Self-awarenessinTheHairyApeandDeathofaSalesman

Self-awarenessinTheHairyApeandDeathofaSalesman

段丽芳

德宏师范高等专科学校云南678400

Abstract：BothYankandWillyinMiller'sandO’Neil’splayspresentsimilarstruggletotheirlives.Thisessaywillexaminehowtheself-awarenessaffecttheprotagonists’livesandmoreprecisely,discusstheinpidual’svaluewithinhumansocieties.

KeyWords：self-awareness;TheHairyApe;DeathofaSalesman

1.Introduction

BoththeplaysTheHairyApeandDeathofaSalesmanaretwomasterpieceswrittenbyAmericanplaywrightsEugeneO’NeillandArthurMillerintheearly20thcentury.YankinHairyApeorWillyinDeathofaSalesman,theybothhaveaself-awarenessguidedthroughtheirlives,theonlydifferencesisthatYankdoubtedhimselfandalteredconstantlywhathebelieved.Whydobothprotagonistsinthetwoplaysallendtragicallyalthoughtheymadedifferentchoicewhentheirself-identitiesarequestionedinreality?InrelatingwithYankandWillyinsidestruggleinMiller'sandO’Neil’splays,thisessaywillexaminehowtheself-awarenessaffecttheprotagonists’livesandmoreprecisely,discusstheinpidual’svaluewithinhumansocieties.

2.SimilaritiesandContrastoftheBothPlays

Beingbothcontemporaryplaywrightsintheearly20thcentury,O’NeilandMillerliveinatimeofmechanizationandmaterialismofAmerica,althoughMillerwasborn27yearslaterafterO’Neilandexperiencedtheeconomicaldepressionof1929,theybothpresentedsamepuzzlethatconfusedinpidualatdifferenttimeofAmerica.O’NeilcriticizedinHairyApepointingtotheinpidualconfusioninthemachineagewhileMillerinclinedtodepictitwithinthecontextofcommercialbusinessage.ThequestionofhowpeopleshouldidentifyhimselforherselforwhatistherightvalueoflivinginfastchangingworldofcommercializedsocietyarehencemanifestedbythefateofWillyandYank.

BothWillyandYanksustainedasortofself-awarenessatthebeginningoftheplayandneverdoubteditinthetwoplays.Yankisaworkingclasssinaroaringtimedrivenbymachineandtechnology,agreattimeofmechanizationandmaterialismin1920’sofAmerica.Hefantasizedhimselfastheengineofhistimethusproducesasenseofself-valueaspartofthemachine.“Theydon'tbelong,butIbelong”[2]declaringhisimportancetotheworld.ButafterheencounteredwithMildred,adaughterofasteelindustrymillionaire,hisillusionsoonfadedandputshisworldonedge,sincehesensesthetruththatheisnotwhathebelievedanymore.Asaresulthestrivestolookforhis“right”identificationthatwouldvaluehimasamemberandeventuallyplaceshopeonapesintheZoo.

ComparedwithYank,Willyhasthesamefalseself-awarenesslikeYankatthebeginningofhislife,buthetakescompletelydifferentstrategies.Insteadofdenyinghimself,Willychosetoinsistthepathofthesalesmanbasedontheoldvaluesofthetrade,buttheroleofthesalesmanhaschangedandWillysimplycann’tadapt.“therewasrespect,andcomradeship,andgratitudeinit.Today,it’sallcutanddried,andthere’snochanceforbringingfriendshiptobear–orpersonality.YouseewhatImean?Theydon’tknowmeanymore“[3]Inspiteofhisrantsabouthowsuccessfulheis,heobviouslyrealizesthattheimageofhimselfhetriestosustainishollow“IgetthefeelingthatI’llneversellanythingagain,thatIwon’tmakealivingforyou,orabusiness,abusinessfortheboys…thereissomuchIwanttomakefor.”[3]Hecannotseemtorecognizethathehasmadethewrongchoicesinhislife.Hecannotquitetaketheplungeintoself-awareness.“Iamnotadimeadozen!IamWillyLoman,andyouareBiffLoman!”[3].Willyinsistsinhisviewtowardhimselfwholelifeuntilhecommittedsuicide,IntheviewofRobertA.Martin,hisdeathiscausedby"hisdesireandwillingness'tosecureonething--hissenseofpersonaldignity.'"5.However,althoughkillinghimselfmaybethoughtasaheroicwayofprotectinghislastdignityofhislife,peoplehardlywouldagreeit’sasatisfactoryclosureofWilly’sstory,butseeitmoreasatragicplay.

One’sself-awarenesscannotbeconstitutedawayfromhisorherownsocietyinthecontextofhistoryandideology.ComparedWillywithYank,it’shardtosaywhoishappier.Itishardtojudgewhatistherightself-awarenessforinpiduals.Yankspendsallhislifetochangeandsearchforhisbelongingnessbutinvein.Willyinsistsinwhathebelievedalsoendedtragically.TakesWillyasanexample,heseemstoholdarightdreamoraworldview,hebelievedinthemythofsuccessandadmirestheBensandHowardofhisworldthathasfulfilledtheireconomicdreamsandisstrivingtoreachgoals.

3.Conclusion

Willy’sfailure,asGordon,Lois.Pointed，that“Miller'smasterpiece,DeathofaSalesman,measurestheenormousgapbetweenAmerica'spromiseofinevitablesuccessandthedevastatingrealityofone'sconcretefailure”[5].YankandWilly’sworldviewaremisguidedbythefalseself-awarenessdevelopedintheneedofhistime.FromtheperspectiveofMarxist,theirsocialvaluesarecloselyrelatedwithcapitalistideologythatisdeterminedbythecapitalistproductiveforce.

References:

[1]Martin,RobertA."TheNatureofTragedyinArthurMiller'sDeathofaSalesman."SouthAtlanticReview61.4(Fall1996):97-106.

[2]刘海平.英美戏剧作品与评论.上海：上海外语教育出版社.2001.

[3]ArthurMiller.DeathofaSalesman[M]London:PenguinBooks.1961:63-64，29，109，64

[4]Martin,RobertA."TheNatureofTragedyinArthurMiller'sDeathofaSalesman."SouthAtlanticReview61.4(Fall1996):97-106.

[5]Gordon,Lois."ArthurMiller:Overview."ContemporaryDramatists.K.A.Berney.5thed.London:St.JamesPress,1993.

作者简介：段丽芳（1982-），女，汉族，云南芒市人，硕士学位，德宏师范高等专科学校讲师，主要研究方向为英美文学和英语教学。