玛莎·诺曼是当代美国戏剧界重要的剧 作家，她的《晚安，母亲》（'night Mother） 一剧荣获1983年的普利策戏剧奖，后以音 乐剧《秘密花园》（The Secret Garden）获得 了1992年的托尼奖。王莉编著的《论玛莎·诺曼戏剧 中的过去和记忆》旨在对以往诺曼 研究中忽视的一个普遍而又重要的主题 “过去和记忆”，从戏剧呈现的角度入 手，进行多方位的剖析，并比较在不同作 品中的不同景象。本书既注重内容，也对 戏剧呈现作了深入的挖掘，是一部富有独 到见解的学术力作。
当代美国剧作家玛莎·诺曼（1947～）的戏剧富有浓厚的悲剧色彩，以对人物内心世界的深刻剖析被学界广泛关注。然而，她戏剧中对过去和记忆的凸显却未能给与充分的探讨。因此，王莉编著的《论玛莎·诺曼戏剧中的过去和记忆》分析了诺曼戏剧中的创伤性过去、让人渴望的过去以及虚构的过去等三种过去，以及对这些不同性质的过去和记忆的戏剧呈现。剧中人物对不同的过去和记忆采取的态度和做出的行动表达了诺曼对人如何生存的哲学性思考。
Introduction
Chapter One
Repression to Reconciliation： Coming to Terms with the
Traumatic Past
1. Embodying the Traumatic Memories of Victimization in
Getting Out
2. Recalling the Traumatic Memory of Maternal Loss in
Traveler in the Dark
Chapter Two
Nostalgia to Disillusionment： Mourning the Wistful Past
1. Lamenting Loss of Marriage and Friendship in
Third and Oak
2. Mourning the Western Outlaw Era in The Holdup
3. Deromanticizing the Frontier Hero in Loving Daniel
Boone
Chapter Three
Avoidance to Confrontation： Making Sense of the Fictional Past
1. Unearthing a Past with No Self-control in 'night， Mother
2. Piercing the Net of the Imaginary Past in Trudy Blue
Conclusion
Works Cited
Postscript
WithoutsayinggoodbyetoArlie/ArlenewhohadconvertedtoChristianity，thechaplaintransferredtoanotherprison.Feelingagaindeserted，Arlie/Arleneraisedhellintheprison.UsingtheforkwhichherinmateDorishadstolenfromthekitchen，Arlieperformedasacrificewhichalmostkilledher.Itisironicthatthelife-sustainingtoolistransformedintoaself-destructiveweapon.However，becauseofthechaplain'sinculcation，inArlene'smind，killingthealienobjectwhichisrepresentedbyherownbodyisanactofselfpreservation.InGretchenCline'swords，thechaplaincommits“ametaphoricalrapethatsplitherpsyche”.
Aftersymbolically“killing”herOtherArlie，Arleneledalmostananesthetizedlifethroughnumbingherselftotheenvironment“jus'donemyworkanknit...anIdon'tthinkaboutit，whathappened”(CollectedWorks55).Arlenetookupthetraditional，gender-stereotypedrolesprescribedbythepatriarchalsociety.RejectingArlie'sdestructivetendency，Arlenebecameamodelprisonerwhohasgraspedseveralskills，suchasknittingandhairdressingwhichwereconsideredasmustsfortraditionalwomen.Nevertheless，ironically，theskillscannotbeputintopracticeoutofprisonbecauseoftherestrictionsimposeduponex-convictsbythelocallegislation.
Arlene'spastasembodiedbyArlieisahistoryoffemalevictimization.Definedingenderspecifictermsandsexuallyexploited，Arliedisplayedantisocialbehaviors.However，theresistantattitudeonlymadeherlifeworse.Tosurviveinsuchasexistsocialorder，shehadtoeradicateher'evil'selfandadopttheculturallyprescribedrolesforwomen，whichrenderthempassive，voiceless，andmostimportantly，obedient.Notwithstandingthatsheintendstorepressthememoriesofthepastwhichareenactedbyherpastself，thetraumaticpastkeepscomingout，thuscausinghersplitposition.Thetensionbetweenthepastandthepresentisthetensionbetweenthesavageselfandtheconformingone.Acceptingandintegratingthepastselfintothepresentoneisofparamountimportanceforherfuturelifeoutsidetheprison.
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