wgolding.lordoftheflies-第52节

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lems　of　power；　the　white　drill；　the　epaulettes；　the　gilt…buttons；　the　revolver；　the　trim　cruiser。　Our　everyday　sight　has　been　restored　to　us；　but　the　experience　of　reading　the　book　is　to　make　us　re…interpret　what　we　see；　and　say　with　Macbeth　〃mine　eyes　are　made　the　fools　o'　the　other　senses。〃
　If　we　are　to　look　at　Lord　of　the　Flies　from　the　point　of　view　of　it　being　a　fable　this　is　the　kind　of　account　we　might　give。　And；　as　far　as　it　goes；　it　is　a　true　account。　The　main　weakness　in　discussing　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　that　we　are　too　often　inclined　to　leave　our　description　at　this　point。　So　we　find　a　Christian　being　deeply　moved　by　the　book　and　arguing　that　its　greatness　is　tied　up　with　the　way　in　which　the　author　brings　home　to　a　modem　reader　the　doctrine　of　Original　Sin；　or　we　find　a　humanist　finding　the　novel　repellent　precisely　because　it　endorses　what　he　feels　to　be　a　dangerous　myth；　or　again；　on　a　different　level；　we　find　a　Liberal　asserting　the　importance　of　the　book　because　of　its　unwavering　exposure　or　the　corruptions　of　power。　Now　whatever　degree　of　truth　we　find　in　these　views；　it　is　important　to　be　dear　that　the　quality　or　otherwise　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　not　dependent　upon　any　of　them。　Whether　Mr。　Golding　has　written　a　good　novel　or　not　is　not　because　of　〃the　views〃　which　may　be　deduced　from　it；　but　because　of　his　claim　to　be　a　novelist。　And　the　function　of　the　novelist　as　Joseph　Conrad　once　said　is　〃by　the　power　of　the　written　word　to　make　you　hear；　to　make　you　feel…it　is；　before　all；　to　make　you　see。〃　And　it　is　recognition　of　this　that　must　take　us　back　from　Mr。　Golding's　fable；　however　pelling；　to　his　fiction。　Earlier　I　suggested　that　these　two　aspects　occur　simultaneously；　so　that　in　moving　from　one　to　the　other；　we　are　not　required　to　look　at　different　parts　of　the　novel；　but　at　the　same　thing　from　a　different　point　of　view。
　Let　us　begin　by　looking　at　the　coral　island。　We　have　mentioned　the　careful　literary　reference　to　Ballantyne　（〃Like　the　Coral　Island；〃　the　naval　officer　remarks）；　the　theological　overtones　with　the　constant　paradisal　references；　〃flower　and　fruit　grew　together　on　the　same　tree；〃　but　all　these　things　matter　only　because　Mr。　Golding　has　imaginatively　put　the　island　before　us。　The　sun　and　the　thunder　e　across　to　us　as　physical　realities；　not　because　they　have　a　symbolic　part　to　play　in　the　book；　but　because　of　the　novelist's　superb　resourcefulness　of　language。　Consider　how　difficult　it　is　to　write　about　a　tropical　island　and　avoid　any　hint　of　the　travel　poster　cliché　or　the　latest　documentary　film　about　the　South　Seas。　To　see　how　the　difficulty　can　be　overe　look　at　the　following　paragraph：
　
　Strange　things　happened　at　midday。　The　glittering　sea　rose　up；　moved　apart　in　planes　of　blatant　impossibility；　the　coral　reef　and　the　few；　stunted　palms　that　clung　to　the　more　elevated　parts　would　float　up　into　the　sky；　would　quiver；　be　plucked　apart；　run　like　raindrops　on　a　wire　or　be　repeated　as　in　an　odd　succession　of　mirrors。　Sometimes　land　loomed　where　there　was　no　land　and　flicked　out　like　a　bubble　as　the　children　watched；　（p。　53。）
