田納西威廉斯三劇中的多重偽裝與矛盾的女性形象

Abstract

身為美國最受歡迎的劇作家之一，田納西威廉斯對女性角色的描寫一直備受推崇。在佔有舉足輕重地位的同時，威廉斯筆下的女性亦被賦予過多的意象和意涵。該現象不僅反映出評論家本身的意識形態，也顯示出作者對呈現複雜女性形象的個人偏好。本論文旨在藉由《玻璃動物園》、《慾望街車》、及《夏日煙雲》三劇中的多重偽裝，重探威廉斯筆下矛盾的女性角色。藉由檢視性、語言、意象與社會規範的多重偽裝，本論文也將一窺威廉斯難以捉摸的同性戀世界，與其對女性既認同又充滿歧見的態度。此外，透過偽裝的概念，男性與女性的「本質」亦將遭到質疑，而作者筆下的美國南方也將重新受到檢視。藉由研究威廉斯三劇中的多重偽裝，本論文將再探這位充滿戲劇性的美國劇作家在作品中呈現的南方社會，及其對女性與性本身的矛盾態度。

Tennessee Williams, one of the greatest American dramatists, is highly praised for his exquisite female characterization. While generally occupying a main position, Williams’ women are also overloaded with images and significances that reflect not only critics’ ideology but the author’s own propensity. The aim of the thesis is to explore the contradictory images of female characters through the lens of masquerades in Williams’ three plays, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Summer and Smoke. By focusing on the multiple masquerades of sexuality, language, imagery, and social regulations, the thesis will also have a look at the author’s homosexual world and scrutinize his identification with and prejudice against women. Besides, the “authenticity” of masculinity and femininity will be problematized, and the paradox of Williams’ South will be rediscovered. This way, masculinity and femininity are to be endowed with more possibility and fluidity, and the significance of artifice in Williams’ plays is to be highlighted. By reexamining the multiple masquerades in the three plays, the thesis will delve into Williams’ world of aggrandizement and theatricalization as well as into his view of women and sexuality.