人性的扭曲与救赎-《榆树下的欲望》和《被埋葬的孩子》的比较研究_英语论文

Distortion and Redemption of Human Nature —— Comparative Study of O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms and Shepard’s Buried Child

摘要

尤金·奥尼尔是美国当代戏剧的奠基人，他一生最关注的主题是人在外在压力下性格的扭曲，乃至人格的分裂过程。《榆树下的欲望》被认为是尤金·奥尼尔最优秀的一部剧作，是一部展示人为物质所驱使，人的物欲破坏人性及人的精神价值的悲剧。山姆·谢泼德是当代美国戏剧坛上最具影响的剧作家。《被埋葬的孩子》是山姆·谢泼德的代表剧作之一，该剧涉及了一个非常重要的主题，即剧中人物身份的缺失以及人性的回归。《榆树下的欲望》和《被埋葬的孩子》是两部震撼人心的家庭悲剧，具有很多相似之处。本文结合两位剧作家的时代背景和创作意识，对比分析两部剧中共有的乱伦、杀婴现象，探讨作品中揭示的人性的扭曲与救赎，剖析悲剧的成因。

关键词：《榆树下的欲望》 《被埋葬的孩子》 人性  扭曲  救赎

Abstract

Eugene O’Neill is widely acclaimed “founder of the American drama”, who keeps concerned about the theme of the distorted human nature under external pressure and even the process of split personality in his life time. Desire Under the Elms is rated as the best of O’Neill’s dramas and as a tragedy revealing that the people are driven by materialism and their material desires deconstruct human nature and spiritual value. Sam Shepard is regarded as one of the most influential dramatists in contemporary American theater. As Shepard’s representative work, Buried Child deals with a very important theme that is the characters’ lack of identity and the return of human nature. Both of these masterpieces are striking family tragedies and possessed of many similarities. This thesis develops a comparative study of the common plots in these two plays, such as incest, infanticide, to explore the distortion and redemption of human nature and make a profound analysis of the causes of family tragedies in combination with historical background and O’Neill and Shepard’s creative consciousness.

Key words：Desire Under the Elms; Buried Child; human nature; distortion; redemption

Contents

Introduction 1

1. Introduction to O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms and Shepard’s Buried Child 1

1.1 Eugene O’Neill and Desire Under the Elms 3

1.2 Sam Shepard and Buried Child 4

2. American Dream and Human Nature 5

2.1 Theoretical Basis: Definition of American Dream 6

2.2 Influence of American Dream on Human Nature 7

3. Comparative Study of Distorted Human Nature in Desire Under the Elms and Buried Child 7

3.1 From the Aspect of Incest 8

3.2 From the Aspect of Infanticide 9

3.3 Root of the Distortion of Human Nature 10

4. Comparative Study of Redemption of Human Nature in Desire Under the Elms and Buried Child 11

4.1 From the Aspect of Confession 11

4.2 From the Aspect of Rebirth 12

4.3 Retrospection of the Redemption of Human Nature 13

Conclusion 15

References 17