　
　It　is　this　kind　of　sensitivity　to　language；　this　effortless　precision　of　statement　that　makes　the　novel　worth　the　most　patient　attention。　And　what　applies　to　the　island　applies　to　the　characters　also。　As　Jack　gradually　loses　his　name　so　that　at　the　end　of　the　novel　he　is　simply　the　Chief　we　feel　this　terrible　loss　of　identity　ing　over　in　his　total　inability　to　do　anything　that　is　not　instinctively　gratifying。　He　begins　to　talk　always　in　the　same　way；　to　move　with　the　same　intent。　But　this　is　in　final　terrible　stages　of　the　novel。　If　we　turn　back　to　the　beginning　of　the　novel　we　find　Mr。　Golding　catching　perfectly　a　tone　of　voice；　a　particular　rhythm　of　speech。　Ralph　is　talking　to　Piggy　shortly　after　they　have　met：
　
　〃I　could　swim　when　I　was　five。　Daddy　taught　me。　He's　a　mander　in　the　Navy。　When　he　gets　leave　he'll　e　and　rescue　us。　What's　your　father？〃
　Piggy　flushed　suddenly。
　〃My　dad's　dead；〃　he　said　quickly；　〃and　my　mum…〃
　He　took　off　his　glasses　and　looked　vainly　for　something　with　which　to　clean　them。
　〃I　used　to　live　with　my　auntie。　She　kept　a　candy　store。　I　used　to　get　ever　so　many　candies。　As　many　as　I　liked。　When'll　your　dad　rescue　us？〃
　〃Soon　as　he　can。〃　（p。　11。）
　
　Notice　how　skillfully　Mr。　Golding　has　caught　in　that　snatch　of　dialogue；　not　only　schoolboy　speech　rhythms；2　but　also；　quite　unobtrusively；　the　social　difference　between　the　two　boys。　〃What's　your　father？〃；　〃When'll　your　dad　rescue　us？〃　There　are　two　continents　of　social　experience　hinted　at　here。　I　draw　attention　to　this　passage　simply　to　show　that　in　a　trivial　instance；　in　something　that　would　never　be　quoted　in　any　account　of　〃the　importance〃　of　the　book；　it　is　the　gifts　which　are　peculiar　to　a　novelist；　〃to　make　you　hear；　to　make　you　feel　。　。　。　to　make　you　see；〃　that　are　being　displayed。
　Perhaps；　however；　we　feel　these　gifts　most　unmistakably　present　not　in　the　way　the　landscape　is　presented　to　us；　nor　the　characters；　but　rather　in　the　extraordinary　momentum　and　power　which　drives　the　whole　narrative　forward；　so　that　one　incident　leads　to　another　with　an　inevitability　which　is　awesome。　A　great　deal　of　this　power　es　from　Mr。　Golding's　careful　preparation　for　an　incident：　so　that　the　full　significance　of　a　scene　is　only　gradually　revealed。　Consider；　for　instance；　one　of　these。　Early　in　the　book　Ralph　discovers　the　nickname　of　his　panion　with　delight：
　
　〃Piggy！　Piggy！〃
　Ralph　danced　out　into　the　hot　air　of　the　beach　and　then　returned　as　a　fighter　plane；　with　wings　swept　back；　and　machine…gunned　Piggy。
　
　Time　passes；　games　give　way　to　hunting；　but　still　the　hunting　can　only　be　talked　about　in　terms　of　a　game　and　when　Jack　describes　his　first　kill；　it　takes　the　form　of　a　game：
　
　〃I　cut　the　pig's　throat…〃
　The　twins；　still　sharing　their　identical　grin；　jumped　up　and　ran　round　each　other。　Then　the　rest　joined　in；　making　pig…dying　noises　and　shouting。
　
