WaitingforLeftyByRaphaelbackgroundTheGreatDepressionwasasevereworldwideeconomicdepressioninthedecadeprecedingWorldWarII.itstartedinabout1929andlasteduntilthelate1930sorearly1940s.Itwasthelongest,mostwidespread,anddeepestdepressionofthe20thcentury.Inthe21stcentury,theGreatDepressioniscommonlyusedasanexampleofhowfartheworld'seconomycandecline.克利福德·奧德茨CliffordOdets（1906-1963）是美國現(xiàn)代著名劇作家,三十年代美國左翼戲劇的代表人物。他一生寫下了十多部戲劇作品,其中重要的有:《等待勒夫梯》（又名《等待老左》）、《醒來歌唱》、《失樂園》和《金孩子》等。奧德茨以滿腔的熱情和卓越的藝術才華創(chuàng)作出多部社會題材戲劇作品,表達了美國人民,特別是生活在三十年代美國人民要求變革社會的希望?！兜却辗蛱荨肥菉W德茨劇作中第一部被搬上舞臺的作品,也是其成名作。當它在一九三五年初上演時,不僅受到美國工人階級的熱烈歡迎,而且還受到廣大人民群眾(包括一些中、小資產(chǎn)階級人士)的歡迎。WaitingforLeftyisaboutataxidriver’sstrike.Aunionmeetingisgoingon.Whilethedriversaretryingtodecidewhethertogoonastrike,theunionboss,whohasalreadysoldouttocompanies,istryingtokeepthemfromstriking.劇情圍繞著出租·汽車司機罷工委員會成員討論是否罷工而展開,故事發(fā)生的時間正是羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)執(zhí)政初期。這時的美國,在世界性經(jīng)濟危機的打擊下,經(jīng)濟蕭條,工業(yè)凋弊。資產(chǎn)階級為了把經(jīng)濟危機造成的巨大損失轉嫁到工人身上,加緊了對勞動人民的剝削和壓迫,致使本來就生活在水深火熱中的廣大勞動人民更加貧困。面對資本家的壓迫和剝削越來越多的勞動人民參加罷工和示威,為反對資本家的剝削、為爭取生存權利而英勇斗爭。Theme

ClassConflict階級沖突Odetswrote

WaitingforLefty

whileamemberoftheCommunistPartyandintendeditasaworkofpropagandatopromotethecauseofasocialistrevolutioninAmerica.GiventhatMarxisttheoryfocusesontheeconomicconflictamongsocialclasses,itisperhapsinevitablethatthisisanintensely"class-conscious"play.Charactersareclearlyidentifiedbyclass,andtheseclassesarepresentedinvividopposition:ontheonehand,virtuousandlong-sufferingmembersoftheworkingclass;ontheother,thegreedy,inhumanecapitalistswhoexploitthemateveryturn.

characterJoeandEdnaEdnatellsJoehattheirfurniture,notyetpaidfor,wasrepossessed.Theyargue:Joeclaimsthatstrikesdonotwork,andthattheylosemoneywhiletheyareonstrike,whileshesaysthatwhilehissalarybarelycoversrentnow,soontheownerswillpushdowntheirwagesevenmore.Shesayshisbossis"makingsuckers"outoftheworkers,andoutoftheirfamilies.Joepleadsthatshewillwakethechildren,butshesayssheonlywantstowakehimup.FlorenceandSid

InSceneIII,FlorenceandherboyfriendSidaretragiclovers,unabletomarrybecauseoftheirpoverty.TheirsituationresemblesthatofJoeandEdnainSceneI.Theyseethattheyarevictimsof"themoneymen''whosesystemkeepsthem"lonely"and"trapped"—"highlyinsultingus,"asFlorencesays.ThepathosoftheirreluctantpartingisonlyleavenedbythesuggestionthathisheartbreakleadsSidtojointhenavy.

