问答题
(On Howard"s exit, the light on his chair grows very bright and strange.)Willy: Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I?(Willy breaks off, staring at the light, which occupies the chair, animating it. He approaches this chair, standing across the desk from it). Frank, Frank, don"t you remember what you told me that time? How you put your hand on my shoulder, and Frank...(He leans on the desk and as he speaks the dead man"s name he accidentally switches on the recorder, and instantly.)Howard"s Son: " ...of New York is Albany. The capital of Ohio is Cincinnati, the capital of Rhode Island is..."(The recitation continues). Willy(leaning away with fright, shouting); Ha, Howard! Howard! Howard! Howard(rushing in); What happened? Willy(pointing at the machine, which continues nasally, childishly, with the capital cities); Shut it off! Shut it off! Howard(pulling the plug out): Look, Willy... Willy(pressing his hands to his eyes); I gotta get myself some coffee. I"ll get some coffee...(Willy starts to walk out, Howard stops him.)Howard(rolling up the cord): Willy, look... Willy: I will go to Boston.Howard; I don"t want you to represent us. I"ve been meaning to tell you for a long time now. Willy: Howard, are your firing me? Howard: I think you need a good long rest, Willy.(Howard exits, pushing the table off let. Willy stares into space, exhausted. Now the music is heard—Ben"s music—-first distantly, then closer, closer. As Willy speaks, Ben enters from the right.He carries valise and umbrella.)[After being fired by Howard, Willy talks to his good friend Charley.]Charley: I offered you a job. You make fifty dollars a week. And I won"t send you on the road. Willy: I"ve got a job. Charley: Without pay? What kind of a job is a job without pay?(He rises.)Now look, kid, enough is enough. I"m no genius but I know when I"m being insulted. Willy: Insulted?Charley: Why don"t you want to work for me? Willy: What"s the matter with you? I"ve got a job. Charley; Then what"re you walkin" in here every week for? Willy(getting up): Well, if you don"t want me to walk in here— Charley: I"m offering you a job. Willy: I don"t want your goddam job! Charley: When the hell are you going to grow up? Willy(furiously): You big ignoramus, if you say that to me again I"ll rap you one! I don"t care how big you are!(He"s ready to fight.)(Charley stares after him a moment and follows. All light blacks out. Suddenly raucous music is heard, and a red glow rises behind the screen at right...)Questions:
问答题
What is the purpose of mentioning the specific names of capitals when Willy accidentally switches on the recorder?
【正确答案】正确答案：The mentioning of names of capitals is the recorded voice of the boss Howard"s son who recites the state capitals in alphabetical order. We can find that the reciting is not correct, for the capital of Ohio is Columbia not Cincinnati. But Howard cares more for his son"s recording than the poor living condition of his employer; even the recording is full of mistakes.
【答案解析】
问答题
Why does Willy refuse to accept a job offer from his friend Charley when he has lost his own salesman job? What is the playwright"s concept of tragedy?
【正确答案】正确答案：Willy refuses the offer, because of his pride and his jealousy of Charley. His pride is his tragic flaw, his inability to cope with reality. Arthur Miller believes the personal factor is an important element in tragedy, because no one is flawless, but the human situation is a product of forces outside the individual person and the tragedy inherent in this situation is a consequence of the individual"s attempts to fight against an order that degrades. The function of tragedy is to reveal the truth concerning our society, which frustrates and denies his right to personal dignity; and the enlightenment of tragedy is the discovery of the moral that supports this right.
【答案解析】
问答题
What are the functions of constantly mentioning the changes of colors?
【正确答案】正确答案：The changes of colors functions not only as the change of the setting, but also the change of Willy"s emotion, and that between Willy"s wondering thought and reality.