英美文学笔记.docx

英美文学笔记.docx

《英美文学笔记.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英美文学笔记.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

英美文学笔记

PygmalionRevisited

作者：

EmilRoy

出版详细信息：

BallStateUniversityForum11.2（Spring1970）:

p38-46.

来源：

DramaCriticism.Ed.TimothyJ.Sisler.Vol.23.Detroit:

Gale,2004.FromLiteratureResourceCenter.

文章类型：

Criticalessay

书签：

为此文档添加书签

全文：

COPYRIGHT2004Gale,COPYRIGHT2007Gale,CengageLearning

[（essaydatespring1970）Inthefollowingessay,RoyanalyzestherelationshipbetweenHenryHigginsandElizaDoolittleinPygmalion.]

ThestructureofBernardShaw'sPygmalion1isperfectlyconventional,juxtaposingthepersonalcomedyofElizaDoolittle'sevolutionintotrueindependencewiththesocialcomedyofherfather'ssuddenriseintomiddle-classaffluence.However,Shaw'sdenialofamatchbetweenElizaandhermentorHenryHigginscreatedlegendarydifficultieswhichhavesurroundedtheendingforoverhalfacentury.Theauthor'sinabilitytocreateanartist-philosopherwhoisbothconstructiveanddramaticallycompelling,thusreconcilinghisownrepressedalienationwithsocialameliorism,seemstohaveelicitedacorrespondingsenseofuneasinessinhisaudiencesandtheiragentsinthetheatricalestablishment.BysuchdevicesasBeerbohmTree'sgesturalwooingofElizaandthecastingofLeslieHowardasHigginsintheGabrielPascalmovieversion,thepossibilityofmarriagebetweenHigginsandElizawasatleasthintedat.Thecrustyoldbachelorwouldthereby"dwindle"intoahusbandasEliza"expanded"intoawife,confirmingabourgeoisaudience'sfaithinmarriageasthefoundationofmoralityandsociety.

However,inPygmalionasRobertBrusteinsuggests,Shawisnotonlycreatingatougherandsubtlerversionoftheromanticcomedieshehadbeenwritingsincethenineties.Heisdramatizinghisowninnerconflicts:

thePlatonistversustheAristotelian,therevolutionaryidealistversusthepragmaticrealist,theSocialistversustheVitalist,theRomanticversustheClassicist.2Thesecontradictions,bothersometoanideologist,aremadetoorderforthedrama.Therefore,theproblemoftheendingissymptomaticofadeepambivalencepervadingtheentireplay.

InthefirstactprologuewhereElizaandHigginsfirstencountereachother,ShawinvokesamicrocosmofrandomLondonsociety.Theclashofdisparateaccentsandtypesisnotonlydesigned"toshowclassantagonismsandpersonalidiosyncrasiesattheirsharpest,"asLouisCromptonpointsout.3Thegroupalsoestablishesasenseofthesocialnormstowhichmoregiftedindividualsmayeitherbecomesubjectorriseabove.Higgins'presenceinthecrowdisostensiblymotivatedbyscientificpurposes:

gatheringphoneticevidenceina"livinglaboratory."AlthoughElizaisliterallyincorrectinassumingheisa"copper'snark"orpoliceman'sinformer,herintuitionintohismotivationisashrewdone,fixingthepatterntheirfutureassociationwillfollow.Hehasnoofficialfunctionatall,butherefusestoidentifyhimselftotherestivecrowdandpersistsinunmaskingtheirpretensionsratherprovocatively.Themaliciousenjoymenthegainsfromridiculingtheirdiscomfiturerevealsacertainhauteurandcontemptofordinarymortalshedoeslittletoconceal.Hisupper-classcredentialsareestablishedbyhismanner,hisshoes,andhissportingwhistle.Buttheyareapparentlydisplayedinorderforhimtoactashepleaseswithouttheriskofretaliationfromothers.

Bysustainingthemysteriousmenaceofhisdemeanorforaslongaspossible,Higginsexercisesoverothersapowerandinfluence（howevertrivial）towhichhehasnoactualright.Possibly,heremainsanonymousbecauseanycredibleresponsewouldbegreetedbyindifferenceorrejection,reflectingsocialattitudestowardtheintellectualwhichShawwasquitesensitizedtoward:

"...uslosingourtimelisteningtoyoursilliness!

....YoucomefromAnwell[alargeinsaneasylum].Gobackthere."（pp.204-05）Onthepsychologicallevel,Higginsmaysimplylackasatisfyingidentityor"self"apartfromthatothersgranthim,especiallyifheisregardedwithsomefearandawe.Esseestpercipi,forhim:

"Tobeseenistoexist."

