A Study Of Narrative Ethics In The Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie is one of the masterpieces of the great American playwright Tennessee Williams.Against the background of the Great Depression of the United States in the 1930 s,the play depicts the spiritual suffering and struggles of the Wingfield family’s escape from reality in the form of memories,portraying a modern tragedy of a family at the bottom of American society.This thesis adopted narrative ethics theory to explore the author’s ethical thinking hidden under his narrative techniques.At the story level,combining the historical background of the shattered Southern Myth,patriarchy and the Great Depression,this thesis revealed the ethical dilemmas faced by the characters in the play,pointing out the three delinquent members in the Winfield family--the absent father,the irresponsible mother,and the escaped son,who were both victims of society and persons responsible for family tragedy.At the narration level,the author used multiple focalizations to portray characters.The shift of narrative focalization led to the contradictory effects between characters’ behaviors and inner world,which guided readers to think about the profound connotations behind the contradictions.Different from the traditional linear chronological order,the play adopted unnatural narrative time.Through the interweaving of memories,the author emphasized the influence of social industrialization on the traditional ethical values of the South,and depicted the survival dilemma of the lower class during the period of social transformation.In addition,by describing the disintegration process of the glass menagerie,an unnatural space,the author conveyed criticism on the social ethics in the 1930 s.With the help of implied author,who released stage directions and established settings and characters through the play,Williams implanted his severe criticism on distorted social ethics in readers’ mind.The Glass Menagerie is a memoir of family tragedy filled with ethical problems.From the perspective of narrative ethics,combined with historical background,this thesis explored the narrative techniques and ethical intentions of Tennessee Williams,revealing the author’s concerns for people at the bottom of the society during social transformation,and conveying his criticism on the distorted ethics.