论《蝇王》的时间变奏

Time Shift in Lord of the Flies

时间是《蝇王》文本构建的重要艺术手法,小说以未来时间开头,以原始时间延续,以现代时间结尾,形成一种独特的原始与现代交融的时间变奏。这种未来—原始—现代的时间变奏,与戈尔丁前三部小说《蝇王》、《继承人》以及《品彻·马丁》的背景时间达成默契,而与《蝇王》本身的明暗对比模式形成强烈的反差。借助这种独特的时间建构,戈尔丁深刻地阐明了人性恶的无时间性,表现出他对历史进化论的怀疑。

Time plays a very important role in Lord of the Flies. Beginning with future time, the novel proceeds to primitive time and ends with modern time. The time shift between future, primitive and modern times coincides with the background time in Golding’s first three novels, i.e. Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors and Pincher Martin, and stands in sharp contrast with the light and darkness in Lord of the Flies. Through the time shift and its contrast with light and darkness, Golding expounds the timelessness of darkness in man’s heart and shows his doubt about the historical evolutionism.