wgolding.lordoftheflies-第45章

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　Is　Golding　Calvinistic？1
　A　more　optimistic　interpretation　of　the　
　symbolism　found　in　Lord　of　the　Flies
　THOMAS　MARCELLUS　COSKREN；　O。　P。
　
　IN　an　issue　of　America　last　winter；　two　critics　gave　their　interpretations　of　William　Golding's　remarkably　successful　Lord　of　the　Flies。2　While　the　approach　of　each　of　these　critics　differed；　Mr。　Kearns　being　concerned　with　the　sociopolitical　implications　of　the　work　and　Fr。　Egan　with　the　theological；　both　reached　the　same　conclusion：　Lord　of　the　Flies　presents　the　Calvinist　view　of　man　as　a　creature　essentially　depraved。　As　one　of　the　professors　who　has　placed　the　novel　on　his　required　reading　list；　I　should　like　to　raise　a　dissenting　voice。
　While　I　am　prepared　to　admit　that　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　hardly　the　most　optimistic　book　that　has　appeared　in　recent　times；　I　find　it　difficult　to　accept　the　conclusion　reached　by　Fr。　Egan　and　Mr。　Kearns。　Both；　it　seems　to　me；　have　left　too　much　of　the　novel　unexplained；　indeed；　their　view　of　the　work　seems　to　render　important　sections　inexplicable。　If　Golding　has　presented　man　as　essentially　depraved；　why　are　three　of　his　four　major　characters　good　people？　Granted　that　Ralph；　Piggy　and　Simon　possess　a　limited　goodness；　the　condition　of　all　men；　they　are　decidedly　boys　of　high
　
　1。This　article　is　reprinted　with　permission　from　America；　the　National　Catholic　Weekly　Review；　920　Broadway；　New　York　City。　It　appeared　in　the　issue　of　July　6；　1963；　Volume　109；　pp。　18…20。
　2。Francis　E。　Kearns；　〃Salinger　and　Golding：　Conflict　on　the　Campus；〃　America；　108　（January　26；　1963）；　136…39；　and　John　M。　Egan；　〃Golding's　View　of　Man；〃　140…41。…Eds。
　
　purpose；　who　use　good　means　to　achieve　their　ends。　Jack　may　strike　many　as　the　perfect　symbol　of　essentially　depraved　man；　but　he　is　only　one　out　of　four。　Three…to…one　seems　a　rather　impressive　ratio　favoring　at　least　a　limited　goodness　in　the　human　munity。
　Moreover；　if　Golding　hesitates　〃to　view　evil　in　a　religious　framework；〃　as　Mr。　Kearns　says；　why　is　Simon；　on　the　symbolic　level；　so　cleverly　identified　with　Christ？　3　In　fact；　this　identification　is　so　obvious　that　one　is　tempted　to　agree　with　Kearns'　statement　about　Lord　of　the　Flies　being　〃too　neatly　symbolic；　too　patently　artistic。〃　Certainly；　the　very　presence　of　a　Christ…figure　in　the　novel；　a　presence　which　pervades　the　work；　implies　some　kind　of　religious　framework。
　Again；　if　man　were　not　good　or　innocent　at　some　time　in　the　long　history　of　the　race；　why　should　Ralph　at　the　end　of　the　novel　weep　〃for　the　end　of　innocence；　the　darkness　of　man's　heart；　and　the　fall　through　the　air　of　the　true；　wise　friend　called　Piggy〃？　Ralph　weeps　for　an　innocence　that　man　once　possessed；　he　laments　the　loss　of　goodness；　and　this　is　not　some　vague　goodness；　but　the　palpable　goodness　in　his　〃true；　wise　friend。〃
　Thus　far；　the　objections　I　have　offered　to　the　view　presented　by　Mr。　Kearns　and　Fr。　Egan　concern　only　the　characters　in　Lord　of　the　Flies。　These　objections　are　serious　enough；　but　there　are　others　which　demand　examination　by　the　critic。　If　the　world　into　which　these　characters　have　been　placed　is；　as　Fr。　Egan　states；　a　universe　that　is　〃a　cruel　and　irrational　chaos；〃　why　does　Golding　indicate；　with　almost　obsessive　attention　to　detail；　the　pattern；　the　order　of　the　island　world　which　the　boys　inhabit？　Throughout　the　novel　we　find　natural　descriptions　which　use　metaphors　from　the　world　of　manufacturing。
　In　other　words；　the　universe　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　one　that　has　been　made；　created。　The　novel　is　filled　with　phrases　like　the　following：　〃a　great　platform　of　pink　granite〃；　〃a　criss…cross　pattern　of　trunks〃；　〃the　palms　。　。　。　made　a　green　roof　〃；　〃the　incredible　lamps　of　stars。〃　Further；　Golding's　adjectives　indicate　an　ordered　universe。　This　indication　is　especially　apparent　after　the　terrible　storm　acpanying　Simon's　death。　In　this　section　he　uses　such　words　as　〃angu…
