An Analysis to Linda——A Woman Struggling in Life

科技信息人文社科An Analysis to Linda- A Woman Struggling in LifeChangsha Social Work College Applied Foreig Language Dept. Tang Jing[Ahstract ]Arbur Mllr's Death of a Salesman gives prorninant presentaion to the male characters but keeps the fenale charactersalmost unticed. This paper will focus on Linda Lowman, the only woman on stage much of the tine, analyze Linda器a womanstuggling in life, 8o as to discloe the injustice d the society and the eampines of the American Dream in the post - war American 80-[Key words] Linda, character, stuggle, American Dreamabout a salesman nanmed Willy Lowman. Contrary to the prominent pre- knows that she is the only person who will show amy concem for whethersentation of the male characters in this play, the female characters areWilly lives or dies. Of course, 8 a realistic character, Linda herselfalmost often kept unnoticed, among who Linda Lowman is the onlyalso ralizces that Willy doeas not deserve the defense; however, in orderwonan who is on stage much of the time. Although Linda' B role幽a 1o keep the whole farmily harmonious and together, she must defendwoman in society is very much limited, she is a complex character,Willy 80 as to keep his central position in the family both幽a father andcrucial to the male characters in Lowman family who are failures in theirthe major financial provider. Linda just protects her husband staunchlylives to sone extent. Linda' B nature is revealed through her interactionsagainst any accusation from her sons. When ahe knows that B進(jìn)andwith her family members. Acting both 朗a wife and a mobher, LindaHappy desert their fathler in the restaunant, Linda' 8 anger is inlamed.stuggles hard t切come to terms with her husband and sons 80 as to keepIn conclusion, to koep the family intact, Linda always acts as obedientLowman family harmonious and intact; however, she fnally fails to do and uderstanding to her husband, and will do or a anything for him.80. In the fllowing, detailed analyis will be given to prove that LindaWhile facing her sos alone, Linda is presented as the great moch-is a woman tugeing in life.erimage. She is tolerant to Bi and Happy. In order t切kee frmilyConfined to the family, Linda behaves曬an ideaharmorious, she acts明the mediator and tries to mend the tense rela-in the play. She is caring, and is responsible for housekoeping and sup tions between Willy and Bi, though remaining unaware of what hasport. She loves and adnires her busbend Willy Lowrman. Wheneverhappened betwen Willy and Bif throughout the play. On the oneWilly fele depresed, Linda dfe her support and encournges himhand, she tries to call her husband's understanding towards Bif" s fail-When Willy fele that he has filed in seig, Linda says:“But you're ures; on the other hand, she roquires Bif and Happy' s concem and地doing wonderful, dear." When Willy wries about his appearance,spect for their father. Before her sons, Lnda shows ber ieleligence andLinda tlls him that he is“the handsonest man in the world" to her.nsight. She ell B近that“a man is not a bird, to come and go withThough Linda has found out that Willy is always lost in his ilusions andthe spingine" . Linda wants Bff to change and esablish a stable life.dreans, she seldom tries to bring him back to the reality. Instead, sheShe says that someday Bi進(jìn)will leave for a year, come back and findeven belpe to boast Willy higher and keeps him in his ilusions blindly.that they' re gone. In her epeeches, Linda expoes her sons ' flaws andWhen Willy scems to realize that he has problem with drving, Lindauncovers the real situation of the family. She ell Bif that his fatherjust finds several excuses for him 10 divert him from the truth. Evenhas done everything for his benefit, and even directly emphasizes,when Linda finds out Willy' 8 intention of self- kilig, she does noth-“Bif, his life is in your hands" 8o as to call for her sons' atertion toing positive to prevent it and makes no reference to it while facing Wil-their father. As a mother, Linda is considerate and thoughtful. Whenly, for she thinks that any reference to it will embarass Willy and hurtshe reproaches her sons ’negligence of their father, Linda centers herhis pride. As the one that manges the finances of the house, Lindadefense of Willy not on his role 8 a father, but on his staus as