wgolding.lordoftheflies-第3章
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articulate seer） rises to utter the truth in garbled； ineffective phrases： there is a beast； but 〃it's only us。〃 As always； his saving words are misunderstood； and the prophet shrinks away in confusion。 Amid speculation that he means some kind of ghost； there is a silent show of hands for ghosts as Piggy breaks in with angry rhetorical questions： 〃What are we？ Humans？ Or animals？ Or savages？〃 （84）。 Taking his cue； Jack （savagery in excelsis） leaps to his feet and leads all but the 〃three blind mice〃 （Ralph； Piggy； Simon） into a mad jig of release down the darkening beach。 The parliamentarians naively contrast their failure with the supposed efficiency of adults； and Ralph； in despair； asks for a sign from that ruined world。
In 〃Beast from Air〃 the sign； a dead man in a parachute； is sent down from the grownups； and the collapse foreshadowed in the allegorical parliament es on with surprising speed。 Ralph himself looks into the face of the enthroned tyrant on the mountain； and from that moment his young intelligence is crippled by fear。 He confirms the reality of the beast and his confession of weakness insures Jack's spectacular rise to power。 Yet the ease with which Jack establishes his Dionysian order is hardly unaccountable。 In its very first appearance the black…caped choir； vaguely evil in its military esprit； emerged ominously from a mirage and marched down upon the minority forces assembled on the platform。 Except for Simon； pressed into service and out of step with the mon rhythm； the choir is posed of servitors bound by the ritual and mystery of group consciousness。 They share in that munion； and there is no real 〃conversion〃 or transfer of allegiance from good to evil when the chorus； ostensibly Christian； bees the tribe of hunters。 The lord they serve inhabits their own being。 If they turn with relief from the burdens of the platform； it is because they cannot transcend the limitations of their own nature。 Even the parliamentary pool of intelligence must fail in the attempt to explain all that manifests itself in our turbulent hearts； and the assertion that life is ordered； 〃scientific；〃 often appears mere bravado。 It embodies tile sin of pride and； inevitably； evokes in some form the great god it has denied。
It is Simon who witnesses his ing and hears his words of wrath。 In the thick undergrowth of the forest the boy discovers a refuge from the war of words。 His shelter of leaves is a place of contemplation； a sequestered temple； scented and lighted by the white flowers of the night…blooming candlenut tree； where； in secret； he meditates on the lucid but somehow over…simple logic of Piggy and Ralph and the venal emotion of Jack's challenges： There； in the infernal glare of the afternoon sun； he sees the killing of the sow by the hunters and the erection of the pig's head on the sharpened stick。 These acts signify not only the release from the blood taboo but also obeisance to the mystery and god who has e to be lord of the island…world。 In the hours of one powerfully symbolic afternoon Simon sees the perennial fall which is the central reality of our history： me defeat of reason and the release of Dionysian madness in souls wounded by fear。
Awed by the hideousness of the dripping head （an image of the hunter's own nature） the apprentice bacchantes suddenly run away； but Simon's gaze is 〃held by that ancient； inescapable recognition〃 （128）…an incarnation of the beast or devil bom again and again out of the human heart。 Before he loses consciousness the epileptic visionary 〃hears〃 the truth which is inaccessible to the illusion…bound rationalist and the unconscious or irrational man alike： 〃 'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill！' said the head。 For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter。 'You knew； didn't you？ I'm part of you？ Close； close； close！ I'm the reason why it's no go？ Why things are as they are？' 〃 （133）。 When Simon recovers from this trauma of revelation he finds on the mountain top that the 〃beast〃 is only a man。 Like the pig itself； the dead man in the chute is fly…blown； corrupt； an obscene image of the evil that has triumphed in the adult world as well。 Tenderly； the boy releases the lines so that the body can descend to earth； but the fallen man does not die。 After Simon's death； when the truth is once more lost； the figure rises； moves over the terrified tribe on the beach； and finally out to sea …a tyrannous ghost （history itself） which haunts and curses every social order。
In his martyrdom Simon meets the fate of all saints。 The truth he brings would set us free from the repetitious nightmare of history； but we are； by nature； incapable of receiving that truth。 Demented by fears our intelligence cannot control； we are at once 〃heroic and sick〃 （96）； ingenious and ingenuous at the same time。 Inevitably we gather in tribal union to hunt the molesting 〃beast；〃 and always the intolerable frustration of the hunt ends as it must： within the enchanted circle formed by the searchers； the beast materializes in the only form he can possibly assume； the very image of his creator； and once he is visible； projected （once the hunted has bee the hunter）； the circle closes in an agony of relief。 Simon； call him prophet； seer or saint； is blessed and cursed by those intuitions which threaten the ritual of the tribe。 In whatever culture the saint appears； he is doomed by his unique insights。 There is a vital； if obvious； irony to be observed in the fact that the lost children of Golding's fable are of Christian heritage； but when they blindly kill their savior they re…enact an ancient tragedy； universal because it has its true source in the defects of the species。
