wgolding.lordoftheflies-第50章
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； driving Id whose only function seems to be to insure the survival of the host in which it is embedded or embodied； which function it performs with tremendous and single…minded tenacity。 Although it is possible to find other names for this force； the modern picture of the personality； whether drawn by theologians or psychoanalysts； inevitably includes this force or psychic structure as the fundamental principle of the Natural Man。 The tenets of civilization； the moral and social codes； the Ego； the intelligence itself； form only a veneer over this white…hot power； this uncontrollable force； 〃the fury and the mire of human veins。〃 Dostoievsky found salvation in this freedom； although he found damnation in it also。 Yeats found in it the only source of creative genius （〃Whatever flames upon the night；/ Man's own resinous heart has fed。〃）。 Conrad was appalled by this 〃heart of darkness；〃 and existentialists find in the denial of this freedom the source of perversion of all human values。 Indeed one could； if one were so minded； go through the entire canon of modern literature； philosophy and psychology and find this great basic drive defined as underlying the most fundamental conclusions of modern thought。
The emergence of this concealed； basic wildness is the theme of the book； the struggle between Ralph； the representative of civilization with his parliaments and his brain trust （Piggy； the intellectual whose shattering spectacles mark the progressive decay of rational influence as the story progresses）； and Jack； in whom the spark of wildness burns hotter and closer to the surface than in Ralph and who is the leader of the forces of anarchy on the island； is also； of course； the struggle in modern society between those same forces translated onto a worldwide scale。 The central incident of the book； and the turning point in the struggle between Ralph and Jack； is the killing of the sow on pp。 123…127）。 The sow is a mother： 〃sunk in deep maternal bliss lay the largest sow of the lot 。。。 the great bladder of her belly was fringed with a row of piglets that slept or burrowed and squeaked。〃 The killing of the sow is acplished in terms of sexual intercourse。
They were just behind her when she staggered into an open space where bright flowers grew and butterflies danced around each other and the air was hot and still。
Here； struck down by the heat； the sow fell and the hunters hurled themselves at her。 This dreadful eruption from an unknown world made her frantic； she squealed and bucked and the air was full of sweat and noise and blood and terror。 Roger ran round the heap； prodding with his spear whenever pigflesh appeared。 Jack was on top of the sow； stabbing downwards with his knife。 Roger ＇a natural sadist； who bees the 〃official〃 torturer and executioner for the tribe＇ found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight。 The spear moved forward inch by inch； and the terrified squealing became a high…pitched scream。 Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands。 The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her。 The butterflies still danced； preoccupied in the center of the clearing。
The entire incident is a horrid parody of an Oedipal wedding night and these emotions； the sensations aroused by murder and death； and the overpowering and unaccustomed emotions of sexual love experienced by the half…grown boys； release the forces of death and the devil on the island。3
The pig's head is cut off； a stick is sharpened at both ends and 〃jammed in a crack〃 in the earth。 （The death planned for Ralph at the end of the book involves a stick sharpened at both ends。） The pig's head is impaled on the stick； 〃。。。 the head hung there； a little blood dribbling down the stick。 Instinctively the boys drew back too； and
3。 The reader will wish to pare Epstein's psychoanalytic interpretation with Claire Rosenfield‘s 〃Men of a Smaller Growth；〃 reprinted on pp。 261…276。…Eds。
the forest was very still。 They listened； and the loudest noise was the buzzing of flies over the spilled guts。〃 Jack offers this grotesque trophy to 〃the Beast；〃 the terrible animal that the littler children had been dreaming of； and which seems to be lurking on the island wherever they were not looking。 After this occurs the most deeply symbolic incident in the book； the 〃interview〃 of Simon； an embryo mystic； with the head。 The head seems to be saying； to Simon's heightened perceptions； that 〃Everything is a bad business。 。 。 。 The half…shut eyes were dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life。〃 Simon fights with all his feeble power against the message of the head； against the 〃ancient； inescapable recognition。〃 The recognition against which he struggles is the revelation to him of human capacities for evil and the superficial nature of human moral systems。 It is the knowledge of the end of innocence； for which Ralph is to weep at the close of the book。 The pigs head seems to threaten Simon with death and reveals that it is 〃the Beast。〃 〃 '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 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 what they are？' 〃
