英语论文网

xicating spell of the practice of violence [which]binds men together as a whole, since each individual forms a violent link in the greatchain, a part of the great organism of violence which has surged upward” (67).The accomplices in the novel function as the promoter of Colley’s tragedyincluding the passengers and Talbot. Both passengers and Talbot have erased theirability to make moral judgment when they gather together in the ship. Thus thiscollective is formed by a group of people who show no concern to others. That is whyneither Talbot nor passengers are aware of their attitude toward parson which wouldcause the collective violence upon Colley.The victim Colley makes a detailed record about his sufferings during the voyageespecially in the cruel crossing-the-line ceremony. For Colley, the rite is “cruller thandeath” (Golding 254). He is dragged by two masked man and is forced to kneel downin front of the “throne” and also required to accept the “punishment” (251). Inaddition, Colley is beaten by tars, and even his head is sunk in the tarpaulin bag whichis full of nauseous things such as urine and seawater. The man is half-naked on deck,and experiences the desperate humiliating and discouraging trick in front of all thegentlemen and ladies in the meantime. While he opens his mouth for turning for help,it is filled with “nauseous stuff” immediately by the sailors (252).
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CONCLUSION

William Golding is one of the most important postwar novelists in the twentiethcentury. Rites of Passage won him the Booker Prize in 1980. As introduced inliterature review, many critics have already done various studies on this novel, such asthe thematic studies, the research on the narrative strategy, the studies applied byfeminist approach, and etc., yet so far none of interpretations of humanity has appliedArendt’s elaborations on violence. Also, there is hardly a systematic study on theinitiation theme which is presented in the novel. Therefore, this study has made someprogress in the research of this celebrate novel. This thesis has analyzed theprotagonists Talbot’s initiation through his experience of violence and his reflectionson violence by applying Arendt’s elaborations on violence. Arendt’s provokingthoughts concerning the collective violence performed by common people form atheoretical basis for analyzing the passengers’ conduct on board.Arendt discusses that common people resort to violence to achieve a certain goalwhich cannot be achieved through a reasonable way. She further puts forward that themost evil thing in the world is that the evil is conducted by ordinary people who lackthe ability to think and make moral judgment. She interprets that the banality of evilpropels people to resort to violence as the instrument to obtain their goals. Besides,among all the forms of violence, collective violence is the most dangerous one,especially when it is conducted by a group of people without the capability ofthinking.
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