wgolding.lordoftheflies-第59节
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death； he walks away as if in a trance and stumbles upon a pig's head left in the sand in order to appease the demonic presence the children's terror has created。 Shaman…like； he holds a silent and imaginary colloquy with it； a severed head covered with innumerable flies。 It is itself the titled Lord of the Flies； a name applied to the Biblical demon Beelzebub and later used in Goethe's Faust；
12。 Ibid。； p。 834。
Part 1； to describe Mephistopheles。13 From it he learns that it is the Beast； and the Beast cannot be hunted because it dwells within each child。 Simon feels the advent of one of his fits。 His visual as well as his auditory perception bees distorted； the head of the pig seems to expand； an anticipation or intuition of the discovery of the pilot's corpse； whose expanding parachute causes the equally distorted perceptions of normal though frightened children。 Suddenly Golding employs a startling image； 〃Simon was inside the mouth。 He fell down and lost consciousness〃 （133）。 Laterally； this image presents the hallucination of a sensitive child about to lose control of his rational faculties。 Such illusions； or auras； frequently attend the onset of an epileptic seizure。 Mythologically and symbolically； it recalls the quest in which the hero is swallowed by a serpent or dragon or beast whose belly represents the underworld； undergoes a ritual death in order to win the elixer to revitalize his stricken society； and returns with his knowledge to the timed world as a redeemer。 So Christ； after his descent to the grave and to Hell； returns to redeem mankind from his fallen state。 Psychologically； this figure of speech connoting the descent into the darkness of death represents the annihilation of the individual ego； an internal journey necessary for self…understanding； a return from the timelessness of the unconscious。 When Simon wakes from his symbolic death； he suddenly realizes that he must confront the beast on the mountain because 〃what else is there to do？〃 Earlier he had been unable to express himself or give advice。 Now he is relieved of 〃that dreadful feeling of the pressure of personality。〃 When he discovers the corrupted corpse hanging from the rock； he first frees it in passion though it is surrounded by flies； and then staggers unevenly down to report to the others。 He attempts to assume a munal role from which his strangeness and nervous seizures formerly isolated him。 Redeemer and scapegoat； he bees the victim of the group he seeks to enlighten。 In death… before he is pulled into the sea…the flies which have moved to his head from the bloodstained pig and from the deposing body of the man are replaced by the phosphorescent creatures of the deep。 Halo…like； these 〃moonbeam…bodied creatures〃 attend the seer who has been denied into the
13。Ibid。
formlessness and freedom of the ocean。 〃Softly； surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures； itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations； Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea〃 （142）。14
Piggy's death； soon to follow Simon's； is foreshadowed when the former proclaims at council that there is no beast； 〃 'What would a beast eat？' 〃 〃 'Pig。' 〃 〃 'We eat pig；' 〃 he rationally answers。 〃 'Piggy' 〃 （77） is the emotional response； resulting in a juxtaposition of words which imply Piggy's role and Golding's meaning。 At Piggy's death his body twitches 〃like a pig's after it has been killed。〃 Not only has his head been smashed； but also the conch； symbol of order； is simultaneously broken。 A plex group of metaphors unite to form a total metaphor involving Piggy and the pig； hunted and eaten by the children； and the pig's head which is at once left to appease the beast's hunger and is the beast itself。 But the beast is within； and the children are defined by the very objects they seek to destroy。
In these associated images we have the whole idea of a munal and sacrificial feast and a symbolic cannibalism； all of which Freud discussed in Totem and Taboo。 Here the psychology of the individual contributes the configurations for the development of religion。 Indeed； the events of Lord of the Flies imaginatively parallel the patterns which Freud detects in primitive mental processes。
Having populated the outside world with demons and spirits which are projections of their instinctual nature； these children…and primitive men…must then unconsciously evolve new forms of worship and laws； which manifest themselves in taboos； the oldest form of social repression。 With the exception of the first kill…in which the children still imagine they are playing at hunting…the subsequent deaths assume a ritual form； the pig is eaten munally by all and the head is left for the 〃beast；〃 whose role consists in sharing the feast。 This is much like the 〃public ceremony〃 15 described by Freud in which the sacri…