　
　2。Cf。　Donald　R。　Spangler's　〃Simon〃　on　pp。　211…215　in　this　volume。　See　also　Golding's　remarks　on　Simon　in　the　interview　with　James　Keating；　p。　192。…Eds。
　
　lar〃　and　〃steadfast〃　to　describe　the　constellations。　If　William　Golding's　universe　is　〃a　cruel　and　irrational　chaos；〃　he　has　certainly　chosen　most　inappropriate　words　to　describe　it。
　Basically；　it　seems　to　me；　the　real　difficulty　with　the　interpretation　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　offered　by　Fr。　Egan　and　Mr。　Kearns　is　its　failure　to　treat　the　novel　as　a　whole。　William　Golding's　novel　is　not　antihuman；　it　is　anti…Rousseau。　It　does　not　portray　human　nature　as　such；　it　presents　human　nature　as　infected　with　the　romantic　chimera　of　inevitable　human　progress；　a　progress　which　will　be　achieved　because　of　the　innate　nobility　and　innocence　of　the　human　species。　In　theological　terms；　which　are　perhaps　the　most　accurate　critical　tools　for　explaining　this　novel；　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　not　so　much　Manichean　as　it　is　anti…Pelagian。　A　more　detailed　analysis　should　help　to　show　this　anti…Pelagian　character　of　the　work。
　Lord　of　the　Flies　begins　with　all　the　paraphernalia　of　the　romantic；　and　sentimental；　preconceptions　that　owe　so　much　to　Rousseau's　social　philosophy。　In　the　first　chapter　we　are　presented　with　a　group　of　children；　the　contemporary　world's　symbol　of　innocence。　They　are　placed　on　a　tropical　island；　an　earthly　paradise；　Rousseau's　habitat　for　the　〃noble　savage。〃　But　these　boys　are　not　Adam…figures；　they　are　not　innocent。　Each　of　them；　in　varying　degrees；　reflects　the　influence　of　the　serpent…which；　by　the　way；　is　introduced　in　the　first　chapter　when　Ralph　unfastens　〃the　snake…clasp　of　his　belt。〃　Here　begins　the　terrible　irony　that　runs　through　the　whole　novel。　Romantic　man　thinks　he　can　rid　himself　of　evil　merely　by　taking　off　his　clothes；　the　symbol　of　civilization　and　its　effects。
　
　In　this　superficially　idyllic　munity；　made　up　of　refugees　from　an　atomic　war；　we　discover　Golding's　four　major　characters：　Ralph；　Piggy；　Jack　and　Simon。　It　is　with　these　characters　that　Golding's　symbolism　bees　somewhat　more　plex　than　either　Mr。　Keams　or　Fr。　Egan　suggests。　Lord　of　the　Flies　is　essentially　a　fable　about　contemporary　man　and　contemporary　ideas。　Thus；　Ralph　is　not　only　the　symbol　of　the　decent；　sensible　parliamentarian；　he　is　also　me　figure　of　an　idea：　the　abstract　concept　of　democratic　government。　The　same　double　role　is　filled　by　the　other　characters：　Jack　is　at　once　the　dictator　and　the　concept　of　dictatorship；　Piggy　is　the　intellectual；　with　all　his　powers　and　deficiencies；　and　representative　of　the　Enlightenment　or　scientific　method。　Finally；　Simon　is　the　mystic　and　poet；　who　is　also　a　Christ…figure　and　thus　the　symbol　of　religious　faith。　The　symbolism　of　Lord　of　the　Flies；　therefore；　functions　on　a　number　of　levels；　and　it　seems　to　be　an　injustice　to　Golding's　extraordinary　dexterity　in　handling　these　multiple　levels　to　reduce　them　to　one　level；　that　of　universal　human　nature。
　Golding　suggests　the　plexity　of　these　symbolic　figures　in　their　physical　descriptions。　Ralph　is　〃the　boy　with　fair　hair　＇who　has＇　a　mildness　about　his　mouth　and　eyes　that　proclaimed　no　devil。〃　On　the　literal　level　we　have　the　good　boy；　the　〃solid　citizen。〃　As　such；　Ralph　engages　our　sympathies。　And　on　the　most　obvious　symbolic　level　he　still　has　our　sympathies；　for　he　represents　the　decent；　sensible　parliamentarian；　the　political　ideal　of　the　Western　world。
