Violence,Subject And Love:The Ethical Dimensions Of David Mamet's Plays

The interest in ethical criticism in literature has once again resurfaced in the late 1980s and early 1990s.At the same time,David Mamet(1947-),by depicting miscommunication and interpersonal relations from different stratums,professions,and communities,focuses on the ethical conflicts in contemporary American society.November,Oleanna and A Waitress in Yellowstone are representatives of classic white American dramas,exploring the relationships between people,and play a positive role in evoking ethical thoughts and promoting the unity of drama and ethics.The three plays selected in the thesis all reflect difficulties and conflicts in interpersonal relationship.Since Levinas holds the view that ethics is a matter of relation with the Other,the interpersonal conflicts in the three plays could be answered from his ethical philosophy.This thesis analyzes the predicament in interpersonal relationships from language violence,ethical subject and love.The "responsibility for the Other" is crystallized through violence and suffering.The "host" and "hostage" in a relationship reflect the challenged subject and infinite responsibility to the Other.The ethics of love is a return to the Other in the background of a society lacking emotion and responsibility.These three aspects are related to each other and contribute to the predicament of interpersonal relationships.Protagonists in the plays realize the responsibility to the Other,and are aware of the fact that keeping responsibility in mind could rebalance mentality,regenerate interaction and put life back on track.The thesis initially explores Mr.President's verbal violence in November.By analyzing the president's violent language,the thesis discusses the interaction between language,violence and the responsibility to the Other.Then,by expounding the challenged subject and more specifically,the professor's transformation from host to hostage in Oleanna,the thesis intends to reveal the importance of responsibility between the Self and the Other.Finally,by comparing and contrasting the waitress's distinct hospitalities in the beginning and happy parable ending in A Waitress in Yellowstone,the thesis analyzes how the protagonist pursues her ethical love and gets her life back on track.In light of Levinas 's philosophy and other thinkers' writing in conversation with Levinas,this thesis points out that the responsibility for the Other helps people rebalance mentality,regenerate interaction and advance mutual understanding.Also,David Mamet's ethical concerns in plays indicate that people should re-examine their interpersonal skills and modify the old way of building interpersonal relationships.