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ut like a bubble as the children watched； （p。 53。）
It is this kind of sensitivity to language； this effortless precision of statement that makes the novel worth the most patient attention。 And what applies to the island applies to the characters also。 As Jack gradually loses his name so that at the end of the novel he is simply the Chief we feel this terrible loss of identity ing over in his total inability to do anything that is not instinctively gratifying。 He begins to talk always in the same way； to move with the same intent。 But this is in final terrible stages of the novel。 If we turn back to the beginning of the novel we find Mr。 Golding catching perfectly a tone of voice； a particular rhythm of speech。 Ralph is talking to Piggy shortly after they have met：
〃I could swim when I was five。 Daddy taught me。 He's a mander in the Navy。 When he gets leave he'll e and rescue us。 What's your father？〃
Piggy flushed suddenly。
〃My dad's dead；〃 he said quickly； 〃and my mum…〃
He took off his glasses and looked vainly for something with which to clean them。
〃I used to live with my auntie。 She kept a candy store。 I used to get ever so many candies。 As many as I liked。 When'll your dad rescue us？〃
〃Soon as he can。〃 （p。 11。）
Notice how skillfully Mr。 Golding has caught in that snatch of dialogue； not only schoolboy speech rhythms；2 but also； quite unobtrusively； the social difference between the two boys。 〃What's your father？〃； 〃When'll your dad rescue us？〃 There are two continents of social experience hinted at here。 I draw attention to this passage simply to show that in a trivial instance； in something that would never be quoted in any account of 〃the importance〃 of the book； it is the gifts which are peculiar to a novelist； 〃to make you hear； to make you feel 。 。 。 to make you see；〃 that are being displayed。
Perhaps； however； we feel these gifts most unmistakably present not in the way the landscape is presented to us； nor the characters； but rather in the extraordinary momentum and power which drives the whole narrative forward； so that one incident leads to another with an inevitability which is awesome。 A great deal of this power es from Mr。 Golding's careful preparation for an incident： so that the full significance of a scene is only gradually revealed。 Consider； for instance； one of these。 Early in the book Ralph discovers the nickname of his panion with delight：
〃Piggy！ Piggy！〃
Ralph danced out into the hot air of the beach and then returned as a fighter plane； with wings swept back； and machine…gunned Piggy。
Time passes； games give way to hunting； but still the hunting can only be talked about in terms of a game and when Jack describes his first kill； it takes the form of a game：
〃I cut the pig's throat…〃
The twins； still sharing their identical grin； jumped up and ran round each other。 Then the rest joined in； making pig…dying noises and shouting。
2。In their notes for this edition the authors define all of the schoolboy slang terms that are likely to confuse adult readers。… Eds。
〃One for his nob！〃
〃Give him a fourpenny one！〃
Then Maurice pretended to be the pig and ran squealing into the centre； and the hunters； circling still； pretended to beat him。 As they danced； they sang。
〃Kill the pig。 Cut her throat。 Bash her in。〃
Ralph watched them； envious and resentful。 Not till they flagged and the chant died away； did he speak 〃I'm calling an assembly。〃
There is an exasperation in Ralph's statement which places him outside the game； the fantasy fighter plane has no place in this more hectic play； the line between pretense and reality is being more difficult to see。 The first incident emerged from an overflow of high spirits； the second from the deeper need to municate an experience。 When the game is next played； the exuberant mood has evaporated。 Maurice's place has been taken by Robert：
Jack shouted。
〃Make a ring！〃
The circle moved in and round。 Robert squealed in mock terror； then in real pain。
〃Ow！ Stop it！ You're hurting！〃
The butt end of a spear fell on his back as he blundered among them。
〃Hold him！〃
They got his arms and legs。 Ralph； carried away by a sudden thick excitement； grabbed Eric's spear and jabbed at Robert with it。
〃Kill him！ Kill him！〃
All at once； Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy。 Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife。 Behind him was Roger； fighting to get close。 The chant rose ritually； as at the last moment of a dance or a hunt。
〃Kill the pig！ Cut his throat！ Kill the pig！ Bash him in！〃
Ralph too was fighting to get near； to get a handful of that brown； vulnerable flesh。 The desire to squeeze and hurt was over…mastering。
The climax is reached when the game turns into the killing of Simon…the pig； first mentioned in Ralph's delighted mockery of Piggy's name； made more real in the miming of Maurice and then in the hurting of Robert； bees indistinguishable from Simon who is trampled to death。 This series of incidents； unobtrusive in any ordinary reading； nevertheless helps to drive the book forward with its jet…like power and speed。 Just before Simon's arrival at the feast； there is a sudden pause and silence； the game is suspended。 〃Roger ceased to be a pig and became a hunter； so that the centre of the ring yawned emptily；〃 It is that final phrase which crystallizes the emotion； so that we feel we are suddenly on the brink of tragedy without being able to locate it。 It is now； after the violence； that the way is clear for the spiritual climax of the novel。 As Simon's body is carried out to sea we are made aware； in the writing； of the significance of Simon's whole function in the novel； the beauty of the natural world and its order hints at a harmony beyond the tortured world of man and to which now Simon has access。 And Mr。 Golding has made this real to us； not by asserting some abstract proposition with which we may or may not agree； but by 〃the power of the written word。〃
During the last part of this Introduction when I have been urging the importance of Lord of the Flies as a fiction； you may think that I am putting forward some claim for Mr。 Golding as a stylist； a writer of fine prose； rather in the manner of Oscar Wilde saying that there is no such thing as good books and bad books； only well written and badly written books。 This is dangerously misleading if we interpret this as meaning we can separate what is being said from how it is being said。 If； on the other hand； we intend that the content of a novel only 〃lives〃 in direct relation to the writer's ability to municate it imaginatively； then Wilde's remark is surely true。 Ultimately； Mr。 Golding's book is valuable to us； not because it 〃tells us about〃 the darkness of man's heart； but because it shows it； because it is a work of art which enables us to enter into the world it creates and live at the level of a deeply perceptive and intelligent man。 His vision bees ours； and such a translation should make us realize the truth of Shelley's remark that 〃the great instrument for the moral good is the imagination。〃
An Old Story Well Told1