14。The reader will find it worthwhile to pare Donald R。 Spangler's 〃Simon；〃 reprinted on pp。 211…215 in this volume； with Professor Rosenfield's view of Simon。…Eds。
15。There are further affinities to Sartre's Les Mouches。
fice of an animal provided food for the god and his worshipers。 The plex relationships within the novel between the 〃beast；〃 the pigs which are sacrificed； the children whose asocial impulses are externalized in the beast…this has already been discussed。 So we see that； as Freud points out； the 〃sacrificing munity； its god ＇the 'beast'＇； and the sacrificial animal are of the same blood；〃 16 members of a clan。 The pig； then； may be regarded as a totem animal； an 〃ancestor； a tutelary spirit and protector〃；17 it is； in any case； a part of every child。 The taboo or prohibition against eating particular parts of the totem animal coincides with the children's failure to eat the head of the pig。 It is that portion which is set aside for the 〃beast。〃 Just as Freud describes the primitive feast； so the children's festive meal is acpanied by a frenzied ritual in which they temporarily release their forbidden impulses and represent the kill。 To consume the pig and to re…enact the event is not only to assert a 〃mon identity〃 18 but also to share a 〃mon responsibility〃 for the deed。 By this means the children assuage the enormity of having killed a living thing。 None of the boys is excluded from the feast。 The later ritual； in which Simon； as a human substitute identified with the totem； is killed； is in this novel not an unconscious attempt to share the responsibility for the killing of a primal father in prehistoric times； as Freud states； rather； it is here a social act in which the participants celebrate their new society by memorating their severance from the authority or the civilized state。 Because of the juxtaposition of Piggy and pig； the eating of pig at the munal feast might be regarded as the symbolic cannibalism by which the children physically partake of the qualities of the slain and share responsibility for their crime。 （It must be remembered that； although Piggy on a symbolic level represents the light of reason and the authority of the father； as a human being he shares that bestiality and irrationality which to Golding dominate all men； even the most rational or civilized。）
In the final action； Ralph is outlawed by the children and hunted like an animal。 One boy； Roger； sharpens a stick at
16。 Totem and Taboo； p。 878。
17。 Ibid。； p。 808；
18。 Ibid。； p。 914。
both ends so that it will be ready to receive the severed head of the boy as if he were a pig。 Jack keeps his society together because it； like the brother horde of William Robertson Smith19 and Freud； 〃is based on plicity in the mon crimes。〃20 All share the guilt of having killed Simon； of hunting Ralph down。 In his flight Ralph； seeing the grinning skull of a pig； thinks of it as a toy and remembers the early days on the island when all were united in play。 In the play world； the world of day； the world of the novel's opening； he has bee a 〃spoilsport〃 like Piggy； in the world based upon primitive rites and taboos； the night world where fears bee demons and sleep is like death； he is the heretic or outcast； the rejected god。 This final hunt； after the conch is broken； is the pursuit of the figure representing civilized law and order； it is the law and order of a primitive culture。 Finally； Jack； through misuse of the dead Piggy's glasses； accidentally sets the island on fire。 A passing cruiser； seeing the fire； lands to find only a dirty group of sobbing little boys。 〃 'Fun and games；' said the officer。 。 。 。 'What have you been doing？ Having a war or something？' 〃 （185）。
But are all the meanings of the novel as clear as they seem？ To restrict it to an imaginative re…creation of Freud's theory that children are little savages； that no child is innocent whatever popular Christian theology would have us believe； is to limit its significance for the adult world。 To say that the 〃beasts〃 we fear are within； that man is essentially irrational…or； to place a moral judgment on the irrational； that man is evil…that； again； is too easy。 In this forced isolation of a group of children； Golding is making a statement about the world they have left…a world that we are told is 〃in ruins。〃 According to Huizinga's theory of play； war is a
