연극을 통해 미국 문화 이해하기 - 샘 쉐퍼드의 『진짜 서부』를 중심으로

Understanding American Culture Through Sam Shepard"s True West

&nbsp;&nbsp;Sam Shepard, "the most American" of contemporary dramatists and a "national treasure," is indeed obsessed with America. He is the dramatist who writes about and for America with American dramatic material. Shepard&quot;s drama provides the audience with a kind of collage, a selection and arrangement of familiar elements from American culture. Thus, his drama helps the spectator to be exposed to language, issues, values, and ways of life that are uniquely American. Shepard also mixes the real and the surreal, thus making his drama one of metaphoric realism. There are realistic characters, actions, and settings in his drama, but his realism is charged with metaphoric meaning; hence, characters become archetypes, actions become allegories, and settings become symbols. His realistic drama seemingly deals with the private lives of individuals, but in fact, it is a disturbing exploration of the collective psyche of America as a nation, i.e. American culture. Consistent in Shepard&quot;s drama is the presence of a misdirected American culture: rampant materialism, civilized but passive individuals, rootless-ness, alienation, lack of human relationships, potential for confusion, disorder, and violence are among the prominent themes. By staging a dystopian vision of America, Shepard intends to encourage awareness and awakening of American people because it is the first step to be made in order to incite change in the minds of Americans, if the American malaise might not be completely cured at once.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;This study intends to explore True West, Shepard&quot;s most realistic work to date, in an attempt to witness and experience Shepard&quot;s true depiction of America today and his severe criticism of it. This study will analyze Shepard&quot;s and America&quot;s collective dreams, fears, and desires, since True West indeed engages with American myth, and depicts the conflict between the claims of the past and the realities of the present, and hopes for "True West."