wgolding.lordoftheflies-第44节
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wing what sort of prints he's leaving behind him； is nothing like the truth。
3pare the following remarks with Donald R。 Spangler's essay 〃Simon〃 on pp。 211…215 in this volume。…Eds。
KERMODE： Well； I don't think it's necessary to state it quite so extremely。 What I had in mind here was simply that Simon in fact is ing down from the top of the hill where he's seen the dead body of the parachutist； in order to tell the other people that all is well。 He's not embracing his faith which is to be killed by the other people； he thinks he's going to put them right。
GOLDING： Ah； well； that's again a question of scale； isn't ft？ The point was that out of all the people on that island who would ascend the mountain； Simon was the one who saw it was the thing to do； and actually did it； nobody else dared。 That is embracing your fate； you see。
KERMODE： Ah； yes； without really any sense that what will happen in the end is that he shall bee the beast； which is what he does。
COLDINC： No； he doesn't bee the beast； he bees the beast in other people's opinions。
KERMODE： He bees the beast in the text also： 〃The beast was on its knees in the centre； its arms folded over its face。〃 Of course； you're here reporting what the boys in their orgiastic fury thought Simon was； but I should have said that that way of reporting allows a certain ambiguity of interpretation here； which you cannot； in fact； deny us。
GOLDING： I thought of it myself originally； I think； as a metaphor…the kind of metaphor of existence if you like； and the dead body on the mountain I thought of as being history； as the past。 There's a point a couple of chapters before where these children on the island have got themselves into a hell of a mess； they're…it's the things that have crawled out of their own bones and their own veins； they don't know whether it's a beast from sky； air or where it's ing but there's something terrible about it as one of the conditions of existence。
At the moment when they're all most anguished they say； 〃If only grown…ups could get a sign to us； if only they could tell us what's what〃…and what happens is that a dead man es out of the sky。 Now that is not God being dead； as some people have said； that is history。 He's dead； but he won't lie clown。 All that we can give our children is to pass on to them this distressing business of a United States of Europe； which won't work； because we all grin at each other across borders and so on and so forth。 And if you turn round to your parents and say 〃Please help me；〃 they are really part of the old structure； the old system； the old world； which ought to be good but at the moment is making the world and the air more and more radioactive。
KERMODE： I find it's extraordinarily interesting to think of that explanation in connection with the Ballantyne4 treatment of the same theme。 I don't know whether you would like to say just how far and how ironically we ought to treat this connection。
COLDING： Well； I think； fairly deeply； but again； not ironically in the bad sense； but in almost a passionate sense。 You see； really； I'm getting at myself in this。 What I'm saying to myself is； 〃Don't be such a fool； you remember when you were a boy； a small boy； how you lived on that island with Ralph and Jack and Peterkin〃 5 （who is Simon； by the way； Simon called Peter； you see。 It was worked out very carefully in every possible way； this novel）。 I said to myself finally； 〃Now you are grown up； you are adult； it's taken you a long time to bee adult； but now you've got there you can see that people are not like that； they would not behave like that if they were God…fearing English gentlemen； and they went to an island like that。〃 Their savagery would not be found in natives on an island。 As like as not they would find savages who were kindly and unplicated and that the devil would rise out of the intellectual plications of the three white men on the island itself。 It is really a pretty big connection ＇with Ballantyne＇。
KERMODE： In fact it's a kind of black mass version of Ballantyne； isn't it？
GOLDING： Well； I don't really think I ought to accept that。 But I think I see what you mean。 No； no； I disagree with ft entirely； I think it is in fact a realistic view of the Ballantyne situation。
4。R。 M。 Ballantyne's The Coral Island was published in 1857 in England。 See Carl Niemeyer's 〃The Coral Island Revisited；〃 College English； 22 （January； 1961）； 241…245。 Reprinted in this volume on pp。 217…223。…Eds。
5。Characters in The Coral Island。…Eds。
The Novels of William Golding＇
FRANK KERMODE
