wgolding.lordoftheflies-第52部分

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t　begins　by　being　like　other　games　in　having　a　distinct　〃locality　and　duration〃　8　apart　from　ordinary　life　is…or　bees…reality。　The　spatial　separation　necessary　for　the　make…believe　of　the　game　is　represented　first　by　the　island。　In　this　new　world　the　playground　is　further　narrowed：　not　only　are　their　actions　limited　by　the　island；　but　also　the　gatherings　of　the　children　are　described　as　a　circle　at　several　points；　a　circle　from　which　Piggy　is　excluded：
　
　For　the　moment　the　boys　were　a　closed　circuit　of　sympathy　with　Piggy　outside　（18）。
　They　became　a　circle　or　boys　round　a　camp　fire　and　even　Ralph　and　Piggy　were　half…drawn　in　（67）。
　
　Piggy　approximates　the　spoilsport　who　〃robs　the　play　of　its　illusion；〃　9　who　reminds　them　of　space　and　time　outside　the　charmed　circle；　who　demands　responsibility。
　
　6。Johan　Huizinga；　Homo　Ludens　（Boston：　Beacon　Press；　1955）。　
　7。Ibid。；p。8。
　8。Ibid。；p。9。　
　9。Ibid。；p。7。
　
　The　games　of　the　beginning　of　the　novel　have　a　double　function：　they；　first　of　all；　reflect　the　child's　attitude　toward　play　as　a　temporary　cessation　from　the　activities　imposed　by　the　adult　world；　but；　like　the　games　played　before　the　formation　of　civilization；　they　anticipate　the　ritual　which　reveals　a　developing　society。　So　the　children　move　from　voluntary　play　to　ritual；　from　〃only　pretending〃　to　reality；　from　representation　or　dramatization　to　identification。　The　older　strictures　imposed　by　parents　are　soon　forgotten…but　every　now　and　then　a　momentary　remembrance　of　past　prohibitions　causes　restraint。　One　older　child　hides　in　order　to　throw　stones　at　a　younger　one。
　
　Yet　there　was　a　space　around　Henry；　perhaps　six　yards　in　diameter；　into　which　he　dare　not　throw。　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　（57）。
　
　Jack　hesitates　when；　searching　for　meat；　he　raises　his　knife　to　kill　his　first　pig。
　
　The　pause　was　only　long　enough　for　them　to　understand　what　an　enormity　the　downward　stroke　would　be。　Then　the　piglet　tore　loose　from　the　creepers　and　scurried　into　the　undergrowth。　。　。　。
　〃Why　didn't　you…？〃
　They　knew　very　well　why　he　hadn't：　because　of　the　enormity　of　the　knife　descending　and　cutting　into　living　flesh；　because　of　the　unbearable　blood　（27）。
　
　The　younger　children　first；　then　gradually　the　older　ones；　like　primitives　in　the　childhood　of　races；　begin　to　people　the　darkness　of　night　and　forest　with　spirits　and　demons　which　had　previously　appeared　only　in　their　dreams　or　fairy　tales。　Now　there　are　no　forting　mothers　to　dispel　the　terrors　of　the　unknown。　They　externalize　these　fears　into　the　figure　of　a　〃beast。〃　Once　the　word　〃beast〃　is　mentioned；　the　menace　of　the　irrational　bees　overt；　name　and　thing　bee　one。　Simply　to　mention　the　dreaded　creature　is　to　incur　its　wrath。　At　one　critical　council　when　the　first　munal　feeling　begins　to　disintegrate；　Ralph　cries；　〃If　only　they　could　send　us　something　grown…up　。。。　a　sign　or　something〃　（87）。　And　a　sign　does　e　from　the　outside。　That　night；　unknown　to　the　children；　a　plane　is　shot　down　and　its　pilot　parachutes　dead　to　earth　and　is　caught　in　the　rocks　on　the　mountain。　It　requires　no　more　than　the　darkness　of　night　together　with　the　shadows　of　the　forest　vibrating　in　the　signal　fire　to　distort　the　tangled　corpse　with　its　expanding　silk　parachute　into　a　demon　that　must　be　appeased。　Ironically；　the　fire　of　munication　does　touch　this　object　of　the　grown…up　world；　only　to　foster　superstition。　But　the　assurances　of　the　civilized　world　provided　by　the　nourishing　and　protective　parents　are　no　longer　available。　Security　in　this　new　situation　can　only　be　achieved　by　establishing　new　rules；　new　rituals　to　reassert　the　cohesive…ness　of　the　group。
