Summary Ultimate Streetcar Notes - themes and quotes
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Course
Unit 1 - Drama
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
An in depth document compiled over 2 years exploring techniques, allusions, characters, themes and quotes. Useful for essay planning and developing an understanding of the play
Streetcar Named Desire Ultimate Notes
Context:
Characters are linked to Williams’ real-life relationships
1940s and 50s - post-war
Explores gender roles, hyper-masculinity, domestic abuse, sexuality etc
Williams was obsessed with the theme of death
Parents had an unhappy marriage
His father was an alcoholic and his mother resented him for that
Father was a working-class salesman who was said to be negligent of his
parental duties
Mother was born into a more well-educated family whose parents were a
minister and a teacher
He was bed ridden for 2 years as a child- this made him vulnerable and
experienced bullying as a result
His sister, Rose, suffered with a mental illness and was institutionalised for
this
Williams was gay at a time where it was considered a mental illness
Williams struggled with depression, loneliness, and alcoholism – he
depicted this in his work
Williams has stated he identifies with Blanche – especially in the sense of
shared hysteria and a tendency to lie – she may also represent his repressed
sexual desires
Williams’ Family
William’s father: heavy drinking, bad tempered
Stanley in the play – rudeness, predatory sexuality, misogyny, alcoholism
, Allan also resonates with the friction William’s homosexuality created
between him and his father – it is mirrored when Blanche discovers Allan's
sexuality
All reflect Williams’ memories of his father
William’s mother: forced to live a life she felt was beneath her, he believed
that his mother lost belief in everything but loss
Blanche’s characteristics are reflective of his mother – her descent into
irrationality and her incarceration are echoed
William’s sister: had a lobotomy, suffered with mental illness
His sister is reflected in Blanche – as they were both incarcerated and
William’s compliance with his sister's incarceration can be seen when Stella
has a role in Blanche’s committal to the asylum
American South
Plantations
Wealthy area – went into economic failure after the abolishment of slavery
(1865)
American civil war – south against abolishment
New Orleans – multicultural, music & culture, deprived, industrial
Literary features and inspiration
Poetic prose-like stage directions – heavily involved in film adaptations –
had a clear image of his work
Tragedy genre
Inspiration from Greeks – tragedy play – human suffering, contemplation,
and the nature of man's contemplation
Tragic heroine
Small family units representing microcosms (small example of a bigger
issue) of social issues
Characters actions shape their destiny more so than a divine higher power
Fewer characters than a classic tragedy
Focus on the ‘common man’ - working class
Catharsis – process of releasing emotions
Socio-political Context
Set in the aftermath of the civil war
, Civil war: internal American war between northern and southern states over
the main issue of the abolishment of slavery
After the great depression, New Orleans became a diverse safe haven for
many cultures
Williams sets the play in the south (Mississippi and New Orleans) to present
the contrasting new and old ways of the south – Mississippi being traditional
and New Orleans being more liberal
Socio-economic context (1940-50)
Set at a time of economic change – the transition from old money to new
money
The play explores how characters may be stuck in the past – some
characters’ money will have been built upon slavery
Wealth (or lack thereof) plays a part in the play in accordance with class and
class divide
The beginnings of the American dream
Post WW2 influence – American heroism to overcome the great depression
and defeat the nazi’s
National spotlight was placed onto men who had returned from the war and
rejoined the workforce
Many consider the conflict between Blanche and Stanley a metaphor for the
fall of the old south (Blanche) and the rise of the new (Stanley)
Socio-cultural context
Critiques the limitations that post-war America set for itself
Restrictions of women are a main focus in the play
It implicitly explores the effects of gender stereotyping on men
Championing of masculinity
Promotion of domestic roles for women
Stella and Stanley present the accepted gender roles
Blanche presents masculine energy
Mitch and Allen present femininity
Gender norms affect all the main characters negatively
Southern Gothic
Subgenre of gothic literature set in American South
Features flawed, disturbing, and eccentric characters
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