wgolding.lordoftheflies-第51部分

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　often。　In　a　later　novel；　The　Inheritors；　Golding　places　the　following　ironic　words　in　the　mouth　of　one　character：　〃People　understand　each　other。〃　Lord　of　the　Flies　answers：　〃Perhaps；　but　not　well　enough。〃
　
　
　
　
　
　〃Men　of　a　Smaller　Growth〃：
　A　Psychological　Analysis
　of　William　Golding's
　Lord　of　the　Flies1
　CLAIRE　ROSENFIELD
　
　When　an　author　consciously　dramatizes　Freudian　theory…　and　dramatizes　it　successfully…only　the　imaginative　recreation　of　human　behavior　rather　than　the　structure　of　ideas　is　apparent。　In　analyzing　William　Golding's　Lord　of　the　Flies；　the　critic　should　assume　that　Golding　knows　psychological　literature；2　and　must　then　attempt　to　show　now　an　author's　knowledge　of　theory　can　vitalize　his　prose　and　characterization。　The　plot　itself　is　unplicated；　so　simple；　indeed；　that　one　wonders　how　it　so　effortlessly　absorbs　the　burden　of　meaning。　During　some　unexplained　man…made　holocaust　a　plane；　evacuating　a　group　of　children；　crashes　on　the　shore　of　a　tropical　island。　All　adults　are　conveniently　killed。　The　narrative　follows　the　children's　gradual　return　to　the　amorality　of　childhood；　a　non…innocence　which　makes　them　small　savages。　Or　we　might　make　the　analogy　to　the　childhood　of　races　and　pare　the　child
　
　1。This　essay　appeared　in　Literature　and　Psychology；　11　（Autumn；　1961）；　93…101；　and　is　reprinted　in　a　revised　version　here　by　permission　of　the　author　and　the　editor；　Leonard　F。　Manheim。
　2。Note　Golding's　ment　that　he　has　read　〃absolutely　no　Freud〃　in　〃Lord　of　the　Campus；〃　Time；　LXXIX　（June　22；　1962）；　64。　Reprinted　in　this　volume；　p。　285。…Eds。
　
　to　the　primitive。　Denied　the　sustaining　and　repressing　authority　of　parents；　church；　and　state；　the　boys　form　a　new　culture；　the　development　of　which　reflects　that　of　the　genuine　primitive　society；　evolving　its　gods　and　demons；　its　rituals　and　taboos；　its　whole　social　structure。　On　the　level　of　pure　narrative；　the　action　proceeds　from　the　gradual　struggle　between　Ralph　and　Jack；　the　two　oldest　boys；　for　precedence。　Consistent　clusters　of　imagery　imply　that　one　boy　is　godlike；　the　other　satanic…thus　making　a　symbolic　level　of　meaning　by　transforming　narrative　events　into　an　allegorical　struggle　between　the　forces　of　Good　and　those　of　Evil。　Ralph　is　the　natural　leader　by　virtue　of　his　superior　height；　his　superior　strength；　his　superior　beauty。　His　mild　expression　proclaims　him　〃no　devil。〃　He　possesses　the　symbol　of　authority；　the　conch；　or　sea　shell；　which　the　children　use　to　assemble　their　miniature　councils。　Golding　writes；　〃The　being　that　had　blown　。　。　。　＇the　conch＇　had　sat　waiting　for　them　on　the　platform　with　the　delicate　thing　balanced　on　his　knees；　was　set　apart。〃　Jack；　on　the　other　hand。　is　described　in　pletely　antithetical　terms；　he　is　distinguished　by　his　ugliness　and　his　red　hair；　a　traditional　demonic　attribute。　He　first　appears　as　the　leader　of　a　church　choir；　which　〃creature…like〃　marches　in　two　columns　behind　him。　All　members　of　the　choir　wear　black；　〃their　bodies；　from　throat　to　ankle；　were　hidden　by　black　cloaks。〃　3　Ralph　initially　blows　the　conch　to　discover　how　many　children　have　escaped　death　in　the　plane　crash。　As　Jack　approaches　with　his　choir　from　the　〃darkness　of　the　forest；〃　he　cannot　see　Ralph；　whose　back　is　to　the　sun。　The　former　is；　symbolically；　sun…blinded。　These　two　are　very　obviously　intended　to　recall　God　and　the　Devil；　whose　confrontation；　in　the　history　of　Western　religions；　establishes　the　moral　basis　for　all　actions。　But；　as　Freud　reminds　us；　〃metaphysics〃　bees　〃metapsychology〃；4　gods　and　devils　are　〃nothing　other　than　processes　projected　into　the　outer　world。〃　5　If　Ralph　is　a　projection　of　man's　good　impulses　from　which　we　derive　the　authority　figures…whether　god；　king；　or　father