a hu-weighs the expendiure againet the income arflully. Each tine whenman being. Linda docs not specify who must regard Willy in particular,she reminds her husband how much money is necessary to maintain thethus avoiding a specific acustion against ber sons. She just repeatedlyfamily, Linda does it in a casual way. Though she realizes that the 6-arnounces that "Attention, atention must be fnally paid to such a per-nancial condition of the family is declining, she never forcea Willy tooson." In Bif and Happy' 8 eyea, Linda is a perfect mother, and winsmuch to eam the money. Even when she finds out that Willy has no in-their respects. Though Bif ofien qarrels with his father, he alwayscoome and borows from their neighbor Chardey, Linda never points it outtries to follow his mother' s advice. Once he even asks Willy to“stopbefore Willy. Linda does alll these jut to maintain her bhusband's Byelling t ber" . Bfr' 8 breakup of the relationship with his father alsoteem and pride, keeping Willy in his dreams.resuts from tbe uncovering of Willy' 8 betrayal of Linda. Happy,Depicted as“the emel wife figure" , Linda is often devalued andthouygh treats other women purely幽sex objects and has litle repect forabused unecessanly by her bhusbend. Before Willy, her speeches anethem, he still says that he wants“Somebody with character, with reais-often intermupted, and ber sugstioes are ofen ignored. However, Lin-tance! Like Mom" . Linda is 80 important for them that when she scoldsda's whole life silll revolves around Willy. She is always wlling 10 be-them ferely for their poor treatment of Willy, Bif and Happy beomelieve Willy, and is even ready to rejet her sons Bif and Happy at anysbocktime, serving的her husband's only dender. In Aat I Scene 9, Linda中國煤化工ou that drvioas deceppaocuses Bif of making his fatbher bad - tempered,“It s when you comerespecYHCNMHG: her husband and ber sonshomehe' 8 always the worst." She makes the choice of her husbandThe reason is mainly thatover her Bons and tlls Bif that he can not love her if be does not loveshe just tries to keep the whole familyogther. Throughout the play,Willy. When Bi condemns that his father has mo sense of character evidences can be found to show that, irmluenced by the values of theand no respects for Linda, Linda even cries out," 'Then make ChadeyAmerican Dream, Linda shares in Willy' B ideals to some degree. The一_ 102.科技信息人文社科mentioning of the“shaving lotion" at the beginning of both the two Acts her best and has exbausted herself. Bf' s words about Linda' B gayindicates Linda' 8 reminiscence of the past happy times when the familyhair expose the fact that Linda has aged consideably because d her de-members were hamonious and loved each other. Linda prefers a rela- manding bhusband and the burden of caring the whole family. Linda de-tively stable life, terefore, in the flashback, when Ben invites Willy to voles herself whole - hearedly just to get a house with nobody bome" ,即to Alaska, Linda reminds Willy of his "beautiful job" as a salesnana broken family.8o as to keep him stay in the city. Linda tries hard to do with her pr-Linda' s filure to fu6ill her dream of a harmonious and intaxct fam-esent situation in the city. She deals with the family finances arully, ily is the result far beyond the play. The deep root lies in the Americanwanting to be free from financial worries and having a house of their owmsociety. On tbhe one hand, the unealistic dream of Linda esentiallyin the city. Thus, even in the Requien when Linda stands before Wi-coones from the 80 - called Aneican Dream, which conveys the idealdly's grave the last timne, she still does not forget to tell her husband thata family with a fnencially sccssful father figure, a caring wife respon-she has made the last peyment on the house. Linda behaves obedient sible for bousekeeping, children minimum of two, a nice house, a niceand patient before Willy jut because she wants to protect him and keepcar and the white picket fence, propagatd by the flawed American 0-his esten and pride. Though Linda berself knows that Willy' s condi-ciety. In 8uch kind of Dream, wormen are subordinated and portayed呂tion is serious, and also realizes the social injustice outside, she etillobedient and caring, while men are depicted a the center and the f-enablcs and encourages Willy to live in his dreams, because