Eliza'sappearanceatHiggins'homeinthesecondacttonegotiatehertransformationfromflowergirltoduchessreversesthegroundsoftheaction.Thistimeafrightenedbutdeterminedneophyteentersabafflingbuthighlystablesocialsituation.TheattemptsbybothHigginsandElizatoimposetheirdifferingviewsoflifeononeanotherarehilariouslycomic.Elizachampionsprudery,ambition,andbusinesssenseasfirmlyasHigginsstandsbyMiltonandtheUniversalAlphabet.AndalthoughEliza'shysteriaandvulgaritydistancehersociallyfromHiggins'firmifpetulantsenseofproprieties,theybothexhibitapiercingscepticismtowardappearances.Whileenforcingconformitytotheirownvaluesuponothers,bothoftheminvokesocialnormslargelysotheythemselvesmayviolatedecorumwithimpunity.TheunerringaccuracyofHiggins'perceptionsisoftenbeliedbychildishegotism,andElizawantsprosperitynotonlyforcomfortbutforsnobbery,wishing"totakeataxitothecornerofTottenhamCourtRoadandgetoutthereandtellittowaitforme,justtoputthegirlsintheirplaceabit."（p.234）Shakespeare'sMalvolioprovidesthearchetypefortheirbehavior,suggestingthatinflatedself-conceptsultimatelyspringfromrepressedfeelingsofaggressionandinsecurity.ForashefantasieshimselfmarriedtoOliviainTwelfthNight,improvinghissocialstatusimmeasurably,Malvoliocontemplatessadisticratherthansexualpleasures:

humiliatingandexpellinghisoldtormentorTobyBelch.

AlthoughShawcustomarilydenigratestheworldofprivateimagination,ElizaandHigginsaretotally,farcicallyincapableofinteractingeffectivelywithoneanotherintherealworld.EvenafterCol.PickeringproposesawagerwherebyHigginswilltrainElizatoimpersonateaduchessattheambassador'sgardenparty,theschemenearlyfoundersonEliza'sconfusedsuspicions.NotuntilHigginscreatesamutuallycongenialnever-neverlandisshewonover.Hisinvocationofafolkloricrealmwhereobedienceisrewardedwithfood,song,andadulationbuttheslightestinfractionbringsinstantretributionandshameispatentlymythic,withsubtletiesruledout:

Ifyouregoodanddowhateveryouretold,youshallsleepinaproperbedroom,andhavelotstoeat,andmoneytobuychocolatesandtakeridesintaxis.Ifyourenaughtyandidleyouwillsleepinthebackkitchenamongtheblackbeetles,andbewallopedbyMrs.Pearcewithabroomstick.（p.220）

Inorderfortheirexperimenttoproceed,Higginsmustplaythecongenialroleofan"arbitraryoverbearingbossing"（p.224）butsomewhatdistantProsperotoEliza'simpressionableandnaiveMiranda.ShewillaccepthiscommandssoheandPickeringwould"thankher,orpether,oradmireher,ortellherhowsplendidshe'dbeen."（p.267）HerconceptionofHiggins'mansionasakindofidyllicisland-paradiseconformsquitenaturallytoherfantasies.ForasShawexplainsintheepilogue,Eliza"hasevensecretmischievousmomentsinwhichshewishesshecouldget[Higgins]alone,onadesertisland,awayfromalltiesandwithnobodyelseintheworldtoconsider."（p.295）InthisschemePickeringplaysabenevolentGonzalowhosecrucialplanforEliza'stransformationconfirmshispaternalsolicitude.Withintheirrelationship,Elizacomesto"love...theColonelasifshewerehisfavoritedaughter."（p.294）

AlfredDoolittle'sappearance,settingtheplay'ssocialcomedyinmotion,parodiestheconventionsofmelodrama.InthecomicbargainingheinitiateswithHigginsoverthepriceofhisdaughter'svirtue,hecombinesinasinglecharactertheineffectualparentand"villainous"interloper.Onadeeperlevel,thetacitagreementswhichalltheprincipalsreachonEliza'sfuturebegintheprocessofsupplyinghernotonlywithnewmannersbutwithnew"parentage."Asshemovesinthelastthreeactsthroughclearlymarkedstagesofdevelopment,shealsomagnifiesintorecognizablerolesormoodsthedominanttraitsofDoolittle,Higgins,andPickering.ThiscomplexinterplaybetweenherowninventiveandimitativetendenciesispartofamechanismwhichErnestJones,inhisbookHamletandOedipus,calls"decomposition."4Indecomposition,attributesofoneindividualaredisunitedandseveralindividualsareinvented,eachendowedwithonegroupoftheoriginalattributes.Theoppositemechanismis"condensation,"whichinvolvesthefusingofattributesofseveralpeopletoformonecompositefigure.Shaw'sawarenessofthesecomplementarydevices,ifnotthetheoryitself,emergesinthepartsongwhichHigginsandPickeringmockinglysingaboutEliza:

Eliza,Elizabeth,BetsyandBess,

Theywenttothewoodstogetabird'snes':

Theyfoundanestwithfoureggsinit:

Theytookoneapiece,andleftthreeinit.

（p.213）

Thepaternalfigureswhoappearintheplayareaboutthesameage,eventhoughEliza,ingivingsomethoughttomarriage,considersHigginsmoreeligiblethanPickeringsinceHigginsis"nearermyagethanwhatheis."（p.277）Buttheyallfunctioninsomeprotectingorconservingcapacitytowardherwhichcouldbedescribed,atleastmetaphorically,as"lifegiving."Eliza'sfateisorhasbeenintheirhands.Shehasreliedontheir"helping"or"rescuing"functionsmuchasachilddependsonherfather's,eventhoughbothofDoolittle'sappearancesparodytheprotectiverolechieflyforhisowngain.TocharacterizeHigginsasfatherlymayseemforced,especiallysinceShawandhisaudienceshaveconsideredhim"thehero"of"aromance"（p.282）.However,heandElizaquicklyadoptthedominance-submissionrolestypicaloftherelationship.Obeyinghiscommandtositshecomplains,"Onewouldthinkyouwasmyfather,"