A-Streetcar-Named-Desire详解

AStreetcarNamedDesireTennesseeWilliamsINTRODUCTIONOFTENNESSEEWILLIAMSTennesseeWilliams(bornThomasLanierWilliamsinColumbus,Mississippi,March26,1911–February25,1983)wasanAmericanplaywrightwhoreceivedmanyofthetoptheatricalawardsforhisworksofdrama.HemovedtoNewOrleansin1939andchangedhisnametoTennessee,thestateofhisfather'sbirth.Hisplayswriteaboutthelonelinessandisolationofmodernman,revealingthemessuchasviolence,frustrations,sex,evenhomosexuality.威廉斯与他的姊姊萝丝关系亲近，他也深受她的影响。萝丝是位纤瘦美丽的女子，被诊断出有精神分裂症，大部分的时间都在精神病疗养院度过。经过几次的心理治疗均不见效，她变得更加偏执。她父母最后同意进行前脑叶白质切除手术。1942年，手术在华盛顿特区进行，但之后情况恶化，萝丝的余生就在没有行为能力的状况下度过。萝丝的手术失败对威廉斯是极大的打击，他从来不原谅他的父母同意施行该手术。这也可能是造成他日后酗酒的因素之一。许多偏执的女性角色出现在威廉斯的戏剧里，可能都是受萝丝的影响。威廉斯的剧本中的角色常直接代表了他的家庭成员。《玻璃动物园》里的劳拉就是以乃姊萝丝为样本，一些传记也提到《欲望街车》的布兰琪也是以她为样本。脑叶切除手术也出现在《夏日痴魂》（Suddenly,LastSummer）里。《玻璃动物园》里的母亲阿曼达可以被视为就是威廉斯的母亲，剧中的汤姆则可视为是威廉斯自己。他与他的助里兼同性爱人法兰克·梅洛的关系从1947年开始，直到1963年梅洛过世为止。在他们相处的期间，梅洛对于威廉斯是个安定的力量，他多次平抚了威廉斯忧郁症的发作，因为威廉斯害怕自己也像姊姊劳拉一样发狂。然而梅洛因癌症过世之后，长达十多年的忧郁症问题就一直困扰著威廉斯。威廉斯是反同性恋社会气氛下的受害者，他曾在1979年遭到五名年轻男孩的攻击，但没有受到太严重的身体伤害。一些评论家说病态地堕落呈现在他的作品里，另一些则相信这是威廉斯在反抗自己是同性恋者的事实。BattleofAngels(1940)TheGlassMenagerie(1944)玻璃动物园←YouTouchedMe(1945)AStreetcarNamedDesire(1947)←PulitzerPrizeSummerandSmoke(1948)TheRoseTattoo(1951)←TonyAwardCatOnaHotTinRoof(1955)热铁皮屋顶上的猫←PulitzerPrizeTheNightoftheIguana(1961)TheTwo-CharacterPlay(1973)NewYorkDramaCritics'CircleAwardVivienLeighstreetcar有轨电车MarlonBrandoWorldWarIIAmericabecametheworld’smostpowerfulcountry.TheNorth:Thrivingonindustrialfactories.TheSouth:Dependingonplantations.BriefIntroductionTheplaytakesplaceinashabbyapartmentintheworking-classdistrictofNewOrleansinthe1940’s,shortlyaftertheSecondWorldWar.Theplaydealswithacultureclashbetweentwocharacters,BlancheDuBois,afadingrelicoftheOldSouth,andStanleyKowalski,arisingmemberoftheindustrial,urbanworkingclass.PlotAfterbeingexiledfromhometownforseduingherstudent,BlanchearrivesathersisterStella’shomeinNewOrleansandwantstobeginanewlife.However,shecan’tgetalongwellwithherbrother-in-law,Stanleywhoisrudeanduncivilized.HemaciouslyrevealsBlanche’sdissolutepastandruinsherrelationshipwithpurser.Heevenrapesher,whichfurtheracceleratesherdescentintomadnessHeroine:BlancheDuBoisHero:StanleyKowalskimainconflictStellaKowalskiMitchAnalysisofBLANCHEDUBOISDesire1.Toremainherbeauty/innocence•Tocatchmen’seye.