The beast； too； is as old as his maker and has assumed many names； though of course his character must remain quite consistent The particular beast who speaks to Simon is much like his namesake； Beelzebub。 A prince of demons of Assyrian or Hebrew descent； but later appropriated by Christians； he is a lord of the flies； an idol for unclean beings。 He is what all devils are： an embodiment of the lusts and cruelties which possess his worshipers and of peculiar power among the Philistines； the unenlightened； fearful herd。 He shares some kinship with Dionysus； for his powers and effects are much the same。 In The Bacchae Dionysus is shown 〃as the source of ecstasies and disasters； as the enemy of intellect and the defense of man against his isolation； as a power that can make him feel like a god while acting like a beast。 。。。〃 As such； he is 〃a god whom all can recognize。〃 14
Nor is it difficult to recognize the island on which Golding's innocents are set down as a natural paradise； an un…corrupted Eden offering all the lush abundance of the primal earth。 But it is lost with the first rumors of the 〃snake…thing；〃 because he is the ancient； inescapable presence who insures a repetition of the fall。 If this fall from grace is indeed the 〃perennial myth〃 that Golding explores in all his work；15 it does not seem that he has found in Genesis a metaphor capable of illuminating the full range of his theme。 In The Bacchae Golding the classicist found another version of the fall of man； and it is clearly more useful to him than its Biblical counterpart。 For one thing； it makes it possible to avoid the paratively narrow moral connotations most of us are inclined to read into the warfare between Satan （unqualifiedly evil） and God （unqualifiedly good）。 Satan is a fallen angel seeking vengeance on the godhead； and we therefore think of him as an autonomous entity； a being in his own right and prince of his own domain。 Dionysus； on the other hand； is a son of God （Zeus） and thus a manifestation or agent of the godhead or mystery with whom man seeks munion； or； perverse in his pride； denies at his own peril。 To resist Dionysus is to resist nature itself； and this attempt to transcend the laws of creation brings down upon us the punishment of the god。 Further； the ritual…hunt of The Bacchae provides something else not found in the Biblical account。 The hunt on Golding's island emerges spontaneously out of childish play； but it es to serve as a key to psychology underlying human conflict and； of course； an effective symbol for the bloody game we have played throughout our history。 This is not to say that Biblical metaphor is unimportant in Lord of the Flies； or in the later works； but it forms only a part of the larger mythic frame in which Golding sees the nature and destiny of man。
14。 R。 P。 Winnington…Ingram； Euripides and Dionysus： An Interpretation of the Bacchae （Cambridge； England： Cambridge University Press； 1948）； pp。 9…10。
15。 See Ian Gregor and Mark Kinkead…Weekes； 〃The Strange Case of Mr。 Golding and his Critics；〃 Twentieth Century。 167 （February； 1960）； 118。
Unfortunately； the critics have concentrated all too much on Golding's debt to Christian sources； with the result that he is popularly regarded as a rigid Christian moralist Yet the fact is that he does not reject one orthodoxy only to fall into another。 The emphasis of his critics has obscured Gold…ing's fundamental realism and made it difficult to recognize that he satirizes the Christian as well as the rationalist point of view。 In Lord of the Flies； for example； the much discussed last chapter offers none of the traditional forts。 A fable； by virtue of its far…reaching suggestions； touches upon a dimension that most fiction does not…the dimension of prophecy。 With the appearance of the naval officer it is no longer possible to accept the evolution of the island society as an isolated failure。 The events we have witnessed constitute a picture of realities which obtain in the world at large。 There； too； a legendary beast has emerged from the dark wood； e from the sea； or fallen from the sky； and men have gathered for the munion of the hunt。 In retrospect； the entire fable suggests a grim parallel with the prophecies of the Biblical Apocalypse。 According to that vision the weary repetition of human failure is assured by the birth of new devils for each generation of men。 The first demon； who fathers all the others； falls from the heavens； the second is summoned from the sea to make war upon the saints and overe them； the third； emerging from the earth itself； induces man to make and worship an image of the beast。 It also decrees that this image 〃should both speak and cause that as many as should not worship〃 the beast should be killed。 Each devil in turn lords over the earth for an era； and then the long nightmare of history is broken by the second ing and the divine millennium。 In Lord of the Flies （note some of the chapter tides） we see much the same sequence； but it occurs in a highly accelerated evolution。 The parallel ends； however； with the irony of Golding's climactic revelation。 The childish hope of rescue perishes as the beast…man es to the shore； for he bears in his nature the bitter promise that things will remain as they are； and as they have been since his first appearance ages and ages ago。
The rebirth of evil is made certain by the fatal defects inherent in human nature； and the haunted island we occupy must always be a fortress on which enchanted hunters pursue the beast。 There is no re