　2。In　their　notes　for　this　edition　the　authors　define　all　of　the　schoolboy　slang　terms　that　are　likely　to　confuse　adult　readers。…　Eds。
　
　〃One　for　his　nob！〃
　〃Give　him　a　fourpenny　one！〃
　Then　Maurice　pretended　to　be　the　pig　and　ran　squealing　into　the　centre；　and　the　hunters；　circling　still；　pretended　to　beat　him。　As　they　danced；　they　sang。
　〃Kill　the　pig。　Cut　her　throat。　Bash　her　in。〃
　Ralph　watched　them；　envious　and　resentful。　Not　till　they　flagged　and　the　chant　died　away；　did　he　speak　〃I'm　calling　an　assembly。〃
　
　There　is　an　exasperation　in　Ralph's　statement　which　places　him　outside　the　game；　the　fantasy　fighter　plane　has　no　place　in　this　more　hectic　play；　the　line　between　pretense　and　reality　is　being　more　difficult　to　see。　The　first　incident　emerged　from　an　overflow　of　high　spirits；　the　second　from　the　deeper　need　to　municate　an　experience。　When　the　game　is　next　played；　the　exuberant　mood　has　evaporated。　Maurice's　place　has　been　taken　by　Robert：
　
　Jack　shouted。
　〃Make　a　ring！〃
　The　circle　moved　in　and　round。　Robert　squealed　in　mock　terror；　then　in　real　pain。
　〃Ow！　Stop　it！　You're　hurting！〃
　The　butt　end　of　a　spear　fell　on　his　back　as　he　blundered　among　them。
　〃Hold　him！〃
　They　got　his　arms　and　legs。　Ralph；　carried　away　by　a　sudden　thick　excitement；　grabbed　Eric's　spear　and　jabbed　at　Robert　with　it。
　〃Kill　him！　Kill　him！〃
　All　at　once；　Robert　was　screaming　and　struggling　with　the　strength　of　frenzy。　Jack　had　him　by　the　hair　and　was　brandishing　his　knife。　Behind　him　was　Roger；　fighting　to　get　close。　The　chant　rose　ritually；　as　at　the　last　moment　of　a　dance　or　a　hunt。
　〃Kill　the　pig！　Cut　his　throat！　Kill　the　pig！　Bash　him　in！〃
　Ralph　too　was　fighting　to　get　near；　to　get　a　handful　of　that　brown；　vulnerable　flesh。　The　desire　to　squeeze　and　hurt　was　over…mastering。
　
　The　climax　is　reached　when　the　game　turns　into　the　killing　of　Simon…the　pig；　first　mentioned　in　Ralph's　delighted　mockery　of　Piggy's　name；　made　more　real　in　the　miming　of　Maurice　and　then　in　the　hurting　of　Robert；　bees　indistinguishable　from　Simon　who　is　trampled　to　death。　This　series　of　incidents；　unobtrusive　in　any　ordinary　reading；　nevertheless　helps　to　drive　the　book　forward　with　its　jet…like　power　and　speed。　Just　before　Simon's　arrival　at　the　feast；　there　is　a　sudden　pause　and　silence；　the　game　is　suspended。　〃Roger　ceased　to　be　a　pig　and　became　a　hunter；　so　that　the　centre　of　the　ring　yawned　emptily；〃　It　is　that　final　phrase　which　crystallizes　the　emotion；　so　that　we　feel　we　are　suddenly　on　the　brink　of　tragedy　without　being　able　to　locate　it。　It　is　now；　after　the　violence；　that　the　way　is　clear　for　the　spiritual　climax　of　the　novel。　As　Simon's　body　is　carried　out　to　sea　we　are　made　aware；　in　the　writing；　of　the　significance　of　Simon's　whole　function　in　the　novel；　the　beauty　of　the　natural　world　and　its　order　hints　at　a　harmony　beyond　the　tortured　world　of　man　and　to　which　now　Simon　has　access。　And　Mr。　Golding　has　made　this　real　to　us；　not　by　asserting　some　abstract　proposition　with　which　we　may　or　may　not　agree；　but　by　〃the　power　of　the　written　word。〃
　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　putti