wgolding.lordoftheflies-第47章

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ically　he　tries　to　allay　the　〃littluns''　fear　of　a　〃beast〃　〃Life　is　scientific；　that's　what　it　is。　。。。　I　know　there　isn't　no　beast…not　with　claws　and　all　that；　I　mean…but　I　know　there　isn't　no　fear；　either'〃　（77）。　He　has　excessive　regard　for　the　forms　of　order：　the　conch　must　be　held　by　a　child　before　that　child　can　speak　at　councils。　When　the　others　neglect　responsibility；　fail　to　build　shelters；　swim　in　the　pools　or　play　in　the　sand　or　hunt；　allow　the　signal　fire　on　the　mountain　to　go　out　or　get　out　of　hand　and　burn　up　half　the　island；　he　seconds　Ralph　by　admonishing　the　others　vigorously　and　bees　more　and　more　of　a　spoilsport　who　robs　play　of　its　illusions；　like　the　adult　who　interrupts　the　game。　Ralph　alone　recognizes　Piggy's　superior　intelligence；　but　wavers　between　what　he　knows　to　be　wise　and　the　group　acceptance　his　egocentricity　demands。　Finally；　Piggy's　role…as　man's　reasoning　faculties　and　as　a　father…derives　some　of　its　plexity　from　the　fact　that　the　fire　which　the　children　foster　and　guard　on　the　mountain　in　the　hope　of　municating　with　the　adult　world　is　lighted　with　his　glasses。　In　classical　mythology；　after　all；　fire　brought　civilization…and；　hence；　repression…to　man。　As　the　hold　of　civilization　weakens；　the　new　munity　bees　more　and　more　irrational；　and　its　irrationality　is　marked　by　Piggy's　progressive　blindness。　An　accident　following　an　argument　between　Ralph　and　Jack　causes　one　of　the　lenses　of　Piggy's　glasses　to　break。　When　the　final　breach　between　the　two　occurs　and　Piggy　supports　Ralph；　his　remaining　lens　is　stolen　in　a　night　raid　by　Jack。　This　is　a　parody　of　the　traditional　fire　theft；　which　was　to　provide　light　and　warmth　for　mankind。　After　this　event　Piggy　must　be　led　by　Ralph；　When　he　is　making　his　final　plea　for　his　glasses…reasoned　as　always…he　is　struck　on　the　head　by　a　rock　and　fails。　〃Piggy　fell　forty　feet　and　landed　on　his　back　on　that　square；　red　rock　in　the　sea。　His　head　opened　and　stuff　came　out　and　turned　red。　Piggy's　arms　and　legs　twitched　a　bit；　like　a　pig's　after　it　has　been　killed〃　（167）。　What　Golding　emphasizes　here　is　the　plete　animality　to　which　Piggy　is　reduced；　His　mind　is　destroyed；　his　body　is　subject　to　motor　responses　alone；　he　is　〃like　a　pig　after　it　has　been　killed。〃
　The　history　of　the　child　Piggy　on　the　island　dramatizes　in　terms　of　the　individual　the　history　of　the　entire　group。　When　they　first　assemble　to　investigate　their　plight；　they　treat　their　island　isolation　as　a　temporary　phenomenon。　They　are；　after　all；　still　children；　wanting　only　to　play　games　until　they　are　interrupted　by　the　action　of　parents；　until　the　decisions　of　their　elders　take　them　from　make…believe　to　the　actuality　of　school　or　food　or　sleep；　until　they　are　rescued；　as　it　were；　from　〃play。〃　This　microcosm　of　the　great　world　seems　to　them　to　be　a　fairy　land。
　
　A　kind　of　glamour　was　spread　over　them　and　the　scene　and　they　were　conscious　of　the　glamour　and　made　happy　by　it　（22）。
　The　coral　was　scribbled　in　the　sea　as　though　a　giant　had　bent　down　to　reproduce　the　shape　of　the　island　in　a　flowing；　chalk　line　but　tired　before　he　had　finished　（25）。
　〃This　is　real　exploring；〃　said　Jack。　〃I'll　bet　nobody's　been　here　before〃　（23）。
　Echoes　and　birds　flew；　white　and　pink　dust　floated；　the　forest　further　down　shook　as　with　the　passage　of　an　enraged　monster：　and　then　the　island　was　still　（24）。
　