　During　the　first　days　the　children；　led　by　Jack；　play　at　hunting。　But　eventually　the　circle　of　the　playground　extends　to　the　circle　of　the　hunted　and　squealing　pig　seeking　refuge　which　itself　anticipates　the　circle　of　consecrated　ground　where　the　children　perform　the　new　rites　of　the　kill。
　The　first　hunt　acplishes　its　purpose：　the　blood　of　the　animals　is　spilled；　the　meat　used　for　food。　But　because　Jack　and　his　choir　undertake　this　hunt；　they　desert　the　signal　fire；　the　case　of　which　is　dictated　by　the　mon…sense　desire　for　rescue；　it　goes　out　and　a　ship　passes　the　island。　Later　the　children　re…enact　the　killing　with　one　boy；　Maurice；　assuming　the　role　of　the　pig　running　its　frenzied　circle。　The　others　chant　in　unison：　〃Kill　the　pig。　Cut　her　throat。　Bash　her　in。〃　At　this　dramatic　representation　each　child　is　still　aware　that　this　is　a　display；　a　performance。　He　is　never　〃so　beside　himself　that　he　loses　consciousness　of　ordinary　reality。〃10　Each　time　they　re…enact　the　same　event；　however；　their　behavior　bees　more　frenzied；　more　cruel；　less　like　dramatization　or　imitation　than　identification。　The　chant　then　bees；　〃Kill　the　beast。　Cut　his　throat。　Spill　his　blood。〃　It　is　as　if　the　first　event；　the　pig's　actual　death；　is　forgotten　in　the　recesses　of　time；　it　is　as　if　it　happened　so　long　ago　that　the　children　have　lost　track　of　their　history　on　the　island；　facts　are　distorted；　a　new　myth　defines　the　primal　act。　Real　pig　bees　mythical　beast　to　children　for　whom　the　forms　of　play　have　bee　the　rituals　of　a　social　order。
　Jack's　ascendancy　over　the　group　begins　when　the　children's　fears　distort　the　natural　objects　around　them：　twigs
　
　20　Ibid。；　p。　14。
　
　bee　creepers；　shadows　bee　demons。　I　have　already　discussed　the　visual　imagery　suggesting　jack's　demonic　function。　He　serves　as　a　physical　manifestation　of　irrational　forces。　After　an　indefinite　passage　of　time；　he　appears　almost　dehumanized；　his　〃nose　only　a　few　inches　from　the　humid　earth。〃　He　is　〃dog…like〃　and　proceeds　forward　〃on　all　fours〃　into　the　〃semi…darkness　of　the　undergrowth。〃　His　cloak　and　clothing　have　been　shed。　Indeed；　except　for　a　〃pair　of　tattered　shorts　held　up　by　his　knife…belt；　he　was　naked。〃　His　eyes　seemed　〃bolting　and　nearly　mad。〃　He　has　lost　his　ability　to　municate　with　Ralph　as　he　had　on　the　first　day。　〃He　tried　to　convey　the　pulsion　to　track　down　and　kill　that　was　swallowing　him　up〃　（46）。　〃They　walked　along；　two　continents　of　experience　and　feeling；　unable　to　municate〃　（49）。　When　Jack　first　explains　to　Ralph　the　necessity　to　disguise　himself　from　the　pigs　he　wants　to　hunt；　he　rubs　his　face　with　clay　and　charcoal。　At　this　point　he　assumes　a　mask；　begins　to　dance；　is　finally　freed　from　all　the　repressions　of　his　past。　〃He　capered　toward　Bill；　and　the　mask　was　a　thing　on　its　own；　behind　which　Jack　hid；　liberated　from　shame　and　self…consciousness〃　（58）。　At　the　moment　of　the　dance　the　mask　and　Jack　are　one。　The　first　kill；　as　I　have　noted；　follows　the　desertion　of　the　signal　fire　and　the　conterminous　passage　of　a　possible　rescue　ship。　