An Interpretation Of Ambivalences Of The Characters In Dead White Males

Dead White Males is a play written by Australian contemporary playwright David Williamson(1942-)after his painstaking study on literary theoretical works of Derrida,Foucault and other post-structuralists.This play is welcomed by critics and audiences since it firstly performed in 1995.Satirizing the prevailing theories which have flourished since 1970 s,it intervenes contemporary Australian academic contends and reflects side effects of the Australian Cultural War so as to accelerate the depression of Theory.In addition,it reveals the spirit of traditional liberal humanism and its universal truth,as well.In response to theories including radical feminism,multiculturalism and other post modern theories,Dead White Males portraits duplicities of the characters,the sophisticatedly affectionate ties and shows the ambivalences of different protagonists.So far,some scholars have studied this play based on several aspects both at home and abroad.A study based on psychology,however,is still blank.This thesis applies psychological defense mechanism to interpret ambivalences reflected in Dead White Males from three chapters.Chapter One discusses historical,cultural and academic factors which influence ambivalences of the characters on the basis of Australian Cultural War.Chapter Two analyzes the main relationship within “William Shakespeare”,Grant Swain and Angela through ambivalences of the characters manifested through other three sets of relationships--teacher-student relationships and conjugal relationship of Grant,family ties--by applying psychological defense mechanism.Chapter Three discusses Australian Culture War that ambivalences of the characters mirror from aspects of theories,liberal humanism and metaphor of the title,aiming to explore functions and significance of Dead White Males in Australian Culture War and draws a conclusion that although there is universal truth,a complementation and restrains between theories and liberal humanism is universal.And this thesis fills the gap in the study of Dead White Males in psychological perspective.