　They　pare　this　reality　which　as　yet　they　do　not　accept　as　reality　to　their　reading　experiences：　it　is　Treasure　Island　or　Coral　Island　or　like　pictures　from　their　travel　books。　This　initial　reaction　reaffirms　the　pattern　of　play　which　Johan　Huizinga　establishes　in　Homo　Ludens6　In　its　early　stages　their　play　has　no　cultural　or　moral　function；　it　is　simply　a　〃stepping　out　of　real　life　into　a　temporary　sphere　of　activity。〃　7　Ironically；　the　child　of　Lord　of　the　Flies　who　thinks　he　is　〃only　pretending〃　or　that　this　is　〃only　for　fun〃　does　not　realize　that　his　play　is　the　beginning　of　the　formation　of　a　new　society　which　has　regressed　to　a　primitive　state；　with　all　its　emphasis　upon　taboo　and　munal　action。　What　begins　by　being　like　other　games　in　having　a　distinct　〃locality　and　duration〃　8　apart　from　ordinary　life　is…or　bees…reality。　The　spatial　separation　necessary　for　the　make…believe　of　the　game　is　represented　first　by　the　island。　In　this　new　world　the　playground　is　further　narrowed：　not　only　are　their　actions　limited　by　the　island；　but　also　the　gatherings　of　the　children　are　described　as　a　circle　at　several　points；　a　circle　from　which　Piggy　is　excluded：
　
　For　the　moment　the　boys　were　a　closed　circuit　of　sympathy　with　Piggy　outside　（18）。
　They　became　a　circle　or　boys　round　a　camp　fire　and　even　Ralph　and　Piggy　were　half…drawn　in　（67）。
　
　Piggy　approximates　the　spoilsport　who　〃robs　the　play　of　its　illusion；〃　9　who　reminds　them　of　space　and　time　outside　the　charmed　circle；　who　demands　responsibility。
　
　6。Johan　Huizinga；　Homo　Ludens　（Boston：　Beacon　Press；　1955）。　
　7。Ibid。；p。8。
　8。Ibid。；p。9。　
　9。Ibid。；p。7。
　
　The　games　of　the　beginning　of　the　novel　have　a　double　function：　they；　first　of　all；　reflect　the　child's　attitude　toward　play　as　a　temporary　cessation　from　the　activities　imposed　by　the　adult　world；　but；　like　the　games　played　before　the　formation　of　civilization；　they　anticipate　the　ritual　which　reveals　a　developing　society。　So　the　children　move　from　voluntary　play　to　ritual；　from　〃only　pretending〃　to　reality；　from　representation　or　dramatization　to　identification。　The　older　strictures　imposed　by　parents　are　soon　forgotten…but　every　now　and　then　a　momentary　remembrance　of　past　prohibitions　causes　restraint。　One　older　child　hides　in　order　to　throw　stones　at　a　younger　one。
　
　Yet　there　was　a　space　around　Henry；　perhaps　six　yards　in　diameter；　into　which　he　dare　not　throw。　Here；　invisible　yet　strong；　was　the　taboo　of　the　old　life。　Round　the　squatting　child　was　the　protection　of　parents　and　school　and　policemen　and　the　law　（57）。
　
　Jack　hesitates　when；　searching　for　meat；　he　raises　his　knife　to　kill　his　first　pig。
　
　The　pause　was　only　long　enough　for　them　to　understand　what　an　enormity　the　downward　stroke　would　be。　Then　the　piglet　tore　loose　from　the　creepers　and　scurried　into　the　undergrowth。　。　。　。
　〃Why　didn't　you…？〃
　They　knew　very　well　why　he　hadn't：　because　of　the　enormity　of　the　knife　descending　and　cutting　into　living　flesh；　because　of　the　unbearable　blood　（27）。
　
　The　younger　children　first；　then　gradually　the　older　ones；　like　primitives　in　the　childhood　of　races；　begin　to　people　the　darkness　of　night　and　forest　with　spirits　and　demons　which　had　previously　appeared　only　in　their　dreams　or　fairy　tales。　Now　there　are　no　forting　mothers　to　dispel　the　terrors　of　the　unknown。　They　externalize　these　fears　into　the　figure　of　a　〃beast。〃　Once　the　word　〃beast〃　is　mentioned；　the　menace　of　the　irrational　bees　overt；　name　and　thing　bee　one。　Simply　to　mention　the　dreaded　creature　is　to　incur　its　wrath。　At　one　critical　council　when　the　first　munal　feeling　begins　to　disintegrate；　Ralph　cries；　〃If　only　they　could　send　us　something　grown…up　。。。　a　sign　or　something〃　（87）。　And　a　sign　does　e　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