Jack；　however；　is　still　revelling　in　the　knowledge　that　they　have　〃outwitted　a　living　thing；　imposed　their　will　upon　it；　taken　away　its　life　like　a　long　and　satisfying　drink〃　（64）。　Note　that　the　pig　is　here　described　as　a　〃living　thing〃　not　as　an　animal；　only　if　there　is　equality　between　victor　and　victim　can　there　be　significance　in　the　triumph　of　one　over　the　other。　Already　he　has　begun　to　obliterate　the　distinction　between　animals　and　men；　as　do　primitives；　already　he　thinks　in　terms　of　the　metaphor　of　a　ritual　drinking　of　blood；　the　efficacy　of　which　depended　on　the　drinker's　assumption　of　his　victim's　strength　and　spirit。　Ralph　and　Piggy　confront　him　with　his　defection　of　duty；　his　failure　to　behave　like　a　responsible　member　of　Western　society。
　
　The　two　boys　faced　each　other。　There　was　the　brilliant　world　of　hunting；　tactics；　fierce　exhilaration；　skill；　and　there　was　the　world　of　longing　and　baffled　monsense。　Jack　transferred　the　knife　to　his　left　hand　and　smudged　blood　over　his　forehead　as　he　pushed　down　the　plastered　hair　（65）。
　
　Jack's　unconscious　gesture　is　a　parody　of　the　ritual　of　initiation　in　which　the　hunter's　face　is　smeared　with　the　blood　of　his　first　kill。　In　the　subsequent　struggle　one　of　the　lenses　of　Piggy's　spectacles　is　broken。　The　dominance　of　reason　is　over；　the　voice　of　the　old　world　is　stilled。　The　primary　images　are　no　longer　those　of　fire　and　light　but　those　of　darkness　and　blood。　The　initial　link　between　Ralph　and　Jack　〃had　snapped　and　fastened　elsewhere。〃
　The　rest　of　the　group；　however；　shifts　its　allegiance　to　Jack　because　he　has　given　them　meat　rather　than　something　as　useless　as　fire。　Gradually；　they　begin　to　be　described　as　〃shadows〃　or　〃masks〃　or　〃savages〃　or　〃demoniac　figures〃　and；　like　Jack；　〃hunt　naked　save　for　paint　and　a　belt。〃　Ralph　now　uses　Jack's　name　with　the　recognition　that　〃a　taboo　was　evolving　around　that　word　too。〃　Name　and　thing　again　bee　one；　to　use　the　word　is　to　incite　the　bearer；　who　is　not　here　a　transcendent　or　supernatural　creature　but　rather　a　small　boy。　But　more　significant；　the　taboo；　according　to　Freud；　is　〃a　very　primitive　prohibition　imposed　from　without　（by　an　authority）　and　directed　against　the　strongest　desires　of　man。〃　11　In　this　new　society　it　replaces　the　authority　of　the　parents；　whom　the　children　symbolically　kill　when　they　slay　the　nursing　sow。　Now　every　kill　bees　a　sexual　act；　is　a　metaphor　for　childhood　sexuality；　an　assertion　of　freedom　from　mores　they　had　been　taught　to　revere。
　
　The　afternoon　wore　on；　hazy　and　dreadful　with　damp　heat；　the　sow　staggered　her　way　ahead　of　them；　bleeding　and　mad；　and　the　hunters　followed；　wedded　to　her　in　lust；　excited　by　the　long　chase　and　the　dropped　blood。　。　。　。　The　sow　collapsed　under　them　and　they　were　heavy　and　fulfilled　upon　her　（125）。
　
　Every　subsequent　ritual　fulfills　not　only　a　desire　for　munication　and　for　a　security　to　substitute　for　that　of　civilization；　but　also　a　need　to　liberate　themselves　from　both　the　repressions　of　the　past　and　those　imposed　by　Ralph。　Indeed；　the　projection　into　a　beast　of　those　impulses　that　they　cannot　accept　in　themselves　is　the　beginning　of　a　new　mythology。　The　earlier　dreams　and　nightmares　of　individual　children　are　now　shared　in　this　mutual　creation。
　
　11。Sigmund　Freud；　Totem　and　Taboo；　The　Basic　Writings　of　Sigmund　Freud；　trans。　A。　A。　Brill　（New　York：　Modern　Library；　1938）；　p。　834。
　
　When　the　imaginary　demons　bee　define