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Context for A Streetcar Named Desire - Coggle Diagram
Context for A Streetcar Named Desire
Historical Context
The play is written in the aftermath of the Civil War which was fought between the Northern and Southern states on the issue of the abolishment of slavery. The war ended in 1865, however the image of the 'south' remained in people's minds.
After the Great Depression New Orleans emerged as a champion of diversity and acceptance within the southern states, with a large influx of immigrants from Europe and Africa.
Great Depression which took place during the 1930s, created big divides between the rich and the poor.
New Orleans had associations with the homosexual community in the 1940s as the 'Fat Monday Luncheon' a private event for gay men was originally hosted in New Orleans 1949. The gay carnival club, the Krewe of Yuga was also held in New Orleans 1958 although was later raided by police.
The American Dream - 1931 onwards, “the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.”. A promise made by the American government. It became a well-known failure rooted in false hope.
Huey Long - Share our Wealth Program. He was the Governor of Louisiana and came up with the share our wealth program which aimed to provide a decent standard of living to all Americans by capping personal fortunes. Seen in 'Streetcar' - 'Every man a King' (Stanley)
New Orleans - 'Ethnic melting pot'
Personal Context
Williams had a difficult childhood as his parents had an unhappy marriage and his father was an alchoholic.
Williams father Cornelius Williams was from a working class background and his mother Edwina Williams was from a higher-class, southern background.
Williams was very close to his sister Rose who later suffered from mental health illnesses and was institutionalised.
Williams was homosexual during a time in which is was illegal in America.
Staging/ Production Context
Plastic Theatre - term penned by Williams in which he gives equal value to the non-literary elements of stage production and to the literary text.
2014 Young Vic, National Theatre live performance. Use in the round staging in which the audience creates a claustrophobic setting for the stage - reinforces idea of claustraphobic nature of broken world and Blanch entering Stanley and Stella's lives.
Also used a revolving stage which visually indicated Blanche's growing mental instability.
Film production (1951) by Elia Kazan has a different ending with Stella realising the truth of Blanche's words, implying that Stella no longer trusts Stanley and may end up leaving him. The twist in ending was supposedly influenced by the film industry which demanded that Stanley must be punished in some way.
Literary Context
Some viewers saw Stanley as a victim of Blanche's madness and attack against his masculinity, class and heritage.
Published 1947, post WW2.
'The Glass Menagerie' first performed 1944. Depicts a family struggling financially with the aftermath of the great depression and also with keeping up with cultural changes. Within the play Laura struggles with mental health illnesses and is said to be inspired by Williams sister Rose.
Scene 3 during polka night, Vincent Van Gogh's painting 'The Night Café' is directly mentioned. Vibrant scene, depressed figures, deeper emotions under the surface. Vincent wrote to his brother Theo describing his evocation of a place where ‘one can ruin oneself, go mad or commit a crime’.
Use of music - polka, varsouviana,
Social Realism in Theatre
Naturalist works set in actual places, with characters which represent cultural archetypes (social classes, cultures, nationalities etc.).
Social realism developed in the 1870s with the plays of Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw et.c
Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright whose play 'A Doll's House' was considered a landmark in developing a new genre of theatre - realism. In 'A Doll's House' Ibsen writes about everyday, unexceptional people. The play also highlights Ibsen's concern for women's rights and human rights in general.
Tennessee slightly altered the form as used expressionistic theatrical devices in his storytelling in addition to grounding the plot in social context.