FlorencesaysshewillfollowSidanywhere,buthetellshertoberealistic.Dr.BenjaminAtalentedanddedicatedyoungsurgeon,DrBenjaminlearnsinSceneVIthatheislosinghisjobbecauseofthediscriminatorypoliciesofhishospital'sdirectors.Theexperiencepersuadeshimofthetruthofcommunisttheoryandfireshisdeterminationtofightthecapitalistsystem.HeistemptedtoemigratetoRussia,inordertoworkunderasystemofsocializedmedicinebutdecidestostayinAmericaeventhoughthismeansgivingupthemedicalcareerforwhichhisparentssacrificedsomuchtoprovidehim.Hetakesajobasacabdriverandbecomesamemberofthestakecommittee.Dr.BarnesInSceneVI,Barnesisahospitaladministratortornbetweenhisconvictionsandhisprofessionalobligations.Hedeplorestheruthless,discriminatorypoliciesofthehospital'swealthyboardofdirectors,especiallytheirdismissalofthetalentedyoungDr.Benjamin;butheisalsopowerlesstochangethesedecisions,andseesnochoicebuttocarrythemout.Becauseofhisadvancedage,andthefactthathemustprovideforaninvaliddaughter,hefeelsunabletoparticipatedirectlyintheworkers'struggle.Yetheisapassionatebelieverinthecauseandexhortstheyoungermantotakeupthefighthewisheshecouldjoin,encouragingBenjamintofireashot"foroldDocBarnes.''Phillips

Heisaverytalentedactorbutnoonehirehim.WhenhewaslookingforajobatatheaterinNewYork,ThebosscalledGradyundisguisedtoldhimthatnobodylikedartisthereandhisaimisonlytomoney.Finally,Phillipswasrejectedruthlessly.FayetteandMiller

Theheadofalargeindustrialcorporation,Fayetteisclearlyinthe"capitalist''camp.InSceneII,heoffershisemployee,thelabassistantMiller,anattractivebutunsavoryproposition,agenerousraiseandpromotionifhewillonlyagreetohelpdevelopfearsomechemicalweaponsandalsoagreetospyonhisfellowscientists.FayetteisuntroubledbytheethicalconcernsthatconsumeMiller;hisonlyprinciplesseemtobeprofitandself-interest."Ifbigbusinesswentsentimentaloverhumanlife,"heasserts,"therewouldn'tbebigbusinessofanysort!"Likeother"bosses"intheplay,heisanenemyoftheworkingclass.Whenhepaysforhistransgressionswithasolidpunchinthemouth,theaudienceismeanttofeelthatitisrichly-deserved.TomClaytonand"ClearVoice"(Clancy'sbrother)

The"laborspy''inSceneIVTomClayton''posesasa"brother"cabbiefromPhiladelphia.Havingparticipatedinafailedtaxistrikethereafewmonthsago,heoffersthatbitterexperiencetoconvincethemembersthatastrikeisuseless.Buta"clearvoice"fromthecrowd—whichturnsouttobethatofhisownbrother—exposeshimasastrikebreakernamed"Clancy,''whohaslongbeenemployedbyindustrialiststounderminemilitantunionorganizers.Hischaradeexposed,thedeceitful"Clayton"fleesthewrathoftheworkers.

The"voice''hasdiscoveredwherehistrueloyaltieslie;inthiscase,hiscommitmenttotheworkingclassfaroutweighsthebondsoffamily.

