On African Americans' Plight In August Wilson's Three Major Plays From The Temporal Perspective

BasedonAricantraditionaltimeconceptandwiththeblendingofPf aul Ricoeur'snarratedtimetheory,thisthesisseekstorevealAugustWilson's explorationofthemultipletime-constructiontechniquesinhisthreeplays.Besides,thisthesisdiscussesfeaturesandfunctionsofAfricantraditional viewoftimebyanalyzingthestruggleandsufferingstheyhavebeenfacing fromindividual,familialandethniclevelsrespectively.Thisthesisconsistsoffivechapters:ChapterOneisanintroductionto theplaywrightAugustWlsonandhisthreeselectedmajorplays;meanwhile,iti alsomethodicallyreviewsliteraryresearchesonWlsonandhisworks,statesi thetheoreticalframeworkofthisthesis,andpresentsresearchcontentsas wellasthekeypointsofthepresentstudy.ChapterTwo analyzesthe constructionofscenariotimefrom individuallevelin MaRainey'sBlack Bottom.Theinsertionofcharactersnarratingtheirfragmentedhumiliation experiencesrevealsthenon-linearcharacteristicsofscenariotimeintheplay.ChapterThreeexplainstheconstructionofgenealogicaltimefromthefamilial levelinThePanoLssoni e andthealienationimpactofhistoricaleventson familymembers.ChapterFurelucidatestheconstructionofmythologicalo timefrom theethniclevelinGem oftheOcean,demonstratingcapitalism exploitationaswellasslaveryinthehybridAmericancontinent.Chapterfive istheconclusion.Bycleverlysplicingthepast,presentandfuture,Wilson emphasizesthattimelinessplaysan importantrolein revealing African Americans' dilemmasandsufferingsinbothtemporalandsocialdimensions.Allinall,timelinessisaprominentfeatureofWilson'swork.Heuses African traditionaltemporaltechniques to constructdifferenthistorical periodsinhisplays.Ontheonehand,Wilson'stemporalconstructionreflects thesufferingofAfricanAmericans;ontheotherhand,itrevealsWilson's pursuitofculture-returningforAricanAf mericans.