41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx
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41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx
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41HumanHypocrisyinTennesseeWilliamsCatonaHotTinRoof副本
Ⅱ.TheMainManifestationofHumanHypocrisy
Asisknowntoall,charactersinTennessee’sworksarepsychicallycrippledorphysicallyparalyzedmoreorless.Therefore,mostofthemneedtofillhypocrisyintheinnerworldbydependingonfantasysoastofightagainsttherealityintherealworld.AlmostallpeoplesuchasBrick,Maggie,BigDaddy,BigMummy,GooperandMaeintheCatonaHotTinRoofaresurvivors;theyknowwhattheywant,theytrytheirbesttoachievetheirpurposesanddesire;asaconsequence,theylosetheirrespectandinnocenceinthehypocriticalprocess.
2.1.HumanHypocrisyofBrick
BrickistheleadingcharacterintheCatonaHotTinRoof,isalsothemostcomplicatedcharacterintheplay,andacatalystofthescenariodevelopment.ThehypocriticalthemeoftheplayisthereallifeofBrick.However,somecriticsharborideasthat“Brickisanexaggeratedpersonwhodeviatesfromthetruth”;Nelsonalsopointsoutthat:
“tosomeextent,Brickistheobjecttobeanalyzed,sothathisimageisnotdramaticanylonger[1].WhenitreferstotherelationshipbetweenBrickandSkipper,somecriticsbelievethatBrickbeautifiestheirrelationship,theirrelationshipisvagueandcomplex;whenBrickcompromisestohiswifeMaggie(Brickisunwillingtofulfillthedutyandresponsibilityofahusband),thecriticsdeemthatBrickcannotchangesofast;Funastubelievesthat“anihilistlikeBrickcannotchangeinsuchashorttime”[2].Winchellalsobelievesthat“thereisnotenoughmotivationandcausesofBrick’schange.”[3].TheabovecommentsindicatethatBrickisacomplicated,ambiguousfigure.Inthethesis,therelationshipsbetweenBrickandhiswifeMaggie,betweenBrickandhisfriendSkipper,betweenBrickandhisBigDaddyaredeeplyandprofoundlyanalyzedandexploredsoastoknowthehumanhypocrisyofBrickclearlyandvividly.
2.1.1.ThePersonalityAlienationofBrick
Brickdoesalotofstrangethingsintheplay:
heplayssidehorseinhisalmamateratlatenightandgetshurt,heneverpayanyattentiontowhathiswifesaystohim.Evenifheresponds,thewordsarefew.Itseemsthattheyareseparatedbyremoteplaces.Hesaysslowlyandgently:
“Whataretalkingabout,Maggie.”What’smore,henevercaresaboutthefeelingsofhiswifeandrefusestomakelovewithher.Itisincredibleforayoungmantoplaysidehorseatlatenight.Whenhetellshiswifethathelooksforalover,thetruthofthematterismorecomplicatedthanthesurfacecondition.Helivesinhisinnerworldanddoesnotallowhiswifetoenter;furthermore,hepreventsotherpeopletopeepathisinnerworldthroughsilence.Evenifhiswifeprotests:
“silencecannotsolveanyproblem”,hedoesnotchange.Facedwiththefactthathisdotingfatherwilldieduetocancer,hekeepssilentallthetime.Ingeneral,hedoesnotcareaboutthesurroundings,indulgingindrinking,keepingawayfromeverything,itseemsthathehatestherealityandwantstoescape.WhenhiswifementionsSkipper,heishurtandtouched.SkipperishisdeadfriendandheisnotwillingtofacethereasonwhySkipperdiesasotherpeopleknowthattherelationshipbetweenSkipperandhimisunexplainableandunclear.Ononehand,heisextremelyguiltyandregretfulbecauseSkippercallshimbeforeSkipperdies,sothatherealizesthatitishewhokillsSkipper.Ontheotherhand,hecannotfacetherealitysothatheisimmersedindrinkingsoastodestroyhimself.Atthesametime,hethinksthatMaggie,hiswife,shouldtakeberesponsibleforthedeathofSkipperbecausehiswifevilifiestheirinnocentrelationshipandleadstothedeathofSkipperindirectly.Atthemoment,heblamesthedeathofhisfriendsubconsciouslysinceitisanunexplainableprobleminhislife.
2.1.2.HomosocialDesireofBrick
Thesameashisfather,Brickalsomakesupmendacityofhishomosexualdesire.HehasgotaclosefriendshipwithSkipperwhofinallychoosestocommitsuicide,leavingtheirrelationshipunderdiscussionamongcriticsforquitealongtime.Inastateofself-deception,Skipperisenragedbyhisownactwhichdoesnotconformtomoralstandardandsociety’sruleregardingaman’scorrectsexualtendency.Beingunabletogetridofmoralconstraint,hedisdainshimself,andothers’irritationandhostilitytowardhomosexualityevendeepenshisfear.Shamedandguilty,SkippercommitssuicideafterhenameshisloveforBrickthatnight,whenhedrinksheavilyandconfesseshislove.DeathofSkipperisnotisolatedandoccasional;instead,itreflectsthebondageandrestrictionoftraditionalmorality,whichisdeeplyrootedforhundredsofyears.AsforBrick,heneveradmitshishomosexualorientationwithSkipper.BothMaggieandBigDaddytrytolethimfacehishomosexualitywithSkipper,buthedeniesthesuspicioncompletely:
“BigDaddy,youshockme...Don’tyouknowhowpeoplefeelaboutthingslikethat?
