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Streetcar Context - Coggle Diagram
Streetcar Context
Williams
Rose - Never forgave parents for Lobtomy which left her instotuzionlised. Already weak relationship with parents
Mother - treated him like a child (manifests in cat) absence of parental figures in Streetcar? Meaning. Southern Belle manifests in Blanche. Abused by Husband - Edwina hated extra-marital affairs and alcholism and general lifestyle - believed it did not reflect well on her social status.
Father - took him out of univeristy for work. Felt freedom at univerisy. Resented him for alcholism and abuse towards mother and sister. Working class salesman
Mad - "i noticed all this, even though i was going mad" - regarding location and setting shows the unique depiction of Blanche's madness"
Childhood - "I was the victim of a particularly troubled childhood" - illness led him to be ostracised and vunerable but very close to Rose. Importance of past illness.
Relationships - has one sexual relationship with a woman. His homosexuality recognised early but recalled his memoirs read as his plays drove his life - "I know my writing was the only thing that saved my life"
"Willliams has repeatdely claimed I am Blanche DubBois" has indetified with her, particulary in the terms of shared hysteria. His relationships show his shared pronspeity to mislead people concerning age.
"I only have one major theme for my work which is the destructive power of society on the sensisive, non conformist individual"
"I realisie how very old-fashioned I am as. dramatisst to be so concerned with classcial form but thsi does not embarrass me, since I feel thatthe absence of form is nearly always, if not always, as dissatisfying to an audiene as it is to me"
Social
Race
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1940s not free of racial prejudice and is ditinguished NO as a place open to all classes and races but Blanche fails as he cannot bring her traditional notions of superiority
Main characters are white. Jazz music attempts to create diveristy. More about prejudice based on class rather than race although Stanleys position as. European MIgrant is dicussed. Post-Harlem renaissance era where segregation was still prevelant but being contested.
Individualist all american ideology propelled by events of WW11 the war is ever present with the eherosim fo overocming Great depression and defeating the Nazis which shined a national spotlight on men such as Stanley.
Gender Stereotypes
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Balnche and allan grey mized gender roles - proves through plot that gender nroms push them towards death or mental or moral destruction.
Religion
American foudned on Puritain and other chirstian ideals - seeped cultural and belief. Play does not disucss but "wife must submit to her husband" is founded from he bible. Tired to revert to old fashioned christian values for secuirty.
Economic
Stanley centred around american dream - intrisically all american feel. Heavily propelled by WW11 - national spotlight on sucsess of workers of america.
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Time of ransition from teh american south - tension shift from old money to moderity and diversity. Blanche money from slavery against Stanleys new found power which overides money hailded as victors from war which ultimately reconvered america.
Performance History
Published in 1947 aftermath of second world war. Themes co-exists with the social dilemmmas of the time. America wasa fragmented, but recovered nation.
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Literary Context
Femenist
Rape of balnche, masculine authroity over her. uses past decisions against her. Opressive particachy which was forced balnche to feel she must find a husband to be accepted by society.
Marxist
Stanley defates blanche - old arisocracy and begins future - reigning champoin of teh working classes.
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Dramatic
Stella baby born day Blanche is defeates - shows triumph of new post war brutsih insensitive stanley who have taken their place in america.
Plastci theatre - so specific that the setting can only functions as the most important part. Boundaries between public and private life distorted. Costumes, props, lighting, sound effects - slips audience into blanches delusions.
Orginal Performance
Some rejected bold portrayal of sexuality, morality and dsire. Came popular among those who felt crude realsim was admirable.
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Locational
"You know NO is slightly below sea level and maybe that's why the colouds and the sky seem so close. "I suppose they are just reallly vapour off the MIssissippi more than genuine clouds.
Emerged a sa champoin of diveristy after an influx of immigrants from europe and africa due to industrial economy shift - cultural melting pot. The clahs of the new and old south.