At the end of this fantastic scene Simon imagines he is looking into a vast mouth。 〃There was blackness within； blackness that spread 。 。 。 Simon was inside the mouth。 He fell down and lost consciousness。〃 This mouth；4 the symbol of ravenous； unreasoning and eternally insatiable nature； appears again in Pincher Martin； in which the development of the theme of a Nature inimical to the conscious personality of man is developed in a stunning fashion。 In Lord of the Flies； however； only the outline of a philosophy is sketched and the boys of the island are figures in a parable or fable which like all parables or fables contains an inherent tension between the innocent； time…passing； storytelling aspect of its surface and the great； 〃dimly appreciated〃 depths of its interior。
4。Cf。 Conrad's 〃Heart of Darkness〃： 〃I saw ＇the dying Kurtz＇ open his mouth wide…it gave him a weirdly voracious aspect； as though he wanted to swallow all the air； all the earth； all the men before him。〃 Indeed Golding seems very dose to Conrad； both in basic principles and in artistic method。
Lord of the Campus1
BACK in England last week after a year in the U。 S。； British Author William Golding recalled his interrogation by American college students。 〃The question most asked was； 'Is there any hope for humanity？' I very dutifully said 'yes。' 〃 Golding's credentials for being asked such a monumental query…and for answering it…rest on one acplishment： his Lord of the Flies； a grim parable that holds out precious little hope for humanity； and is the most influential novel among U。 S。 undergraduates since 'Salinger's Catcher in the Rye。2
When Lord of the Flies was first published in the U。 S。 in 1955； it sold only 2；383 copies； and quickly went out of print。 But British enthusiasm for it has been gradually exported to Ivy League English departments； and demand for the book is now high。 The paperback edition； published in 1959； has already sold more than 65；000 copies。 At the Columbia University bookstore； it outsells Salinger。
Lord of the Flies is required reading at a hundred U。 S。 colleges； is on the list of suggested summer reading for freshmen entering colleges from Occidental to Williams。 At Harvard it is remended for a social…relations course on 〃interpersonal behavior。〃
An M。 I。 T。 minister uses it for a discussion group on original sin。 At Yale and Princeton…where Salinger； like the three…button suit； has lost some of his mystique as he
1。The following article is reprinted by permission from Time The Weekly Newsmagazine； copyright （c） Time Inc。 1962。 See 〃Lord of the Campus；〃 Time； LXXIX （June 22； 1982）； 84。
2。See Golding's remarks on Salinger's novel in the interview by Douglas M。 Davis； 〃A Conversation with Golding；〃 New Republic； 148 （May 4； 1963）； 28…30。…Eds。
bees adopted by the outlanders…the in…group popularity of Golding's book is creeping up。 At Smith； where Lord of the Flies runs a close second in sales to Salinger's Franny and Zooey； 1；000 girls turned out for a lecture by Golding。 The reception was the same at the thirty campuses Golding visited during his year as a rarely writer…in…residence at Virginia's Hollins College。3
CREATING THEIR OWN MISERY。 The British schoolboys in Lord of the Flies are a fe。w years younger than Salinger's Holden Caulfield…they are six to twelve…but are not self…pitying innocents in a world made miserable by adults。 They create their own world； their own misery。 Deposited unhurt on a deserted coral island by a plane during an atomic war； they form the responsible vacation…land democracy that their heritage calls for； and it gradually degenerates into anarchy； barbarism and murder。 When adult rescue finally es； they are a tribe of screaming painted savages hunting down their elected leader to tear him apart。 The British naval officer who finds them says； 〃I should have thought that a pack of British boys would have been able to put up a better show than that。〃 Then he goes back to his own war。
Says Golding： 〃The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature。 Before the war； most Europeans believed that man could be perfected by perfecting society。 We all saw a hell of a lot in the war that can't be accounted for except on the basis of original evil。〃
〃PEOPLE I KNEW IN CAMP。〃 What accounts for the appeal？ Part of it is； of course； pure identification。 A Harvard undergraduate says the book 〃rounds up all the people I knew in camp when I was a counselor。〃 On another level； Golding believes students 〃seem to have it in for the whole world of organization。 They're very cynical。 And here was someone who was not making excuses for society。 It was
3。 See Golding's series of four articles on his visit to the United States。 〃Touch of Insomnia；〃 Spectator； 207 （October 27； 1961）； 569…70； 〃Glass Door；〃 Spectator； 207 （November 24； 1961）； 732…33； 〃Body and Soul；〃 Spectator； 208 （January 19； 1962）； 65…66； 〃Gradus ad Parnassum；〃 Spectator； 208 （September 7； 1962）； 327…519。…Eds。
new to find someone who believes in original sin。〃 The prickly belief in original sin is not Golding's only unfashionable stand。 Under questioning by undergraduates； he cheerfully admitted he has read 〃absolutely no Freud〃4 （he prefers Greek plays in the original） and said there are no girls on the island because he does not believe that 〃sex has anything to do with humanity at this level。〃
At 51； bearded； scholarly William Golding claims to have been writing for 44 years…through childhood in Cornwall； Oxford； wartime duty as a naval officer； and 19 years as a schoolmaster。 Golding claims to be an optimist…emotionally if not intellectually…and has a humor that belies the gloomy themes of his allegories。 One critical appraisal of Lord of the Flies that impressed him came from an English schoolboy who went to an island near Puerto Rico last year