How,howdisgustedtheyarebythingslikethat?
Why,atOleMisswhenitwasdiscoveredapledgetoourfraternity.Skipperandmine,dida,attemptedtodoa,unnaturalthingwithWenotonlydroppedhimlikeahotrock!
-Wetoldhimtogotoffthecampus,andhedid,hegot!
[4]”
ThestrongdenyofBrickcannotconvincehisfather,andheactuallyhasrealizedthehomosexualdesirethathidesinhismind.HeadmitsthatheandSkipperoccasionallytouched“oneortwotimes”andreadersarelefttoimaginewhathappenedandwhattheydidduringthetime.ItcouldbeseenfromhiswordsabovethatheisquitescaredwhenhegetsthepointthatBigDaddythinkshemightbehomosexual.
Asafootballplayerandsportannouncer,Brickgetsusedtothelifewithhighapprovalandregardfromthesociety.Heisnotabletoacceptbeinglabeledasahomosexual-Andhealsoistheonlyoneinthefamilywhoisafraidtoadmittheconnectionbetweenhimselfandtheoriginalowneroftheplantation,sinceheisnotabletotakethecouple’shomosexualityateaseasothersdo.HisattitudetowardshomosexualityisfullyrevealedwhentalkingaboutStrawandOchello.Heuseswordssuchas“flickingsissies”,“queers”,“apairofdirtyoldmen”,andwecan“gaugethewideandprofoundreachoftheconventionalmoreshegotfromtheworldthatcrownedhimwithearlylaurel”.Onthecontrary,hedescribeshisrelationshipwithSkipperas“deep,deepfriendship...cleananddecent”[5],whichhavenothingtodowithhomosexuality.Infact,hisresponseconformstothedevelopingstagesofthementalconsequencesofthehomoeroticsetbyVemL.Bullough.InhisHomosexuality,AHistory,helistsfivestages,namely,1.Denialandisolation;2.Anger;3.Bargaining;4.Depression;5.Acceptance(朱刚,315).AccordingtoBullough’sdefinition,Brickhasalreadypassedthefirstfourstagesandisonlylackofacceptancebyhimself.
Brick’sexperienceofwitnessingthepersecutionofhomosexualslethimawareoftheconsequenceofhomosexuality.Bylivingwith“toomuchspacearoundmetobeinfectedbyideasofotherpeople”[6],Brickcaresaboutsocialenvironmentsandpeoplearound,whichpartlyexplainswhyhedenieshishomosexualtendency.Obsessedwiththepublicopinionandhorrifiedofbeingclassifiedasaqueer,Brickbecomesveryeasilyagitated.Hisallergicreactionandnegativeattitudetowardhomosexualityisakindofpanic.Hepretendstobenormalandtriestoturnhishomosexualdesireintoheterosexualitysincehelivesinaworldwhereheterosexualityhasthedominantpower.Togetridoflabelsas“queer”and“abnormal”,Brickneedstoconformtotheheterosexualconventionandpretendtobeagoodhusbandandson.Consequently,heagreestohavesexwithMaggieattheendofActThree,whichindicateshisdesireandchoicetofollowtheestablishedsocialconventionsandbe“normal”.
2.2.HumanHypocrisyofMaggie
InCatonaHotTinRoof,Maggieisdepictedasawomanborninapoorfamily.Sheislackofsenseofsecurity,notonlyfinanciallybutalsosocially.Sheis“prettyyoungwoman,withanxiouslinesinherface”[7].MaggieseesBrick’sattitudetowardmarriageclearly,sothatMaggiehastodosomethingtosavehermarriage,aswellastochangeherownfateinsteadofwaiting.Consequently,shepretendstobefilialandkind.
2.2.1Maggie’sMarriageBasedonMaterialWealth
Sheissoafraidtoloseeverythingthatshetrieshardtomaintainthemarriage.Sheisasocialclimberwhowantstochangeherlifeviamarriage.“Brick,youknow,I’vebeensoGoddamndisgustingpoorallmylife!
-That’sthetruth,Brick!
AlwayshadtosuckuptopeopleIcouldn’tstandbecausetheyhadmoneyandIwaspoorasJob’sturkey.Youdon’tknowwhatthat’slike”[8].Comingfromapoverty-strickensocialbackground,MaggiedeterminestoinheritBigDaddy’slegacy;therefore,thebreakupwithBrickwillgetherbacktothepoorlifeandreducehertonothingagain.AsBigDaddy’sfavoredson,Brickhastocarryonthefamilylinetoinheritthelegacy,otherwise,GooperislikelytoseizeallBigDaddy’sholdingswiththehelpofhergreedywife,Mae.Maggieunderstandsthesituation,assheoncetalkswithBrickreferringtoGooperandMae“constantlittleremarksandinnuendosaboutthefactthatyouandIhavenotproducedanychildaretotallychildlessandthereforetotallyuseless!
”
WilliamsendowsMaggiethedeterminationtoachieveherambitions.Evenwhenshefindsherselfinapositionwithnohope,shedoesnotgiveupandstillmakesconstantefforts.SheneverallowsanychancetoGooperandMaetogetthetwenty-eightthousandacresofplantation.ShewarnsBrickthat“onethingIdon’thaveisthecharmofdefeated,myhatisstillinthering,andIamdeterminetowin!
”[9]He
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