HarryFattHarryFatt,thecorruptunionleader,istheplay'smostobviousvillain

andtheprimaryfocusofitsoutrage—astereotypical"fatcat,"drivenbyaruthlessgreedandahungerforpower.Heisunmovedbythedesperatepovertyoftheworkersheclaimstoserve.Heispurposelyexaggerated,aconstantforceofpureevil.Odetsintendedtheaudiencetoseehimas"anuglymenace,''hoveringoverthelivesofallthecharacters.ThoughFattpayslip-servicetodemocraticprinciplesandrailsagainstthe"anti-American"natureofcommunism,heisatyrantand"racketeer,"imposinghiswillontheunionbyforceandintimidation.Theunionmembersoverwhelminglysupportastrike,andtheplay'spoliticallogicdemandsone.YetFattisdeterminedtopreventitandtomaintaincontrolbyanypossiblemeans,includingmurder.Inhisproductionnotes,Odetsleavesnodoubtaboutthecharacter'ssignificance:"Fatt,ofcourse,representsthecapitalistsystemthroughouttheplay.''AnindustrialistlikeFayette(inSceneII)mightseemamorelogicalrepresentative,butFattisequallya"boss''andenemyoftheworkers,forhiscorruptleadershipsubvertstheirstruggleforabetterlife.Whetherornotheisdirectlyemployedbywealthycapitalists(andthe"LaborSpyEpisode"impliesthatheis),heservestheircausewell,forhisactionsworkassurelyastheirstosecurethecorruptsystem.Liketheirs,hispowerisbasedontheworkers'continuedexploitation.InSceneV,OdetsemphasizesthisconnectionbyhavingFattacttheroleofGrady,thewealthytheatricalproducer.Noothercharacterhassuchadualfunction;therolesof"laborboss"and"businessexecutive"areshowntobeliterallyinterchangeable.Likeotherbosses,Fattcanbedefeatedonlybythecollectiveactionoftheworkers,whorisetriumphantlyagainsthimasthecurtainfalls.LeftyCostello

Thoughheisthetitlecharacter,Leftyneverappearsonstage,nonetheless,heisaheroicfigure,indirectcontrasttoFatt'svillainy.Adedicatedunionorganizer(andpresumablyacommunist),heenjoystheconfidenceoftheworkersandseemstobetheirtrueleader,thedrivingforcebehindthestakeeffort.Hehasbeenelectedchairmanofthestrikecommittee,andhisabsenceatthemeetingistroubling;itseemsthemembersarecountingonhisleadershiptostanduptoFattandmaketheeagerly-awaitedstrikeareality.

Leftyrecallsotherheroic,martyredorganizersofunionlore,likethelegendaryfolk-singerJoeHill.Thoughtheirlossisdeeplyfelt,suchfiguresareneverconsideredirreplaceable,fortheircauseisoneofmassaction.Theplay'sclimaxcomeswhentheworkersstopwaitingforLeftyandtakeresponsibilityfortheirownstruggle.Thoughtheyhavedependedonhim,theydonotneedaleadertogivethempower;theyneedonlyseizethecollectivepowertheyhadalwayshad,bystandingtogetherindefiance.AgateHeisamemberofcommitteeofstrike,ataxidriver.Attheageofeleven,helostoneeyebymachinewhichdonothassafetyprotectionequipment.Atthemeeting,heisacharacterfightingagainstthecorruptedunionbossandhecalledhisunion"rotten",sincetheydonottelltheworkerswhattheirplansare.Agateadmitsthattheyare“racketeers”.heencouragesworkerstostartaworkers'unionwithouttheracketeers.AmanrunsintothehouseandsaystheyjustfoundLefty,shotdead.Agateyellstohisfellowunionmen，“Strike!Strike!”.SummaryIn

WaitingforLefty,Odetscapturesfullythefolkidiomofthesixpeopleonwhomhisplayfocuses.Eachisataxicabdriver.Eachhasastorytotell.Thesixcharacterscomefromseveralwalksoflifebuthaveonethingincommon:Theyareforcedbyeconomicnecessitytobecomecabdrivers.Eachexemplifiestheantagonismthatexistsbetweenthevaluesofthebusinesscommunityandthehumanvaluesoftheplay’sprotagonists.

Inthesixvignettes,connectedonlybythejobthattheactorshaveincommon,Odetsexploressuchmattersascollectivebargaining,anti-Semitism,environmentalirresponsibility,familycohesiveness,andtheexploitationofthemasses.Thebigquestiontheplayposesconcernstheextenttowhichworkersshouldcontroltheirowndestinies.Aunionorganizer,whodoesnotappearonstage,isscheduledtomeetwiththemtodiscussmeansbywhichworkerscandealwithbigbusiness.Leftyneverarrivesbecausehehasbeenmurderedonhiswaytothemeeting.Whenhisdeathisrevealed,theaudience,already