wgolding.lordoftheflies-第53节

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　During　the　last　part　of　this　Introduction　when　I　have　been　urging　the　importance　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　as　a　fiction；　you　may　think　that　I　am　putting　forward　some　claim　for　Mr。　Golding　as　a　stylist；　a　writer　of　fine　prose；　rather　in　the　manner　of　Oscar　Wilde　saying　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　good　books　and　bad　books；　only　well　written　and　badly　written　books。　This　is　dangerously　misleading　if　we　interpret　this　as　meaning　we　can　separate　what　is　being　said　from　how　it　is　being　said。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　we　intend　that　the　content　of　a　novel　only　〃lives〃　in　direct　relation　to　the　writer's　ability　to　municate　it　imaginatively；　then　Wilde's　remark　is　surely　true。　Ultimately；　Mr。　Golding's　book　is　valuable　to　us；　not　because　it　〃tells　us　about〃　the　darkness　of　man's　heart；　but　because　it　shows　it；　because　it　is　a　work　of　art　which　enables　us　to　enter　into　the　world　it　creates　and　live　at　the　level　of　a　deeply　perceptive　and　intelligent　man。　His　vision　bees　ours；　and　such　a　translation　should　make　us　realize　the　truth　of　Shelley's　remark　that　〃the　great　instrument　for　the　moral　good　is　the　imagination。〃
　
　
　
　
　
　An　Old　Story　Well　Told1
　WILLIAM　R。　MUELLER
　
　I
　
　Lord　of　the　Flies　uncovers　the　fallen　and　unredeemed　human　heart；　it　sketches　the　enormities　of　which　man；　unrestrained　by　human　law　and　resistant　to　divine　grace；　is　capable。　The　varying　degrees　of　goodness；　as　manifested　by　Simon；　Piggy　and　Ralph；　are　simply　no　match　for　a　murderous　Jack　or　a　head…hunting　Roger。　When　we　first　meet　the　boys；　recently　dropped　onto　an　island　after　escaping　from　their　bomb…ravaged　part　of　the　world；　they　are　still　trailing　faint　clouds　of　glory。　Even　Roger；　who　shares　with　Jack　the　most　diabolic　potentialities　of　them　all；　early　in　the　novel　manifests　a　thin　sheath　of　decency　and　restraint；　in　throwing　stones　at　one　of　the　smaller　boys　he　is　careful　to　miss；　to　leave　untouched　and　inviolate　a　small　circle　surrounding　his　teased　victim：　〃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。　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；　inde