(A), reflecting the concentration of real life
The concentration of realistic drama literature refers to the high concentration of its characters, events, time and scenes. In other words, drama literature should use less space, fewer characters, simpler scenes and simpler events to put the life content on the stage in a general and concentrated way. Only in this way can the occurrence, development and ending of the event be connected into a close whole. Thunderstorms have occurred for nearly 30 years, but they condense in less than 24 hours. The play revolves around only eight characters. Zhou Puyuan is the center of the work, and the plot unfolds in a complex and sharp conflict.
A. the characters in the work are concentrated and the space is single. The work is centered, and Zhou is the hub of plot development. All eight people in the play have their own unique thoughts, feelings and experiences, but their fate is also related to Zhou Puyuan. Family ties connect them into a whole, concentrate them in the same space and express their individuality in the family. B. time is concentrated and concise. Thirty years of feud between Zhou and Lu. Among the long-standing contradictions within the Zhou family, the long-term opposition with the workers was highly summarized and manifested overnight.
(B), manifested as the concentration of contradictions and conflicts.
The conflict of drama is the artistic life of drama. The so-called drama conflict refers to the sharp contradiction between the behavior motivation of the characters or the internal contradiction of the characters.
Cao Yu described the dark life of a feudal bourgeois family after the May 4th Movement in Thunderstorm. Focusing on Zhou Puyuan, a feudal parent and capitalist, he launched all kinds of complicated and sharp conflicts directly or indirectly caused by him, exposing the evils of the old China family and society.
Thirty years ago, when Zhou Puyuan was a "gentleman", he seduced his maid Mei Shiping. Later, in order to marry "a rich and powerful lady", she and her newborn second son were driven out of the house. 18 years ago, he married Fan Yi again. Can't stand the "Yan" oppression and the "prison" family life. Three years ago, he fell in love with his eldest son Zhou Ping. But Zhou Ping, like his father, quickly rejected her and seduced her maid Lu Sifeng. At the same time, Fan Yi's son Zhou Chong also fell in love with Sifeng. Zhou Puyuan continued to oppress Fan Yi, so she had to hold on to his drought-striken fields, and his drought-striken fields tried to escape. Fan Yi called Sifeng's mother and asked her to take Sifeng to get back at his drought-striken fields. Mei Shiping later married Gui Lu and gave birth to four phoenixes. Therefore, his drought-striken fields and Sifeng were originally half brothers and sisters. Once this incestuous relationship is discovered, family tragedy will inevitably happen.
Thunderstorm focuses on the contradiction between Zhou Puyuan and women, especially working women, and also shows the class contradiction between capitalists and workers. Zhou Puyuan has been exploiting workers. "He made a fortune by losing his children.". He once ordered the mine police to kill more than 30 miners, and the striking worker Lu Dahai came to negotiate with him. Although he later learned that Lu Dahai was his second son, he ruthlessly suppressed the labor unrest and fired Lu Dahai.
(3), action, personalized character language
First, highly personalized.
The so-called personalization of character language means what kind of people say; Language becomes the voice externalization of character, personality and psychology.
Zhou Puyuan (suddenly sternly) What are you doing here?
Lu Shiping is not what I want to come.
Zhou Puyuan, who sent you?
Lu Shiping's life (sad and angry), unfair life sent me here!
A moment ago, he was a warm-hearted person who could not extricate himself from his feelings, but immediately he tore open the veil of family affection and revealed his cold nature; Because in Zhou Puyuan's mind, he felt the threat of reputation and interests. This change is entirely due to human nature, and language cannot hide it.
Zhou Puyuan: So, let's call it a day. I told him to come down, you looked at him, and the Lu family never dared to come to the Zhou family again.
Lu Shiping, I hope I never see you again in my life.
Zhou Puyuan (takes out the check from his underwear and signs it) Good. This is a check for 5000 yuan. You can take it first. This is a way to make up for my sins.
Ruthless and meaningless, I can't pretend anymore, just turn it into language, absolutely! Posing, domineering, even if not in front of your family, you can't control yourself. Both feudal and capitalist; He instinctively believes that money can solve everything. Language is the naked soul here.
Character language needs no modification, it is essential, instinctive and highly personalized.
Lu Dahai's language is a portrayal of his stubborn, reckless and childish personality;
Lu Dahai, but you are completely wrong. ……
Lu Dahai (looking at the contract) What? (Slowly) The three of them signed it? ……
Lu Dahai (a rude awakening) These three boneless things! ……
The advantages of personalized language are: the writer expresses the personality characteristics of the characters through it, and the reader intuitively (actually "listens directly") to the characters through it, which is vivid, sensible and true.
Second, rich subtext.
The subtext is that there is something in the words, meaning is intentional, and there is a sound outside the string. In fact, it is a polysemy phenomenon in language. "Implicit" means implied meaning, that is, there are other meanings in the surface meaning of language. You can get a glimpse of the rich inner world of the characters through subtext. The aquatic sister-in-law of Lianhua Lake says this:
"You are always positive."
This is a classic subtext. Pride, complaint, understanding, anger ... beauty lies in silence; If you say it, it will be white.
The function of subtext is to make the language concise and interesting. Concise and tasteless, not subtext. Bad taste? That's almost impossible. Concise and obscure, that's just the author's wishful thinking
The following characters have subtext, the situation is that the parties are not convenient to say:
Everything is in silence. It is not art to say it, and the subtext is characterized by concise and tasteful language. Simplicity and tasteless are not subtext, and taste is not concise or subtext. The following subtext makes the language concise, but it is inconvenient for the client to say: Zhou Puyuan (sweating).