Lord of the Flies has 〃a pretty big connection〃 with Ballantyne。2 In The Cored Island Ralph； Jack and Peterkin are cast away on a desert island； where they live active； civilised； and civilising lives。 Practical difficulties are easily surmounted； they light fires with bowstrings and spy…glasses； hunt pigs for food； and kill them with much ease and a total absence of guilt…indeed of bloodshed。 （They are all Britons…a term they use to pliment each other…all brave； obedient and honourable。） There is much useful information conveyed concerning tropical islands； including field…workers' reporting of the conduct of cannibals： but anthropology is something nasty that clears up on the arrival of a missionary； and Jack himself prevents an act of cannibalism by telling the flatnoses not to be such blockheads and presenting them with six newly slaughtered pigs。 The parallel between the island and the Earthly Paradise causes a trace of literary sophistication： 〃Meat and drink on the same tree！ My dear boys； we're set up for life； it must be the ancient paradise…hurrah！ 。 。 。 We afterwards found； however； that these lovely islands were very unlike Paradise in many things。〃 But these 〃things〃 are non…Christian natives and； later； pirates； the boys themselves are
1。This selection is taken from a longer essay that appeared in the International Literary Annual； III （1961）； 11…29； and is reprinted by permission of John Calder Limited。
2。 The relationship of R。 M。 Ballantyne's novel The Coral Island to Lord of the Flies is taken up by Carl Niemeyer； 〃The Coral Island Revisited；〃 reprinted on pp。 217…223 in this volume。 See also the Foreword to this volume。…Eds。
cleanly （cold baths remended） and godly…regenerate； empire…building boys； who know by instinct how to turn paradise into a British protectorate。
The Coral Island could be used as a document in the history of ideas； it belongs inseparably to the period when boys were sent out of Arnoldian schools certified free of Original Sin。 Golding takes Ralph； Jack and Peterkin （altering this name to Simon 〃called Peter〃）3 and studies them against an altered moral landscape。 He is a schoolmaster； and knows boys well enough to make their collapse into savagery plausible； to see them as cannibals； the authority of the grown…ups is all there is to prevent savagery。 If you dropped these boys into an Earthly Paradise 〃they would not behave like God…fearing English gentlemen〃 but 〃as like as not 。 。 。 find savages who were kindly and unplicated。 。 。 。 The devil would rise out of the intellectual plications of the three white men。〃 Golding leaves the noble savages out of Lord of the Flies； but this remark is worth quoting because it states the intellectual position in its basic simplicity。 It is the civilised who are corrupt； out of phase with natural rhythm。 Their guilt is the price of evolutionary success； and our awareness of this fact can be understood by duplicating Ballantyne's situation； borrowing his island； and letting his theme develop in this new and more substantial context。 Once more every prospect pleases； but the vileness proceeds； not from cannibals； but from the boys； though Man is not so much vile as 〃heroic and sick。〃 Unlike Ballantyne's boys； these are dirty and inefficient； they have some notion of order； symbolised by the beautiful conch which heralds formal meetings； but when uncongenial effort is required to maintain it； order disappears。 The shelters are inadequate； the signal fire goes out at the very moment when Jack first succeeds in killing a pig。 Intelligence fades； irrational taboos and blood rituals make hopeless the task of the practical but partial intellect of Piggy； his glasses； the firemakers； are smashed and stolen； and in the end he himself is broken to pieces as he holds the conch。 When civilised conditioning fades…how tedious Piggy's appeal to what adults might do or think！…the children are capable of neither savage nor civil gentleness。 Always a
3。 It is interesting to ask why Golding changed the name。 See the Foreword to this volume。…EDS。
little nearer to raw humanity than adults； they slip into a condition of animality depraved by mind； into the cruelty of hunters with their devil…liturgies and torture： they make an unnecessary； evil fortress； they steal； they abandon all operations aimed at restoring them to civility。 Evil is the natural product of their consciousness。 First； the smallest boys create； a beastie； a snake…〃as if it wasn't a good island。〃 Then a beast is created in good earnest； and defined in a wonderful narrative sequence。 The emblem of this evil society is the head of a
