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se and foresight； but Peterkin turns out to be a skillful killer of pigs； and Ralph； when later in the book he is temporarily separated from his friends and alone on a schooner； coolly navigates it back to Coral Island by dead reckoning； a feat sufficiently impressive； if not quite equal to Captain Bligh's。 The boys' life on the island is idyllic； and they are themselves without malice or wickedness； though there are a few curious episodes in which Ballantyne seems to hint at something he himself understands as little as do his characters。 One is Peterkin's wanton killing of an old sow； useless as food； which the boy rationalizes by saying he needs leather for shoes； This and one or two other passages suggest that Ballantyne was aware of some darker aspects of boyish nature； but for the most part he emphasizes the paradisiacal life of the happy castaways。 Like Golding's； however； Ballantyne's story raises the problem of evil； but whereas Golding finds evil in the boys own natures； it es to Ballantyne's boys not from within themselves but from the outside world。 Tropical nature； to be sure； is kind； but the men of this non…Christian world are bad。 For example； the island is visited by savage cannibals； one canoeful pursuing another； who fight a cruel and bloody battle； observed by the horrified boys； and then go away。 A little later the island is again visited； this time by pirates （i。e。； white men who have renounced or scorned their Christian heritage）； who succeed in capturing Ralph。 In due time the pirates are deservedly destroyed； and in the final episode of the book the natives undergo an unmotivated conversion to Christianity； which effects a total change in their nature just in time to rescue the boys from their clutches。
Thus Ballantyne's view of man is seen to be optimistic； like his view of English boys' pluck and resourcefulness； which subdues tropical islands as triumphantly as England imposes empire and religion on lawless breeds of men。 Colding‘s naval officer； the deus ex machine； of Lord of theFlies； is only echoing Ballantyne when； perceiving dimly that all has not gone well on the island； he says （p。 186）： 〃I should have thought that a pack of British boys…you're all British； aren't you？…would have been able to put up a better show than that…I mean…〃
This is not the only echo of the older book。 Golding boldly calls his two chief characters Jack and Ralph。 He reproduces the ic Peterkin in the person of Piggy。3 He has a wanton killing of a wild pig； acplished； as E。 L。 Epstein points out； 〃in terms of sexual intercourse。〃4 He uses a storm to avert a quarrel between Jack and Ralph； as Ballantyne used a hurricane to rescue his boys from death at the hands of cannibals。 He emphasizes physical cruelty but integrates it into his story； and by making it a real if deplorable part of human； or at least boyish； nature improves on Ballantyne； whose descriptions of brutality…never of course performed by the boys…are usually introduced merely for their sensational effect。 Finally； on the last page Golding's officer calls Ralph mildly to task for not having organized things better。
〃It was like that at first；〃 said Ralph； 〃before things…〃
He stopped。
〃We were together then…〃
The officer nodded helpfully。
I know。 Jolly good show。 Like the Coral Island。〃
Golding invokes Ballantyne； so that the kind but unprehending adult； the instrument of salvation； may recall to the child who has just gone through hell the naivete of the child's own early innocence； now forever lost； but he suggests at the same time the inadequacy of Ballantyne's picture of human nature in primitive surroundings。
Golding； then； regards Ballantyne's book as a badly falsified map of reality； yet the only map of this particular reality that many of us have。 Ralph has it and； through harrowing experiences； replaces it with a more accurate one。 The naval officer； though he should know better； since he is on
3。Golding has declared that Peterkin of The Coral Island bees Simon in Lord of the Flies。 See Frank Kermode and William Golding； The Meaning of It AH；〃 p。 201。…Eds。
4。E。 L。 Epstein； 〃Notes on Lord of the Flies；〃 p。 280 below。… Eds。
the scene and should not have to rely on memories of his boyhood reading； has it； and it seems unlikely that he is ever going to alter it； for his last recorded action is to turn away from the boys and look at his 〃trim〃 cruiser； in other words to turn away from a revelation of the untidy human heart to look at something manufactured； manageable； and solidly useful。
Golding； who being a grammar school teacher should know boys well； gives a corrective of Ballantyne's optimism。 As he has explained； the book is 〃an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature。〃 5 These defects turn out； on close examination； to result from the evil of inadequacy and mistakenness。 Evil is not the positive and readily identifiable force it appears to be when embodied in Ballantyne's savages and pirates。 Golding's Ralph； for example； has real abilities； most conspicuous among them the gift of leadership and a sense of responsibility toward the 〃littluns。〃 Yet both are inplete。 〃By now；〃 writes Golding； 〃Ralph had no self…consciousness in public thinking but would treat the day's decisions as though he were playing chess。〃 Such detachment is obviously an important and valuable quality in a leader； but significantly the next sentence reads： 〃The only trouble was that he would never be a very good chess player〃 （p。 108）。 Piggy on the other hand no doubt would have been a good chess player； for with a sense of responsibility still more acute than Ralph's he bines brains and mon sense。 Physically； however； he is ludicrous…fat； asthmatic； and almost blind without his specs。 He is forever being betrayed by his body。 At his first appearance he is suffering from diarrhea； his last gesture is a literally brainless twitch of the limbs； 'like a pig's after it has been killed〃 （p。 167）。 His further defect is that he is powerless； except as he works through Ralph。 Though Piggy is the first to recognize the value of the conch and even shows Ralph how to blow it to summon the first assembly； he cannot sound it himself。 And he lacks imagination。 Scientifically minded as he is； he scorns what is intangible and he dismisses the possibility of ghosts or an imaginary beast。 〃 'Cos things wouldn't make sense。 Houses an' streets； an'…TV… they wouldn't work〃 （p。 85）。 Of course he is quite right；
5。 Quoted by Epstein； p。 277。…Eds。
save that he forgets he is now on an island where the artifacts of the civilization he has always known are meaningless。
It is another important character； Simon； who understands that there may indeed be a beast； even if not a palpable one…〃maybe it's only us〃 （p。 82）。 The scientist Piggy has recognized it is possible to be frightened of people （p。 78）； but he finds this remark of Simon's dangerous nonsense。 Still Simon is right； as we see from his interview with the sow's head on a stake； which is the lord of the flies。 He is right that the beast is in the boys themselves； and he alone discovers that what has caused their terror is in reality a dead parac