A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams : Context
Written & Set in the 1940s, post WW2
● Background & Life
● Historical context
● Reception
● Literary context (e.g. genre)
● Performance history
Williams’ Life:
Influences relationships & characters explored.
He had a difficult childhood: his parents were in an unhappy marriage and his father was an
alcoholic. While his father was a working-class salesman, his mother was born to a
higher-class family, with educated parents. She resented her husband’s lifestyle, believing it
didn’t reflect well on her social status.
Williams was ostracised and bullied in school, while his sister suffered from mental illness
and was later institutionalised. Williams was gay, which at the time was considered a mental
illness, and this is reflected in his work.
These issues are reflected in A Streetcar, with the dynamics between Stella & Blanche being
from a higher class and Stanley being working-class, the depiction of mental illness and its
influence on other characters and Blanche’s alcoholism.
In “Rethinking Literary Biography”, Pagan notices similarities between Williams and Blanche,
quoting Williams as saying: “I am Blanche DuBois”. Williams often lied about his age, as
Blanche does, and identified with a sense of shared hysteria.
Socio-economic & political context:
The play is set in the aftermath of the Civil War, where the Northern states were victorious.
The South was known as a place brimming with poverty and racism, with segregation
continuing. New Orleans became a cultural melting pot, with an influx of immigrants, and a
relative champion of diversity in the South.
There was a shift to an industrial economy, with factories being built to replace the
previously agrarian community, which caused the working class to grow in size.
This was a time of transition in the South, shifting from old money into modernity and
diversity. The wealth of the DuBois family was likely built on slavery, and Blanche struggles
with being stuck in the past, unable to move on with a progressing society. Much of her
tension with Stanley is due to his status as a working-class immigrant.
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In the 20 century, America became focused on the idea of the ‘American Dream’, often
explored and discussed in literature of the time. Stanley could be seen to reflect this, with a
, hard-working, hyper individualistic attitude that places him at odds with Blanche who, in his
view, has failed to live up to these standards and fails to take responsibility for her own life.
While it is barely mentioned in the play, World War 2 had a large impact on society of the
time. WW2 enabled a sense of American heroism to develop, based on overcoming the
Great Depression and defeating the Nazis. Working-class men like Stanley, who survived the
war, were seen as bearers of the American ‘spirit’.
Cultural Context:
It is important to understand the societal context of A Streetcar Named Desire and the effect
this has on the characters. Tennesse Williams has said “I have only one major theme in my
work, which is the destructive power of society on the sensitive, non-conformist
individual.”
The character of Blanche could be associated with the “sensitive, non-conformist individual”
Williams speaks about, as she struggles in numerous ways due to the treatment of others.
However, many characters are negatively affected by societal forces.
Gender roles:
Streetcar is a play that could be considered to critique the limitations post-war American
society imposed on itself. Restrictions on women are an explicit focus of Williams, while
gender stereotyping of men are addressed implicitly.
The post-war sense of American heroism influenced a championing of masculinity, as well as
an embrace of ‘family values’. Men such as Stanley were heroized, while women like Stella
were placed in a domestic role beside them.
During the war, the percentage of women in the workforce had reached 37%, but after the
war ended they were again confined to traditional domestic roles.
Williams establishes conventional gender roles, particularly in Stanley and Stella, but
subverts them in other characters. Blanche shows ‘masculine’ traits, with her sexuality and
dominance, while Mitch shows sensitivity, a ‘feminine’ trait.
It is in part due to gender roles that the relationship between Mitch & Blanche falls apart, as
it is triggered by Blanche’s promiscuity, which was seen as unacceptable to Mitch, who felt
he couldn’t bring someone like that home to his mother.
Religion & Morality:
America was founded on Puritan, Christian principles, which influenced culture and beliefs
that evolved over time. The prejudice against homosexuality and views on sexual immorality
stem from the Christian principles America was built on. Similarly, the idea that a “wife must
submit to her husband” is a biblical principle that was particularly advocated for in the
Southern states during the post-war period, with attempts to revert to “old-fashioned
values”.
In the play, Blanche says she is “old-fashioned” to endear herself to Mitch.
