may　simply　find　the　novel　a　monstrous　perpetuation　of　falsehood。
　Golding's　main　offense；　I　suppose；　is　that　he　profanes　what　many　men　hold　most　precious：　belief　that　the　human　being　is　essentially　good　and　the　child　essentially　innocent。　Yet　his　offense；　as　well　as　his　genius；　lies　not　in　any　originality　of　view　or　statement　but　in　his　startling　ability　to　make　his　story　real；　so　real　that　many　readers　can　only　draw　back　in　terror。　I　would　strongly　affirm；　however；　that　Golding's　intention　is　not　simply　to　leave　us　in　a　negative　state　of　horror。　Lard　of　the　Flies　has　a　tough　moral　and　religious　flavor；2　one　which　a　study　of　its　title　helps　make　clear。
　The　term　〃lord　of　the　flies〃　is　a　translation　of　the　Hebrew　word　〃Baalzebub〃　or　〃Beelzebub。〃　The　Baal　were　the　local　nature　gods　of　the　early　Semitic　peoples。　In　II　Kings　1：2　Baalzebub　is　named　as　the　god　of　Ekron。　All　three　Synoptic　Gospels　refer　to　Beelzebub；　in　Luke　11：15　he　is　called　〃the　chief　of　the　devils。〃　In　English　literature　among　those　who　refer　to　him　are　Christopher　Marlowe　and　Robert　Burton；　though　it　is　left　to　Milton　to　delineate　his　character　at　some　length。　Weltering　by　Satan's　side　he　is　described　as　〃One　next　himself　＇Satan＇　in　power；　and　next　in　crime；　/Long　after　known　in　Palestine；　and　nam'd　Beelzebub。〃　His　subtle　services　to　the　great　Adversary　of　mankind　are　well　known。　To　disregard　the　historical　background　of　Golding's　title3　or　the　place　of　the　Lord　of　the　Flies　within　the　novel　is　to　miss　a　good　part　of　the　author's　intent；　it　is；　indeed；　to　leave　us　with　nothing　but　horror。
　
　2。Thomas　M。　Coskren；　O。　P。；　in　〃Is　Golding　Calvinistic？〃　America；　109　（July　6；　1963）；　18…20；　also　speaks　to　this　point　at　length。　The　essay　is　reprinted　on　pp。　253…260　in　this　volume。…　Eds。
　3。　Golding　seems　to　attach　no　particular　significance　to　the　historical　Beelzebub　but　to　regard　him　as　simply　another　manifestation　or　creation　of　the　human　heart。　（See　James　Keating　and　William　Golding；　〃The　Purdue　Interview；〃　p。　192　in　this　volume。）　It　is　difficult　to　see　how　the　〃historical　background〃　for　the　title　enhances　understanding　of　Golding's　basic　fable；　although　it　certainly　figures　as　a　due　to　the　theme。…Eds。
　
　At　the　conclusion　of　the　fourth　hunt；　after　the　boys　have　hacked　the　multiparous　sow；　they　place　its　head　on　a　stick　as　a　sacrificial　offering　for　some　reputedly　mysterious　and　awesome　beast…actually　a　dead　parachutist　who　had　plummeted　to　the　ground；　now　unrecognizable　as　his　body　rises　and　falls　each　time　the　wind　fills　the　parachute　and　then　withdraws　from　it。　Meanwhile　Simon；　whose　love　for　his　panions　and　desire　to　protect　them　instill　a　courage　extraordinary；　leaves　them　to　search　out　the　darksome　creature。　He　finds　himself　confronted　by　the　primitive　offering；　by　〃the　head　grinning　amusedly　in　the　strange　daylight；　ignoring　lie　flies；　the　spilled　guts；　even　ignoring　the　indignity　of　being　spiked　on　a　stick。〃　As　he　is　impelled　to　stare　at　the　gruesome　object；　it　undergoes　a　black；　unholy　transfiguration；　he　sees　no　longer　just　a　pig's　head　on　a　stick；　his　gaze；　we　are　told；　is　〃held　by　that　ancient；　inescapable　recognition。〃　And　that　which　is　inescapably　recognized　by　Simon　is　of　primordial　root。　Its　shrewdness　and　devastation　have　long　been　chronicled：　it　is　on　center　stage　in　the　third　chapter　of　Genesis；　it　gained　the　rapt　attention　of　Hosea　and　Amos　and　the　prophets　who　followed　them。
　As　Simon　and　the　Lord　of　the　Flies　continue　to　face　each　other；　the　nature　of　the　latter　is　clearly　and　explicitly　set　forth　in　an　imaginary　conversation　which　turns　into　a　dramatic　monologue。　The　head　speaks：
　
　〃What　are　you　doing　out　here　all　alone？　Aren't　you　afraid　of　me？〃　Simon　shook。
　〃There　isn't　anyone　to　help　you。　Only　me。　And　I'm　the　Beast。〃　Simon's　mouth　labored；　brought　forth　audible　words。　〃Pig's　head　on　a　stick。〃
　〃Fancy　thinking　the　Beast　was　something　you　could　hunt　and　kill〃　said　the　head。　。　。　。　〃You　knew；　didn't　you？　I'm　part　of　you？　Close；　dose；　close！　I'm　the　reason　why　it's　no　go？　Why　things　are　what　they　are？〃
　
　A　moment　later；　the　Beast　goes　on：
　
　〃I'm　warning　you；　I'm　going　to　get　angry。　D'you　see？　You're　not　wanted。　Understand？　We　are　going　to　have
　fun　on　this　island。　Understand？　We　are　going　to　have　fun　on　this　island！　So　don't　try　it　on；　my　poor　misguided　boy；　or　else…〃
　Simon　found　he　was　looking　into　a　vast　mouth。　There　was　blackness　within；　a　blackness　that　spread。
　〃…Or　else；〃　said　the　Lord　of　the　Flies；　〃we　shall　do　you。　See？　Jack　and　Roger　and　Maurice　and　Robert　and　Bill　and　Piggy　and　Ralph。　Do　you。　See？〃
　Simon　was　inside　the　mouth。　He　fell　down