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a thing to fear。 When he finds the body of the chutist and disentangles the lines； Simon is seen as ministering to the dead； mitting the body to the earth so that the processes of deposition can plete the return 〃to earth。〃 However； because the wind takes hold of the chute and carries off the corpse； Simon bees the exorcist from the island of the false menace； the mistakenly feared dead man。 （Golding recollects in the Keating interview…after explaining that his memory of the novel might be blurred…that Simon releases the body 〃so that the wind can ＇italics mine＇ blow this dead thing away from the island；〃 implying intention on Simon's part。） In any event； Simon's Christ…role is confirmed when； following his discovery that the 〃beast on the mountain〃 is only the dead airman； Simon es down from the mountain…the 〃heights of truth〃…to save the boys from their false fears and to turn their sights inward upon their own behavior； sharing the knowledge that； while the dead are not to be feared； the live are。 （It might better be said that； while the dead are not to be feared； the killed are。）
The responsibility for the martyrdom of Simon； like the responsibility for that of Jesus； can be ascribed either to secular or sacred interests。 At first the tribe maintains that it was not Simon they had killed； but the terrorizing 〃beast〃 and Simon is made a scapegoat； the capital…punishment of whom satisfies the established state （the tribe） by eliminating a supposed enemy。 Later on the boys admit that it was not the 〃beast〃 that they had killed； but Simon； rationalizing that the human sacrifice will finally appease the 〃beast；〃 which they have been placating with pigs' heads； and Simon is made a human offering； the immolation of whom assuages the established god （the 〃beast〃）； the priests of which the 〃celebrants〃 of the sacrificial feast bee。
However； the analogue between Golding's Simon and Christianity's Saviour stops short of soteriology。 Only Simon has hearkened。 From his life and death no help accrues to that microcosm of humanity； on its island Earth in a space of sea； lost； and in need to be 〃saved。〃 Upon Golding's Simon Peter no church is founded； no mechanism for salvation。 In fact； the implication of the novel is。 that the beast in man can never be recognized because it causes imagined 〃beasts〃 forever to be misidentified and slain before identified correctly； so that； unrecognized； the beast endures。 The beast is man's inability to recognize his own responsibility for his own self…destruction。
Of course； what constitutes self…destruction the centuries have quarreled over。 （What 〃good〃 is really evil； what 〃evil〃 really good？ Does man destroy himself in being himself； or in trying not to be himself？ What is his nature； for him to be guilty in response to； innocent in accord with； or guilty in accord with and innocent in response to？ The physics and metaphysics of 〃self〃 produce the paradoxes of guilt： does man react to a basically innocent nature with misguided guilt； or react to a basically guilty nature with unrecognizing innocence？） Apollo and Dionysus still wrestle。 Nevertheless； whatever in man is to blame； what is to blame is something in man。 It is the shifting by man of responsibility onto 〃beasts〃 outside himself； his refusal to confront
his own nature； that the sow's head symbolizes and Golding excoriates。
What finally happens to Simon the saviour the four paragraphs closing Chapter Nine relate； in detailing the disposition of Simon's body。 These paragraphs emphasize the material assimilation of the corpse back into the material universe。 It is true that the last glimpse Golding provides of the body is that of its drifting 〃out to sea；〃 in the ancient symbolic act of the soul's 〃crossing over；〃 but the absence of evidence that Simon is to have a conscious afterlife； that he will remain in any way intact as a person； makes the decorporealization seem very permanent。 The body glows ironically； with the luminescence of scavengers； metamorphosing it into the subhuman world of ragged claws。 Even as Simon's body is seen； at the close of Chapter Nine； to be a 〃silver form under the steadfast constellations〃 （the body to disintegrate； the stars to prevail）； the intimations of immortality are quite evanescent。 The romantic metaphor of its being a star obviates the urgent practicalities of the Christian's 〃getting into heaven；〃 Simon's soul （breath…spirit） leaves him with a last gruesome 〃plop。〃 At best the prospect seems to be the certainly non…Christian one of Simon's disembodied spirit's remaining forever disembodied。 The drift of these paragraphs of Lord of the Flies seems to counter the Christian anticipation of an eventual hylozoic reunion of human body and soul。 And though the reader's sympathies yearn that the beauty of Simon's spirit preclude its extinction； that beauty in the end only makes the oblivion Simon es to more poignant。
The Coral Island Revisited1
CARL NIEMEYER
ONE interested in finding out about Golding for oneself should probably begin with Lord of the Flies； now available in a paperback。 The story is simple。 In a way not clearly explained； a group of children； all boys； presumably evacuees in a future war； are dropped from a plane just before it is destroyed； onto an uninhabited tropical island。 The stage is thus set for a reworking of a favorite subject in children's literature： castaway children assuming adult responsibilities without adult supervision。 Golding expects his readers to recall the classic example of such a book； R。 M。 Ballantyne's The Coral Island （1857）；2 where the boys rise to the occasion and behave as admirably as would adults。 But in Lord of the Flies everything goes wrong from the beginning。 A few boys representing sanity and mon sense； led by Ralph and Piggy； see the necessity for maintaining a signal fire to attract a rescue。 But they are thwarted by the hunters； led by red…haired Jack； whose lust for blood is finally not to be satisfied by killing merely wild pigs。 Only the timely arrival of a British cruiser saves us from an ending almost literally too horrible to think about Since Golding is using a naive literary form to express sophisticated reflections on the nature of man and society； and since he refers obliquely
1。This article appeared in College English； 22 （January； 1961）； 241…45； and is reprinted here in slightly shortened form by permission of the National Council of the Teachers of English and the author。
2。It is worthwhile to pare Frank Kermode's discussion of The Coral Island with Niemeyer's。 See 〃The Novels of William Golding；〃 reprinted in this volume on pp。 203…206。 See also the Foreword to this volume。…Eds。
to Ballantyne many times throughout the book； a glance at The Coraf Island is appropriate。
Ballantyne shipwrecks his three boys…Jack； eighteen； Ralph； the narrator； aged fifteen； and Peterkin Gay； a ic sort of boy； aged thirteen…somewhere in the South Seas on an uninhabited coral island。 Jack is a natural leader； but both Ralph and Peterkin have abilities valuable for survival。 Jack has the most mon sense and foresight； but Peterkin turns out to be a skillful killer of pigs； and Ralph； when later in t