41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx

41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx

《41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《41Human Hypocrisy in Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof副本.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

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