　
　3。P。　16。　All　page　references　are　to　this　edition　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　and　will　hereafter　be　noted　in　parentheses　in　the　text。
　4。Sigmund　Freud；　The　Psychopathology　of　Everyday　Life；　as　quoted　by　Ernest　Jones；　The　Life　and　Work　of　Sigmund　Freud　（New　York：　Basic　Books；　1957）；　III；　53。
　5。　Ibid。
　
　…who　establish　the　necessity　for　our　valid　ethical　and　social　action；　then　Jack　bees　an　externalization　of　the　evil　instinctual　forces　of　the　unconscious；　the　allegorical　has　bee　the　psychological。
　The　temptation　is　to　regard　the　island　on　which　the　children　are　marooned　as　a　kind　of　Eden；　uncorrupted　and　Eve…less。　But　the　actions　of　the　children　negate　any　romantic　assumptions　about　childhood　innocence。　Even　though　Golding　himself　momentarily　bees　a　victim　of　his　Western　culture　and　states　at　the　end　that　Ralph　wept　for　the　〃end　of　innocence；〃　events　have　simply　supported　Freud's　conclusion　that　no　child　is　innocent。　On　a　fourth　level；　Ralph　is　every　man…or　every　child…and　his　body　bees　the　battleground　where　reason　and　instinct　struggle；　each　to　assert　itself。　For　to　regard　Ralph　and　Jack　as　Good　and　Evil；　as　I　do　in　the　previous　paragraph；　is　to　ignore　the　role　of　the　child　Piggy；　who　in　the　child's　world　of　make…believe　is　the　outsider。　Piggy's　posite　description　not　only　manifests　his　difference　from　the　other　boys；　it　also　reminds　the　reader　of　the　stereotype　image　of　the　old　man　who　has　more…than…human　wisdom：　he　is　fat；　inactive　because　asthmatic；　and　generally　reveals　a　disinclination　for　physical　labor。　Because　he　is　extremely　near…sighted；　he　wears　thick　glasses…　a　further　mark　of　his　difference。　As　time　passes；　the　hair　of　the　other　boys　grows　with　abandon。　〃He　was　the　only　boy　on　the　island　whose　hair　never　seemed　to　grow。　The　rest　were　shock…headed；　but　Piggy's　hair　still　lay　in　wisps　over　his　head　as　though　baldness　were　his　natural　state；　and　this　imperfect　covering　would　soon　go；　like　the　velvet　on　a　young　stag's　antlers〃　（59）。　In　these　images　of　age　and　authority　we　have　a　figure　reminiscent　of　the　children's　past　…　the　father。　Moreover；　like　the　father　he　counsels　mon　sense；　he　alone　leavens　with　a　reasonable　gravity　the　constant　exuberance　of　the　others　for　play　or　for　play　at　hunting。　When　they　scamper　off　at　every　vague　whim；　he　scornfully　ments；　〃　Like　a　pack　of　kids。　〃　Ungrammatically　but　logically　he　tries　to　allay　the　〃littluns''　fear　of　a　〃beast〃　〃Life　is　scientific；　that's　what　it　is。　。。。　I　know　there　isn't　no　beast…not　with　claws　and　all　that；　I　mean…but　I　know　there　isn't　no　fear；　either'〃　（77）。　He　has　excessive　regard　for　the　forms　of　order：　the　conch　must　be　held　by　a　child　before　that　child　can　speak　at　councils。　When　the　others　neglect　responsibility；　fail　to　build　shelters；　swim　in　the　pools　or　play　in　the　sand　or　hunt；　allow　the　signal　fire　on　the　mountain　to　go　out　or　get　out　of　hand　and　burn　up　half　the　island；　he　seconds　Ralph　by　admonishing　the　others　vigorously　and　bees　more　and　more　of　a　spoilsport　who　robs　play　of　its　illusions；　like　the　adult　who　interrupts　the　game。　