AnalysisofNaturalisminDeathofaSalesman分析《推销员之死》中的自然观.docx
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AnalysisofNaturalisminDeathofaSalesman分析《推销员之死》中的自然观.docx
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AnalysisofNaturalisminDeathofaSalesman分析《推销员之死》中的自然观
AnalysisofNaturalisminDeathofaSalesman
Abstract:
OneofthethemesoftheplayofArthurMillerisnaturalisminitsportrayalofhumanssubjecttoeconomicandideologicalforces.Atthesametime,thenaturalismoftheplayiscomplicatedforitsalmostpost-moderntreatmentofsuchdistinctionsaspresentandpast,actionand“talk”,technologyandnature,signsandthereal.BasedontheviewpointofWalterBennMichaelsinTheGoldStandardandtheLogicofNaturalism,thisessaywillmainlyanalyzethesedistinctionsinDeathofaSalesman,sothatwecanhaveabetterunderstandingofthisfamousplaywright’splaysandthoughtsatthattime.
Keywords:
Theme;Distinctions;Naturalism;DeathofaSalesman
《推销员之死》中的自然主义分析
摘要:
米勒戏剧的主题之一是在描写受经济和意识形态力量的牵制的人们的过程中所体现的自然主义。
同时,自然主义戏剧的复杂性在于他对一些区分,如现在和过去,行动和言语,技术和天然,符号和所指所做的后现代化的处理.参照瓦尔特·本·迈克尔在《金钱的标准和自然主义逻辑》中的观点,本文通旨在分析在《推销员之死》剧本中的这些区分的内在意义,以便更好的了解这位有名的剧作家的作品和在当时的思想。
关键词:
亚瑟·米勒;《推销员之死》;自然主义
Contents
1.Introduction…………………….……………………………………………...………1
2.LogicofNaturalism…………………………………………………………………….1
2.1AnOverviewofWalterBennMichaels’sLogicofNaturalism………………….1
2.2LogicofNaturalismandDeathofaSalesman……………………………………2
3.TheReflectionofNaturalismintheplay…………………………………....................3
3.1TheDistinctionbetweenTalkandAction................................................................3
3.2TheDistinctionbetweenAbstractionandReality………………………………..5
3.3TheDistinctionbetweenTechnologyandNature...................................................8
4.Conclusion……………………...…....……………………………………………..……10
1.Introduction
Affectedbothbythehighlynaturalistictheatrein1930sandbytheGreatDepressionmilieuthatgavebirthtothoseplays,ArthurMiller’swatershedplayisnaturalisticinitsportrayalofhumanssubjecttoeconomicandideologicalforces;atthesametime,thenaturalismoftheplayiscomplicatedbyitsalmostpost-modemtreatmentofdistinctionssuchaspresentandpast,actionand“talk,”hardvalueandsoftcurrency,atreatmentthatresistsnaturalism’s“hard”distinctionbetweensignsandthereal.InDeathofaSalesman,Millerelaborateshisownvisionoftherelationofeconomictopsychiclifebydramatizingtheattempted“escape”fromthemoneyeconomyBennMichaelslocatesastheobsessionofnaturalismto“stagethedisappearanceofmoney”(Miller,1977:
144).Thedistinctionsthatobsessthecharactersoftheplay—betweensayinganddoing,seemingandbeing,technologyandnature—arethemselvesrootedinmoneyandthecommodificationoflifeinAmerica.
2.LogicofNaturalism
2.1AnOverviewofWalterBennMichaels’sLogicofNaturalism
InTheGoldStandardandtheLogicofNaturalism,WalterBennMichaelslocatesinAmericanliterarynaturalismthisanxietyoverissuesofmaterialrealityandrepresentation.The“logic”ofnaturalismBennMichaelselaboratesisbasedontherepressionofmoneyasfree-floatingsignifier,whichexpressesitselfinvariousandunsuccessfulstrategiesof“escape”fromthemoneyeconomy.Anaestheticexpressionofboththedesireforandtheimpossibilityofthisescape,naturalismobsessesovertheontologicalandepistemologicalquestionsraisedbymoney,becoming“theworkingoutofasetofconflictsbetweenprettythingsandcuriousones,materialandrepresentation,hardmoneyandsoft,beastandsoul”(Miller,173).
2.2LogicofNaturalismandDeathofaSalesman
WhenBen,WillyLoman’sbrother,inthesecondactofDeathofaSalesman,contraststhepresentandsubstantialvalueofadiamondwiththecontinuallydeferredvalueofWilly'ssales“appointments,”wemaynoticethatthisadvicecomesfromacharacterwhoishimselfnotquitepresentorsubstantial.Asaphantomoradelusionoramemorythatholdsoutthepromiseof“natural”moneyaswellasanessential,naturalself,BenmanifestspreciselythecharacteristicsofmoneythatbothtantalizeandterrifytheLomans.
Historically,theincreasinglyarbitraryrelationshipbetweenmoney’sphysicalmaterialandits“facevalue”hasmademoneyfunctionasasymbolofamoregeneraldisjunctionbetweenappearanceandreality,seemingandbeing,“material”and“intellectualcurrency”(Miller,1).AsBen’sdiamondsdoforWilly,sodoesgoldorsilverpromisetoeliminatethetroublinggulfbetweensubstanceandsign,orbetweentheoften-unreliablesignswemustusetonavigatetheworldandwhatweperceivetobethe“reality”ofthatworld.
