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Murray's Reviews > Deliverance
Deliverance
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The End of Conscience
Ah. This book. Famous for its movie. (In which the author had a speaking part as the tough local sheriff)
They go into the wilderness of the American South to paddle one of the last unspoiled rivers. They are set upon by locals and at least one of the men is molested. Some of them then seek the path of vengeance against the locals.
So the book becomes a question of conscience - can it be ignored and overridden? And if it can, does that mean any action is possible by civilized man? Are a good conscience, mercy and equanimity simply a veneer over nature red in fang and claw?
In a way, Deliverance is a spin on Lord of the Flies, just coming at it from a slightly different direction. There is even a man who has retained good conscience among them who speaks out about their plans for retribution. But they use his love for democracy to call for a vote and the majority vote is against him.
How thick or how thin is human conscience and good will?
Ah. This book. Famous for its movie. (In which the author had a speaking part as the tough local sheriff)
They go into the wilderness of the American South to paddle one of the last unspoiled rivers. They are set upon by locals and at least one of the men is molested. Some of them then seek the path of vengeance against the locals.
So the book becomes a question of conscience - can it be ignored and overridden? And if it can, does that mean any action is possible by civilized man? Are a good conscience, mercy and equanimity simply a veneer over nature red in fang and claw?
In a way, Deliverance is a spin on Lord of the Flies, just coming at it from a slightly different direction. There is even a man who has retained good conscience among them who speaks out about their plans for retribution. But they use his love for democracy to call for a vote and the majority vote is against him.
How thick or how thin is human conscience and good will?
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Jonathan
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Dec 13, 2023 11:52AM
Nice..loved the film but never read the book. Based on what you're saying it seems like it might be worth adding though Lord of the Flies wasn't one of my favorites
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It’s like LOTF just in that it’s about humans losing the best part of themselves along with any sense of conscience
Bend over, Murray. can you squeal like a pig, boy? DELIVERANCE became the bane of existence for both Dickey and Ned Beatty.
Yes, Murray, this novel is the ultimate anti-Rousseau, except that civilization is gone. Human nature is evil, but so is civilization, here depicted as the power company that is raping the land to build a dam. No one has a conscience in Dickeyland.
You’ve said it well, Julio