Ralph　alone　recognizes　Piggy's　superior　intelligence；　but　wavers　between　what　he　knows　to　be　wise　and　the　group　acceptance　his　egocentricity　demands。　Finally；　Piggy's　role…as　man's　reasoning　faculties　and　as　a　father…derives　some　of　its　plexity　from　the　fact　that　the　fire　which　the　children　foster　and　guard　on　the　mountain　in　the　hope　of　municating　with　the　adult　world　is　lighted　with　his　glasses。　In　classical　mythology；　after　all；　fire　brought　civilization…and；　hence；　repression…to　man。　As　the　hold　of　civilization　weakens；　the　new　munity　bees　more　and　more　irrational；　and　its　irrationality　is　marked　by　Piggy's　progressive　blindness。　An　accident　following　an　argument　between　Ralph　and　Jack　causes　one　of　the　lenses　of　Piggy's　glasses　to　break。　When　the　final　breach　between　the　two　occurs　and　Piggy　supports　Ralph；　his　remaining　lens　is　stolen　in　a　night　raid　by　Jack。　This　is　a　parody　of　the　traditional　fire　theft；　which　was　to　provide　light　and　warmth　for　mankind。　After　this　event　Piggy　must　be　led　by　Ralph；　When　he　is　making　his　final　plea　for　his　glasses…reasoned　as　always…he　is　struck　on　the　head　by　a　rock　and　fails。　〃Piggy　fell　forty　feet　and　landed　on　his　back　on　that　square；　red　rock　in　the　sea。　His　head　opened　and　stuff　came　out　and　turned　red。　Piggy's　arms　and　legs　twitched　a　bit；　like　a　pig's　after　it　has　been　killed〃　（167）。　What　Golding　emphasizes　here　is　the　plete　animality　to　which　Piggy　is　reduced；　His　mind　is　destroyed；　his　body　is　subject　to　motor　responses　alone；　he　is　〃like　a　pig　after　it　has　been　killed。〃
　The　history　of　the　child　Piggy　on　the　island　dramatizes　in　terms　of　the　individual　the　history　of　the　entire　group。　When　they　first　assemble　to　investigate　their　plight；　they　treat　their　island　isolation　as　a　temporary　phenomenon。　They　are；　after　all；　still　children；　wanting　only　to　play　games　until　they　are　interrupted　by　the　action　of　parents；　until　the　decisions　of　their　elders　take　them　from　make…believe　to　the　actuality　of　school　or　food　or　sleep；　until　they　are　rescued；　as　it　were；　from　〃play。〃　This　microcosm　of　the　great　world　seems　to　them　to　be　a　fairy　land。
　
　A　kind　of　glamour　was　spread　over　them　and　the　scene　and　they　were　conscious　of　the　glamour　and　made　happy　by　it　（22）。
　The　coral　was　scribbled　in　the　sea　as　though　a　giant　had　bent　down　to　reproduce　the　shape　of　the　island　in　a　flowing；　chalk　line　but　tired　before　he　had　finished　（25）。
　〃This　is　real　exploring；〃　said　Jack。　〃I'll　bet　nobody's　been　here　before〃　（23）。
　Echoes　and　birds　flew；　white　and　pink　dust　floated；　the　forest　further　down　shook　as　with　the　passage　of　an　enraged　monster：　and　then　the　island　was　still　（24）。
　
　They　pare　this　reality　which　as　yet　they　do　not　accept　as　reality　to　their　reading　experiences：　it　is　Treasure　Island　or　Coral　Island　or　like　pictures　from　their　travel　books。　This　initial　reaction　reaffirms　the　pattern　of　play　which　Johan　Huizinga　establishes　in　Homo　Ludens6　In　its　early　stages　their　play　has　no　cultural　or　moral　function；　it　is　simply　a　〃stepping　out　of　real　life　into　a　temporary　sphere　of　activity。〃　7　Ironically；　the　child　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　who　thinks　he　is　〃only　pretending〃　or　that　this　is　〃only　for　fun〃　does　not　realize　that　his　play　is　the　beginning　of　the　formation　of　a　new　society　which　has　regressed　to　a　primitive　state；　with　all　its　emphasis　upon　taboo　and　munal　action。　What　begins　by　being　like　other　games　in　having　a　distinct　〃locality　and　duration〃　8　apart　from　ordinar