Titus and Lavinia's Relationship in the Patriarchal Context In the play Titus Andronicus , many factors contribute to Lavinia's tragic fate. This essay examines the factors that lead to the role that Titus, her father, plays in her tragedy. Though the relationship between Lavinia and her father Titus is one of deep love and respect, it is important to acknowledge Titus' strict adherence to social and cultural norms, his pride, and his treatment of her as a possession is what leads to him killing his own daughter, in an attempt to end his own “sorrow” and “shame” over her assault. Lavinia's relationship with Titus is deep and filled with mutual love. At the beginning of the play, after Titus returned from battle, Lavinia appeared to be the only person that could arouse gentleness in her father. Titus appeared as a kind father, hoping his only daughter lives a long and happy life by claiming: “Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reserv’d the cordial of mine age to glad my heart! Lavinia, live, outlive thy father’s days.” (Shakespeare). Titus also values Lavinia greatly, and her harm drags Titus into his deepest grief and anger. When Marcus brings a maimed Lavinia to see her father, Titus is shocked, desperately angered and sad, because he regarded Lavinia dearer than his own soul. He says: “he that wounded her hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead (…) This way to death my wretched sons are gone; here stands my other son, a banished man, and here my brother, weeping at my woes. But that which gives my soul the greatest spurn is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul.” (Shakespeare) But i n the patriarchal society of ancient Rome, the pater familias , the male head of the household, had extensive powers over his family members, including control over the life and death of his dependents. In this system, Lavinia is powerlessness against the wishes of her father. Her voice is not heard in male-dominated Rome, and she does not have the right to choose her own destiny. The first indication of Lavinia being treated as an object is when she is targeted by her attackers, as if she were her father’s possession and damaging her would humiliate him. Because of Titus’ decision of killing Tamora’s first son and making Saturninus the emperor, Tamora's family takes revenge on Titus by maiming Lavinia and taking away her chastity. Lavinia is treated as an object not only by her father, but almost everyone around her. Saturninus offers her to be empress not because he loves her, but her physical beauty and her family background. Demetrius and Chiron think the most appropriate way to deal with Lavinia is to rape her, because they regard woman’s purpose in life is as sexual objects. They says: “She is a woman, therefor may be woo’d, she is a woman, therefore many be won, She is Lavinia, therefore must be lov’d” (Shakespeare) All of these indicate that women in this society are treated as second class citizens, mere possessions for men. Lavinia is not the only woman in the play who is treated like an object. When Titus hands over his war prisoner Tamora to Saturninus, he hands her in the same way he hands over his only daughter to the new emperor. This reveals that both daughter and war prisoner are treated in the same way; as tradable property between men, regardless the woman's identity as either war prisoner or potential future empress. Lavinia's father Titus, adheres strictly to Roman custom and tradition. He is an extremely proud man; even willing to kill his son rather than let anyone stand in the way of what he wants. Unfortunately, his intensive commitment to his own code of ethics is indirectly responsible for his only daughter’s suffering and his whole family’s downfall. Titus' relationship with his daughter, though loving, is also akin to an owner - object relationship. It is true that Lavinia is loved by her father; but at the same time, Lavinia is also treated as a man's possession just like other women in the patriarchy of Rome. When Saturninus asked Titus to marry his daughter by saying: “Lavinia will I make my empress… tell me Andronicus, doth this motion please thee” (Shakespeare), Titus immediately accepted Saturninus’s offer without consulting Lavinia first. Titus treats his beloved daughter as his property without second thought; his old-fashioned code of ethics and loyalty to customs and the emperor handed over his daughter’s hand to a man she doesn’t love. At the end of the play when Titus asks Saturninus: “An if your highness knew my heart, you were. My lord the emperor, resolve me this: was it well done of rash virginius to slay his daughter with his own right hand, because she was enforced, stain’d and deflower’d” (Shakespeare) Saturninus answers: “It was, Andronicus. (…) Because the girl should not survive her shame, and by her presence still renew his sorrows.” (Shakespeare) After Saturninus finishes his speech, Titus immediately slays Lavinia. By asking the emperor, Titus seems to deem the emperor’s agreement as approval and murders his own daughter. As Titus says, he slays Lavinia because he could not stand looking at his daughter without feeling sorrow. Thus, he puts his own feelings and satisfaction over the very life of his own daughter.. However, Titus’s selfishness is not the only cause for Lavinia’s death. His acceptance of her as his object, and his supposed right to take away her life, is the other important factor that leads to Lavinia’s death. Thus, Titus' loving relationship with his daughter mutual love is eventually dominated by the idea that she is ultimately her father’s pawn, an object to be disposed of as he pleases. Lavinia’s tragic death is a result of both her father’s selfishness and his acceptance of women’s social status as men’s pawns in ancient Rome. If women had equal social status as men, Titus would not have any right to determine Lavinia’s life or death, and if Titus were less selfish about his own satisfaction and dealt with his sorrow by himself, Lavinia would not have to die.
在暗潮涌动的现代职场中，对自我情绪的成功控制关乎你能不能吃得上饭、能不能吃得香。 三十年前，Hockschild提出情绪工作的概念，主张情绪也是工作任务的一部分：工作者在组织的规范下以及薪资的报偿制度下，必须在公共场合控制自己的情绪，以创造出一种适合于组织所要求的工作气氛，也就是说，情绪工作意味着个人为了工作要示而必须制造或压抑自身的情绪。她用三个简单的问题来阐述这一概念：“我真正的感受为何（what I really feel）”、“我应该如何感受（what I should feel）”、“我尝试如何感受（what I try to feel）”。情绪表达不再是私人的一部分，而是可以贩卖的商品，可以被出售以换取工资，具有交换价值。 近20年来，研究者们在工作情绪的管理策略方面形成了较为一致的观点，即四种不同层面的策略。第一层，表面扮演策略。工作中尽量调控表情及行为，以表现组织所要求的情绪，但是内心的感受并不发生改变。说白了，就是做表面文章。第二层，主动深度表演策略。当员工的内心感受与组织的表现规则不一致时，他通过积极思考、想象和记忆等内部心理过程，激起或者压抑某种情绪，使表现出来的情感和内心的情感是一致的。第三层，被动的深度表演策略。员工内心感受的情绪与组织的表现规则恰好一致时，就将能够在工作中自发地、真诚地表现出组织期望的情绪，员工需要表现的情感是他们内心所经历的情感。第四层，蓄意不同步策略。社种策略要求员工既要表现出适度的情绪，又要保持内心的中性感受。员工满足了组织表现规则的要求、表现出了适当行为，但是员工的内心情绪感受却保持独立。学者Harris称之为最大化理性行为，可以看出这种策略很牛。
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