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boys themselves； and he alone discovers that what has caused their terror is in reality a dead parachutist ironically stifled in the elaborate clothing worn to guarantee survival。 But Simon's failure is the inevitable failure of the mystic…what he knows is beyond words； he cannot impart his insights to others。 Having an early glimpse of the truth； he cannot tell it。
Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express man…kind's essential illness。 Inspiration came to him。
〃What's the dirtiest thing there is？〃
As an answer Jack dropped into the unprehending silence that followed it the one crude expressive syllable。 Release was like an orgasm。 Those littluns who had climbed back on the twister fell off again and did not mind。 The hunters were screaming with delight。
Simon's effort fell about him in ruins； the laughter beat him cruelly and he shrank away defenseless to his seat （p。 82）。
Mockery also greets Simon later when he speaks to the lord of the flies； though this time it is sophisticated； adult mockery：
〃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 with the parody of laughter （p。 133）。
Tragically； when Simon at length achieves a vision so clear that it is readily municable he is killed by the pig hunters in their insane belief that he is the very evil which he alone has not only understood but actually exorcised。 Lake the martyr； he is killed for being precisely what he is not。
The inadequacy of Jack is the most serious of all； and here perhaps if anywhere in the novel we have a personification of absolute evil。 Though he is the most mature of the boys （he alone of all the characters is given a last name）； and though as head of the choir he is the only one with any experience of leadership； he is arrogant and lacking in Ralph's charm and warmth。 Obsessed with the idea of hunting； he organizes his choir members into a band of killers。 Ostensibly they are to kill pigs； but pigs alone do not satisfy them； and pigs are in any event not needed for food。 The blood lust once aroused demands nothing less than human blood。 If Ralph represents purely civil authority； backed only by his own good will； Piggy's wisdom； and the crowd's easy willingness to be ruled； Jack stands for naked ruthless power； the police force or the military force acting without restraint and gradually absorbing the whole state into itself and annihilating what it cannot absorb。 Yet even Jack is inadequate。 He is only a little boy after all； as we are sharply reminded in a brilliant scene at the end of the book； when we suddenly see him through the eyes of the officer instead of through Ralph's （pp。 185…87）； and he is； like all sheer power； anarchic。 When Ralph identifies himself to the officer as 〃boss；〃 Jack； who has just all but murdered him； makes a move in dispute； but overawed at last by superior power； the power of civilization and the British Navy； implicit in the officer's mere presence； he says nothing。 He is a villain （Are his red hair and ugliness intended to suggest that he is a devil？）； but in our world of inadequacies and imperfections even villainy does not fulfill itself pletely。 If not rescued； the hunters would have destroyed Ralph and made him； like the sow； an offering to the beast； but the inexorable logic of Ulysses makes us understand that they would have proceeded thence to self…destruction。
Then everything includes itself in power；
Power into will； will into appetite；
And appetite； an universal wolf；
So doubly seconded with will and power；
Must make perforce an universal prey；
And last eat up himself。
The distance we have traveled from Ballantyne's cheerful unrealities is both artistic and moral Golding is admittedly symbolic； Ballantyne professed to be telling a true story。 Yet it is the symbolic tale that； at least for our times； carries conviction。 Golding's boys； who choose to remember nothing of their past before the plane accident； who； as soon as Jack mands the choir to take off the robes marked with the cross of Christianity； have no trace of religion； who demand to be ruled and are incapable of being ruled properly； who though many of them were once choir boys （Jack could sing C sharp） never sing a note on the island； in whose minds the great tradition of Western culture has left the titles of a few books for children； a knowledge of the use of matches （but no matches）； and hazy memories of planes and TV sets…these boys are more plausible than Ballantyne's。 His was a world of blacks and whites： bad hurricanes； good islands； good pigs obligingly allowing themselves to be taken for human food； bad sharks disobligingly taking human beings for shark food； good Christians； bad natives； bad pirates； good boys。 Of the beast within； which demands blood sacrifice； first a sow's head； then a boy's； Ballantyne has some vague notion； but he cannot take it seriously。 Not only does Golding see the beast； he sees that to keep it at bay we have civilization； but when by some magic or accident civilization is abolished and the human animal is left on his own； dependent upon his mere humanity； then being human is not enough。 The beast appears； though not necessarily spontaneously or inevitably； for it never rages in Ralph or Piggy or Simon as it does in Roger or Jack； but it is latent in all of them； in the significantly named Piggy； in Ralph； who sometimes envies the abandon of the hunters （p。 69） and who shares the desire to 〃get a handful〃 of Robert's 〃brown； vulnerable flesh〃 （p。 106）； and even in Simon burrowing into his private hiding place。 After Simon's death Jack attracts all the boys but Ralph and the loyal Piggy into his army。 Then when Piggy is killed and Ralph is alone； only civilization can save him。 The timely arrival of the British Navy is less theatrical than logically necessary to make Golding's point。 For civilization defeats the beast。 It slinks back into the jungle as the boys creep out to be rescued； but the beast is real It is there； and it may return。
〃A World of Violence and Small Boys〃1
J。 T。 C。 GOLDING
PROBABLY he will agree that his real education was picked up； almost by the way； at home。 In those days when the radio was non…existent and the cost of gramophones prohibitive the only local music was the town band。 Bill was lucky that Mom was good enough to acpany Dad through Handel； Mozart and others。 They were often joined by an ex…bandmaster of the Coldstream Guards。 The walls of that small front room are probably vibrating still。 Bill； as a small boy； was terribly affected by Tosti's 〃Good…bye。〃 There was painting。 Dad's own paintings of scenery in Wiltshire and Cornwall hung on the walls and there were a couple of books of cheap reprints of the great ones。 There were books。 Chief among them was the Children's Encyclopaedia and of course Dad had access to the School Library。2 Bill was disappointed when he got to school to find he'd read most of the library。 It was a small one。
One book that was read and re…read was Nat the Naturalisf； by George Manville Fenn。 The scene was set somewhere in the j