悖逆或迎合——论爱德华·阿尔比戏剧的“美国生活方式”批判策略

Rebelling or Catering: The Dramatic Strategy of Criticizing the “American Way of Life” in Edward Albee’s Plays

20世纪中叶,美国急于塑造其世界霸主的国家形象而极力宣扬"美国生活方式",即美国中产阶级生活方式。这一点被当时的美国荒诞派剧作家爱德华·阿尔比捕捉到。他的剧作,以《谁害怕弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫?》和《微妙的平衡》为例,描绘了怪诞的人物形象与扭曲的人物关系。究其原因,在于该生活方式为人们预设的单一角色规范,以及背后操纵它的价值观念。对此,阿尔比的戏剧人物表现出悖逆或迎合的不同姿态,人物之间由此形成激烈的对峙或微妙的控制局面,构成强大的戏剧张力。当悖逆的一方试图唤醒和抵抗迎合的一方时,阿尔比批判美国生活方式的策略得以显现。

In the mid-20 th century, America hastened to build its image of global hegemon by promoting the "American way of life", that is, the American middle class lifestyle.Correspondingly, Edward Albee who is an American playwright of the absurd observed this predominance. His plays, such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A Delicate Balance, depict absurd suburban characters of American middle class families and their twisted relationships,which are attributed to the single role norms preset by the American way of life and the values behind it. Albee’s characters either demonstrate their rebel or conformity, resulting in fierce confrontations or subtle manipulation, and creating powerful dramatic tension. It is when the rebellious attempt to awaken and resist the pandering that Albee’s dramatic strategy of criticizing the American way of life is revealed.