wgolding.lordoftheflies-第58节
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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 defined by the rotting corpse and floating parachute on the mountain which the boys' terror distorts into a beast； Jack wants to track the creature down。 After the next kill； the head of the pig is placed upon a stake to placate the beast。 Finally one of the children； Simon； after an epileptic fit； creeps out of the forest at twilight while the others are engaged in enthusiastic dancing following a hunt。 Seized by the rapture of re…enactment or perhaps terrorized by fear and night into believing that this little creature is a beast； they circle Simon； pounce on him； bite and tear his body to death。 He bees not a substitute for beast but beast itself； representation bees absolute identification； 〃the mystic repetition of the initial event。〃 12 At the moment of Simon's death； nature speaks as it did at Christ's crucifixion： a cloud bursts； rain and wind fill the parachute on the hill and the corpse of the pilot falls or is dragged among the screaming boys。 Both Simon and the dead man； beast and beast； are washed into the sea and disappear。 After this plete resurgence of savagery in accepted ritual； there is only a short interval before Piggy's remaining lens is stolen； he is intentionally killed as an enemy； and Ralph； the human being； bees hunted like beast or pig。
Simon's mythic and psychological role has earlier been suggested in this essay。 Undersized； subject to epileptic fits； bright…eyed； and introverted； he constantly creeps away from the others to meditate among the intricate vines of the forest。 To him； as to the mystic； superior knowledge is intuitively given which he cannot municate。 When the first report of the beast…pilot reaches camp； Simon； we are told； can picture only 〃a human at once heroic and sick。〃 He predicts that Ralph will 〃 'get back all right；' 〃 only to be scorned as 〃batty〃 by the latter。 In each case he sees the truth； but is overwhelmed with self…consciousness。 During the day preceding his death； he walks away as if in a trance and stumbles upon a pig's head left in the sand in order to
