阿瑟·米勒戏剧的伦理解读——以《全是我的儿子》和《推销员之死》为例

Ethical Reading of All My Sons and Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller

米勒多部剧作以家庭为叙述主题,揭示社会现状如何折射在家庭的父子、夫妻关系中,个体的追求、梦想在家庭小舞台上演绎。米勒的两部经典剧作《全是我的儿子》和《推销员之死》是展现个人、家庭与社会冲突的典型代表。文章从文学伦理学视角出发,回到历史的伦理现场,分析这两部剧作中个体、家庭和社会构成的复杂伦理关系。《全是我的儿子》展示凯勒一家在个体、家庭利益与社会责任发生冲突时道德上进退两难的挣扎,理想主义、良心与正义成为考量公民伦理道德的关键词;而在《推销员之死》中,威利的理想、追求与虚假美国梦、残酷商业竞争发生冲突,普通个体丧失人格和尊严,异化为商品。米勒在这两部剧作中探讨的异化、身份危机、背叛、否认、过去和现在的紧密联系等深层次的哲学问题,跨越了种族、国别界限,为这两部剧作赢得了永恒的艺术魅力。

With family as the narrative theme,many of Miller’s works dramatized the conflict between individual,family and society.Two of Miller’s far-reaching plays,All My Sons and Death of A Salesman,are classical examples of such dramatic conflict.From the perspective of literary ethics,this paper analyzes ethical conflict between individual,family and society.All My Sons is a description of moral dilemma between the conflict of individual and family interests of the Kellers and civic obligation.Such words as idealism,conscience and justice are the key ethical words in this play.In Death of A Salesman,illusory American dream and ruthless business competition led Willy astray,depriving him of personality and self-respect.Miller’s in-depth philosophical discussion of such themes as betrayal,denial,alienation,identity crisis and close connection between past and present in these two dramas has won them eternal and universal appeal across nations.