3.TheReflectionofNaturalisminthePlay
3.1TheDistinctionbetweenTalkandAction
OneofthemostsalientaspectsofDeathofaSalesmanistheplay’sexplorationofthetrickydistinctionbetweensayinganddoing,talkandaction.OftentakenasevidenceofwhatRichardHofstadterfamouslydelineatedasthebusinessworld’sgeneralhostilitytowardintellectualsandalmostreligiousdedicationto“practicality,”theAmericanbusinessman,atleastinthetwentiethcentury,appearsontheliteraryandculturalsceneasaself-described“manofaction”withnotimefor“idletalk.”Whilethisstrictlyinstrumentalistconceptionoflanguagehaslongbeenassociatedwithbusinessmengenerally,thesalesman,inparticular,hasreasontopossessasomewhatmorecomplicatedattitudetowardlanguage.Thefactthatthesalesman,morethanperhapsanyotherbusinessman,makeshislivingbytalkingleadstoaprofoundambivalencetowardlanguagethatcomplicatesthedistinctionbetweendiscourseandaction.Thesalesman,inMiller'splay,representsatonceheightenedunderstandingofthedialecticalinseparabilityof“talk”and“action”andadeepanxietycausedbythisknowledge.
Theveryinsistenceonaharddistinctionbetweentalkandactionrevealsananxietyovertheunavoidableambiguityandmisdirectionoflanguage.IthasbecomeaxiomaticthatWillyLowmanmistakessayingfordoing;alookattheattitudestowardthespokenwordofthemajorcharactersintheplay,however,revealssomethingmorecomplex.LindaclearlyseesWilly’sexcessive“saying”asindicativeofalackofdoing:
assheexplainstoBiffandHappy,“Insteadofwalkinghetalksnow”(Miller,352).InLinda’sformulation,language(Willy’s“talking”)denotestheabsenceofreality—ittakestheplaceofaction.ItistruethatattimesWillyseemstopossessanalmostboundlessfaithintheabilityofone’swordstohavearealimpactontheworld,merelythroughtheirutterance.Atthesametime,however,Willyrecognizeshisprofusetalkingasaliability.Searchingforreasonsforhisfailureatsales,WillytellsLinda,“Idon’tknowwhy—Ican’tstopmyself—Italktoomuch”(Miller,346).InfactatothertimesintheplayWillytrieshisbesttolimitoroutrightpreventthetalkofothercharactersintheplay.Afterthefirstmemory-sceneinvolvingthewomanwithwhomWillyhasasexualaffairinBoston,thestagedirectionstellusthatWillyattemptstosilenceLindaby“put[tinghis]handgentlyoverhermouth”(Miller,28).Amomentlater,unwillingtofaceunpleasanttruthsaboutBiff,hetellsfirstBernardandthenLindato“Shutup!
”(Miller,28).Laterinthefirstact,heagaincommandsBernardto“Shutup!
”(Miller,36).ThesituationisclearlymorecomplicatedthanWilly'ssimplymistaking“talk”for“action”.Rather,Willyseemstogleansomethingabouttheslipperinessofthisverydistinction,andtriestocontrolrealitythroughcontrollingspeech.
Willy’scomplicatedattitudetoward“talk”anditsrelationto“action”isintimatelyrelatedtohisprofession.Thesalesmanbydefinitioncomplicatesanyeasydistinctionbetweensayinganddoing.HeengagesinspeechthatiswhatphilosopherJohnL.Austinhascalled“performative”—heperformsactionsthroughtheutteringofwords,thuscomplicatingthedistinctionbetweensignificationandthereal(Austin,1975:
5).Furthermore,Willy’sanxietyabouttheslipperinessofthetalk/actiondistinctionisamanifestationofhisanxietyconcerningmoneyasitbothsymbolizesandexacerbatesatroublingdisparitybetweensignsandthereal(orbetween“talking”and“walking”).AsacommissionsalesmanWillywouldunderstandablypossessaheightenedanxietyconcerningthisaspectofmoney.Aswelearnlateinthefirstact,Willyhasrecentlybeendeniedasalaryandputon“straightcommission,”asLindatellsBiffandHappy,“likeabeginner,anunknown”(Miller,351).Infact,inanimportantsenseasalesmanisakindofperpetualbeginner,andperpetualunknown.Forthesalesmanworkingforcommission,neitherpastnorfuturematters.Heisworthexactlywhatheismakingincommissioninthepresent,andneitherpastgloriesnorpromisesoffuturepotentialmatteratall.Willy’slossofsalarythusamountstoakindofnegatingofhispastandfuture.Workingforstraightcommission,Willyisworthonlywhatheisearninginsalesnow—which,welearn,isnothing.Giventhedenialofhispastwiththecompanyandlackoffaithinhisfuturepotentialthatthetakingofhissalarysymbolizes,itisnotsurprisingthatWillyfeels“kindoftemporary”abouthimself(Miller,63).Hisonlyescapefromthepainful,commodifiedpresentistoreconstructmemoriesandprojectintothefuture—twoprocessesthatbecomeimpossiblewhenBiffarrives,thusexacerbatingthethreatBiffposestoWilly’ssenseofidentity.WillywouldvaluehimselfandBiff—eitherbywhatheimaginestheyoncewereorbywhatheimaginestheycouldpotentiallybeinthefuture.Indoingso,hebeliesananxietyconcerninghis(andBiff’s)valuelessnessinthepresent.
ContrastedwiththegarrulousWillyisCharley,whoseveryexistenceprovidesaconstantcritiqueofWilly'sequationofbusinesssuccesswithacertaintypeofspeaking.Describedinthe
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