Linda is nancial provider of the family. Under the inluence of such kind ofclear that without his dreams, Willy will go insane and die one day,ideas, Linda is hindered from doing anything positive to prevent thewbich will probably lead to the breakup of the whole family. Cerainly,tagedy of Willy' 8 deah. On the other band, the cruel American 8oci.from the play it is indicated that Linda sometines tries to point out the ety leads to the breakup of Linda's dream. Just like what Iinda pointstruth to Willy. When Willy says that he wants to buy gone soods, sheout in Act IScene9,“A small man can be jut as exhausted 蹈a greatresponds,“But not enough sun gets back there. Nouhing' II grow anyman.”In such kind of cruel society, Willy has been exploited too muchmore." Linda even points out the problem of Willy,' 'You' ve got tooand is fnally kicked out when he is old, which result in his suicide.much on the ball to worry about.”“Your mind is overactive, and theWilly' s experience and suffering reveal how coumon people can be地-mind is what counts, dear." However, Linda never confonts Willy d duced to nohing. It is the social injustie that fnally causes the tragedyrocely like when she is before her sons. In short, in order to keep theof the Lowman farmily.Lowman family harmonious and intact, Linda struggles hard in her lifeLinda, the relaively realistic and reasonable character, bere in1o deal with her husband and sons.the play serves as the spokeswonan of Arthur Miller, disecloeing the ab-Nevertheless, all ber eforts go in vain fnally as a result of Willy' solute truth of the poet - war American socity - the injustice of the 80-8 suicide. Linda has spent 90 much time and energy on one aim-ciety and the emptiness of the American Dream. At the end of the play,keeping the whole family together, which is also her dream, but the f-Linda'g repetition-“We' re free" - serves因a lngering tone of thenal result is that Willy kills himself, Bif is going to leave, and Happy tragedy. It is also a lament on human life. Linda, though stugglinginsists on the urealisice dream. The whole family is broken, with onlyhard in ber life to pursue her dream, fails at last and is even victim-one thing ledft to Linda- an empty house of her own. Linda is evenized. To avoid the repettion of such kind of modem tagedy, ttentionpartly responsible for her husband's suicide. It is she who keeps Willy mu威t be paid.lost in his fale reality and even boasts him higher into the sky; it is shewho shakes Willy' s decision to go of to Alaska, thus causing Willy toReference bookslose his pportunity and stay in the sffocating city from which Willy is[1]Lat，Brian w. York Notes: Death of a Salesman. Beijig:longing to get foe; it is alo Linda who first finds out Willy g tendencyWorld Pubishing Corporation, 1991.of self- kiling but does nothing positive to prevent it from happening.[2] Roberts, Edepar V. and Henry E. Jacobe. Literature: An In.The most ironic thing is that throughout the play linda is sid 10 be he troduction to Reading and Witing. 4燦h ed. Englewood Cifs, New Jer-only person that loves Willy unondioially for whohe is, but in realitysey: Prentice Hall .she has no idea who he is at al. Though she makes eforts to under-[3] Roberts, James L. Death ofa Salesman: Clifls Notes. lin-stand Willy' s dreams of sucs, Linda lacks the imagination to do so. coln, Nebraska: Cliffs Notes, 1996.There is a lack of mutual understanding between the couple. Linda tries(上接第101頁(yè))時(shí),應隨著(zhù)學(xué)生水平的提高力求體現方法和形式,另-方面,必須清醒地認識到該理論并非醫治當前外語(yǔ)教式上的變化,即將思維發(fā)展及其與語(yǔ)言、環(huán)境的關(guān)系和學(xué)習過(guò)學(xué)一切問(wèn)題的靈丹妙藥,也存在種種偏頗之處有待完善,如該程有機地聯(lián)系在- -起，以激發(fā)學(xué)生的學(xué)習興趣,促進(jìn)意義建構理論過(guò) 于強調學(xué)習者信息加工過(guò)程的個(gè)別差異性,而否認其在的形成。將這些知識與課堂知識有機地結合起來(lái),便能更加自本質(zhì) 上的共同性,反映在英語(yǔ)教學(xué)中就很難付諸實(shí)施。然恰當地使用語(yǔ)言。英語(yǔ)教學(xué)活動(dòng)不僅僅是認知過(guò)程，也是思維過(guò)程,。要促使學(xué)生積極參加語(yǔ)言實(shí)踐，讓學(xué)生們邊聽(tīng)邊想邊說(shuō),思維訓練與語(yǔ)言訓練同時(shí)進(jìn)行。參考文獻3.對建構主義學(xué)習理論要有清醒認識[1]袁志遠.用建構主義理論構建英語(yǔ)教學(xué)模式[]] .教書(shū)目前，有關(guān)建構主義學(xué)習理論的研究正方興未艾,同時(shí)它育人,2007.(8): 97: 98又是我國新- -輪教育改革的主要指導性理論之一,一方面,我中國煤化工山東教育出版社,007.們應注重學(xué)習理論研究與外語(yǔ)教學(xué)實(shí)踐的接軌，突破傳統教學(xué)100-MHC N M H G導下的英語(yǔ)課堂教學(xué);的局限，加強理論與真實(shí)生活實(shí)踐的聯(lián)系,開(kāi)發(fā)出能有效支持學(xué)生主動(dòng)建構知識、促進(jìn)知識在情境中遷移的高效英語(yǔ)教學(xué)模改革 [J].教育理論與實(shí)踐報,2007,(7): 54- 5s6.103--