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a streetcar named desire: context - Coggle Diagram
a streetcar named desire: context
tennessee williams
1911-1983
american playwright
had a sister (Rose) who struggled with the transition + escape to a world of fantasy to cope with this. she had an operation on her brain which left her infantilised for life. Williams never forgave himself for allowing it to happen.
his father was an abusive alcoholic who adhered heavily to masculine American ideals- he ridiculed Williams's sensitivity
Williams was a homosexual when it was illegal
new orleans & the 'deep south'
'Deep South'- the Southern states of America which dependent on Plantation agriculture + slave labour. remained a place of racism with emphasis on people's ancestry
New Orleans is Southern but was very accepting + diverse + a large portion of people were immigrants from Europe or Africa. known for its distinct culture + vibrant history
Stanley + Blanche clash reflects time period
the southern belle
a stock character which depicted a young, beautiful woman who was part of the upper socio-economic class of the Deep South
meant to marry a rich, respectable young man, raise a family + contribute actively to the community all while practicing typical Southern hospitality + possessing a flirtatious yet chaste demeanour
Blanche captures all of these qualities + is an archetype of the classic Southern Belle
women expected to be passive + chaste + considered inferior to men + subject to their protection
Williams' own mother had been a 'Southern Belle'
gender roles
during WW2, women became used to having to adopt roles which had previously been considered male which lead to women forming their own versi9on of the American Dream where they had more power, responsibility + independence. met with hostility from traditionalists.
post-war America was defined by a sense of American heroism pinned on surviving the Great Depression + defeating the Nazis. resulted in a masculine culture.
'ASND' critiques how post-war American institutions affected women's lives
many of Williams's female characters are psychologically trapped in the cultural pragmatics of the Old South. the women are dependent on men + view them as their only route to happiness
the southern gothic genre
sub genre of gothic literature + includes grotesque themes + imagery + overtones of the supernatural or unusual events- southern gothic text is set in America's south
grotesque characters, horrific deeds, desires + impulses