Lu Shiping is not a young lady. She is the daughter of Zhou Mansion in Wuxi. Her name is Shi Ping.
Zhou Puyuan (looking up) What's your last name?
My Lord, my name is Lu.
"What's your last name?" The implication is: how do you know so much This is also the case. Look at "What's your last name?" The implication is: how do you know so clearly? Another example is:
The following subtext, Lu Shiping plays two roles at the same time, one is true and the other is imaginary, which is very meaningful:
Master Lu Shiping, why do you ask these things? ①
Zhou Puyuan is related to us.
Lu Shiping's relatives? ②
Zhou Puyuan: Well, we want to repair her grave.
Lu Shiping: Oh, that's not necessary. ③
Zhou Puyuan, what's wrong?
Lu Shiping is still alive. ④
The meaning of another function is:
She has nothing to do with you now. No relatives at all. She's not dead. She's standing in front of you now. Her mother and son were rescued that time.
I think the reason why subtext has a special relationship with drama is determined by the characteristics of drama. The "three unifications" of European classical drama can be noticed: unified time, unified place (scene) and unified plot. Can such a concentrated drama be protracted and lengthy in language, and can it not be regarded as one? If everything is explained clearly, why not play for three days and nights? If everything is made clear, what is the attraction?
Lu Shiping's next two sentences reflect her complicated inner world, which we can also regard as the subtext:
I think the reason why subtext has a special relationship with drama is determined by the characteristics of drama. The "three unifications" of European classical drama can be noticed: unified time, unified place (scene) and unified plot. Can such a concentrated drama be protracted and lengthy in language, and can it not be regarded as one? If everything is explained clearly, why not play for three days and nights? If everything is made clear, what is the attraction? Lu Shiping's next two sentences show her complicated inner world, which is also a subtext: Lu Shiping (crying) is really a gang of robbers! (walks up to Zhou Ping) You are Ping ... Why did you hit my son?
Zhou Ping, who are you?
Lu Shiping, I'm yours, the mother of the man you hit.
Resentment, pain, disappointment, sadness ... everything, really mixed feelings.
Third, full of action.
The action of drama language (or action language and plot language) refers to the language flow of characters (communication and confrontation between characters' languages) which plays a role in promoting or suggesting the development of stories. It is not static, it is the embodiment of the inner strength of the characters in the development of the plot.
At the end of the second act, the dialogue between Fan Yi and Zhou Ping is a good example:
Fan Yi (sneer) Look out, look out! Don't push a woman too hard, she can do anything. ①
Zhou Ping, I'm ready. ②
Fan Yi is good, you go! Be careful, now (looking out of the window, talking to yourself, implying a bad omen) a storm is coming! ③
(1) implies the development of the plot (she did shake everything out later), (2) promotes the development of the plot (Zhou Chong's betrayal of Fan Yi intensifies the contradiction), (3) implies the development of the plot and the fate of the characters; Pun.
China's ancient novels have won the essence of action language, so when writing a book can't be written any more, it will often be "clever" and "rock the boat". Knife rest around a good man's neck, there will be knights falling from the sky. But this kind of action language is not all the language of the characters in the works, but more the narrative language of the author (environmental description is also among them). This language is sometimes casual and unobtrusive, but sometimes it is intentional; But there is only one purpose, and that is to let the plot develop.
The action language of the characters in Thunderstorm sometimes has the author's strong subjective motivation, which makes the readers obviously feel the traces of "man-made". Please look at the following languages in Lu Shiping:
Lu Shiping, I saw her the other day! (Hinting that Zhou Puyuan let the plot continue)
Mr. Lu Shiping, do you want to meet her? (promoting the development of the plot)
3. Master Lu Shiping, nothing else? Looking at the park, tears will come out. A strong hint; Don't ask)
4. Zhou Puyuan: Oh, that's far. Everyone forgot to mention it
Lu Shiping may or may not remember. (push; Almost reminds Zhou Puyuan)
I know a girl named Mei. (push; Almost clear)
Zhou Puyuan, right? Tell me.
Lu Shiping really wanted to see her son, so she kept reminding Zhou Puyuan with fantasies, suggesting that these were of course reasonable. But the words she often uses when the plot is about to be interrupted are not only explained by her rational mind, but most importantly, they only play a role in hinting and promoting the development of the plot.
The most typical examples are the following two:
1, Lu Shiping certainly wants to see her son, but these words not only reflect her psychology when the plot is about to be interrupted, but also play a role in suggesting and promoting the development of the plot. The most typical examples are the following two: 1, Lu Shiping, oh, sir, is everything all right? (hint)
Zhou Puyuan (pointing to the window) Who opened the window? (direct promotion; Make trouble? )
2. Master Lu Shiping, is there nothing else? Looking at the park, tears will come out. (hint)
Zhou Puyuan, by the way, tell Sifeng to take out the old raincoat in my camphor box and take some old shirts in that box. (direct promotion; What an important shirt! )
It is conceivable that if there is no follow-up action of Lu Shiping to open the window, if there is no accurate statement about the number of shirts and shirts embroidered with the word "Mei", how will the plot develop? Zhou Puyuan's language is a typical action language. Its function, in a way, is only to promote the plot. However, this is the genius of the author and the basic skill necessary for a playwright.
These three points are the main features of drama characters' language. Of course, there are other characteristics, such as the colloquialism of language, which is convenient for the audience to accept on the spot, so I won't cover it here.