　But　on　another；　and　deeper；　level　Golding　has　introduced　an　ironic　twist。　The　symbolic　value　Ralph　possesses　as　the　abstract　concept　of　the　democratic　process　is　presented　as　a　challenge　to　the　reader。　If；　as　the　Western　world　seems　to　believe；　the　democratic　process　of　government　is　the　best　devised　by　man　throughout　his　history；　why　doesn't　it　work　always　and　everywhere？　It　is　at　this　level　that　Golding　suggests　symbolically　the　inadequacy；　not　the　depravity；　of　the　solely　human；　it　is　at　this　level　that　he　directs　his　devastatingly　ironic　mentary　on　the　Rousseauvian　myth　of　the　general　will　and　its　unproved　presupposition　of　the　natural　goodness　of　the　human　species。
　In　effect；　Golding's　modern　fable　puts　Rousseau's　social　contract　to　the　test：　Lord　of　the　Flies　takes　man　back　to　the　primitive　condition　of　things；　which　the　French　social　reformer　had　advocated　as　the　one　sure　way　of　restoring　man　to　his　proper　dignity。　Then　it　shows　that；　far　from　being　naturally　good；　man　has　some　type　of　defect　for　which　civilization　is　not　responsible。　Rousseau's　social　philosophy　fails　the　test；　and　the　essentially　confused　notion　of　nature　which　Rousseau　bequeathed　to　the　contemporary　world　is　exposed　for　the　fraud　that　it　is。
　Moreover；　the　irony　implicit　in　Ralph's　inadequacy　is　extended　to　the　other　characters；　either　as　they　participate　in　the　same　inadequacy　or　as　they　question　symbolically　the　solution　offered　for　human　ills　by　Ralph's　faith　in　Rousseauvian　democracy。　Piggy　participates　in　the　〃grand　design〃　of　restoration。　As　a　figure　of　the　Enlightenment；　he　cannot　accept　the　extremes　of　romanticism；　and　he　votes　for　Ralph　only　〃grudgingly〃；　but　he　will　use　the　more　popular　romantic　concept　of　government　and　will　try　to　direct　ft。　Yet；　even　with　his　discerning　rational　assessment　of　the　problem　of　forming　a　government　for　the　refugees；　his　inherent　weaknesses　are　evident　Ultimately；　he　is　destroyed；　not　because　his　intellectual　gifts　are　depraved；　but　because　he　falls　into　the　mistaken　belief　that　they　are　sufficient　unto　themselves。　Piggy　is　intelligent　enough；　for　example；　to　question　Ralph's　blind　faith　in　rescue　by　the　military　（a　scathing　mentary　on　the　Western　democracies'　current　worship　at　the　shrine　of　Cape　Canaveral）；　but　he　remains　blind　to　the　limitations　of　his　own　reason。
　Jack　and　Simon；　on　the　other　hand；　are　not　taken　in　by　the　Rousseauvian　solution。　Jack's　approach　to　the　human　condition　is　much　too　twisted　for　even　the　remotest　parison　with　the　idealism；　fanciful　though　it　is；　implicit　in　Rousseau；　Simon's　view　of　humanity　is　so　penetrated　with　realistic　self…appraisal　that　he　transcends　the　idealism　of　the　French　reformer。　Jack　descends　to　the　subhuman；　Simon　soars　to　the　superhuman。　While　Ralph　and　Piggy　exemplify　ironically　the　〃noble　savage；〃　Jack　and　Simon　provide　the　necessary　counterpoint；　Jack　exploits　the　savagery；　and　Simon　explores　the　nobility。
　And　it　is　probably　through　the　figure　of　Jack　that　William　Golding　pronounces　his　severest　condemnation　of　the　romantic　myth　of　human　progress。　For；　in　the　last　analysis；　it　is　the　dictator　who　has　benefited　most　from　Rousseau's　social　view。　When　man's　efforts　toward　progress　and　eventual　fulfillment；　however　altruistic　his　motivation；　proceed　from　sloppy　thinking；　then　brute　force　takes　over　to　direct　the　course　of　progress　and　subverts　even　the　good　in　human　nature　to　its　own　destructive　ends。
　Yet；　Golding　is　not　interested　merely　in　the　altruism　or　the　subversion；　between　these　two　forces　in　contemporary　civilization　he　places　the　figure　of　Simon。　He　introduces　him　to　the　reader　in　somewhat　melodramatic　fashion：　the　boy　faints。　In　this；　the　first　of　Simon's　actions；　we　have　a　possible　ironic　twist　on　Swinburne's　famous　line：　〃Thou　hast　conquer'd；　O　pale　Galilean；　the　world　has　grown　gray　from　thy　breath。〃　It　is　obvious　from　Simon's　subsequent　history　that　he　is　a　Christ…figure；　and　the　romantic　view　of
　hum