•BecauseofheranotherdesireDesire2.Togetmarried•StayinNewOrleans•Economicalsupport(p.1179)•Getcompany(P.1146)UsedtobeahighschoolEnglishteacher,butwasfocredtoleaveherpost.Aloquaciousandfragilewoman,livedinherownimaginationAfallenwomaninsociety’seyes,arelicfromadefunctsocialhierachy,aninsecure,dislocatedindividualHadstrongsexualurgesandabaddrinkingproblem,butpretendedtobeawomanwhohadneverknownindignityDependedonmalesexualadmirationforhersenseofself-esteemTheepitomeofvitalforceLoyaltohisfriends,passionatetohiswife,heartlesslycrueltoBlanche,butlackedideslandimaginationRepresentsthenewheterogeneousAmericawhichBlanchedoesn’tbelongDisturbing,degenertenature,firsthintedatwhenhebeatedhiswife,wasfullyevidentafterrapedhissister-in-law.ShowsnoremoseforhisbrutalactionsTheplotofASteetcarNamedDesireisdrivenbythedueingpersonalitiesofBlancheandStanley.Thesourcesoftheiranimositytowardoneanotherare:DifferencebetweenSocialbackgroundFromanoldSouthernfamily,wasraisedtoseeherselfassociallyeliteFromimmigrantfamily,wasaproundmemberoftheworkingclassMeetInNewOrleansEachrepresentsvaluesthatareantagonistic(敌对的)totheother’schanceatsuccessinthemodernworld.PolaroppositesRepresentstheworldoffantasy,wantstomisrepresentthings,wantsthingsmisrepresenttoher.Shelivesforhowthingsoughttobe,notforhowtheyare.MagicandshadowsAno-nonsense,cut-to-the-chase(对谎言穷追不舍)kindofguyLooksforjoyinlife,celebratesit,Hasnopatienceforidlechit-chat,socialcompliments,fools,andfrauds.PrimalandbrutishDoesnotgivecreditForanyhigherfeelingsDislikesbecauseofherUnwillingnesstoreconcileHerselftoherown“lowerfeelings”Themes1.Fantasy’sinabilitytoovercomerealityBlancheStanleySherefusestoacceptthehandfate,sosheliestohersister,andpeoplearound.Shewantstolivealifethatdoesn’tbelongtoher.Apracticalmanfirmlygroundedinthephysicalworld.HetriestodisdainandunravelBlanche’sfabrications.2.DependenceonmenAStreetcarNamedDesirepresentsasharpcritiqueofthewayofinstitutionsandattitudesofpostwarAmericanplacedrestrictionsonwomen’slives.ForBlanche,sheseesmarriagetoMitchashermeansofescapingdestitution.WhenMitchhearsaboutherscandalsandrejectsher,sheimmediatelythinksofthemillionnairShep.Symbolism1.Blanche’sstrongdesireoflove,statueandunderstanding.2.TheinevitabilityofBlanche’sinsanityandtragicfate.AstreetcarnameddesireBlanchesayssherodeastreetcarnameddesireandthentransferredtoastreetcarnamedCemeteries(公墓号),whichbroughthertoastreetnamedElysianField(天堂福地）.AnalysisofSTANLEYKOWALSKIPersonality‧malechauvinism‧sensualnature‧obsession佔有慾‧Practical(Money)•Malechauvinism:StanleyKowalskilivesinabasic,fundamentalworldwhichallowsfornosubtleties(敏銳微妙)andnorefinements.•Obsession(佔有慾)P1166上：Blanche:Inmyopinion?You’remarriedtoamadman!Blanche:I’mgoingtodosomething.Getholdofmys