Streetcar AO3 Context

what does the omission of overt historical references in williams’ plays do?

emphasises that the plays exist in their own world and time → resulting claustraphobic quality contributes to the dramatic tension they share

what years did the american civil war take place?

1861-1865

how was slavery viewed differently between the north and south around the time of the civil war?

north → slavery seen as evil

south → regarded slavery as essential for the tobacco and cotton industries on which their wealth was founded

what are some of the characteristics of expressionist theatre?

• rejection of realism in favour of dreamlike states

• non-linear, disjointed structures

• utilisation of imagery and symbolism in place of naturalism

• focus on abstract concepts

how does expressionism work in theatre (particularly streetcar)?

emphasis on uncovering intense emotions and the failure of societal systems that have been overlooked

what does expressionist theatre commonly critique?

expressionist theatre critiqued the government, big business, the military, family structures, and sexism

what is plastic theatre?

utilises props, sound, stage direction, and costume to present poetic truths through symbolism

not intended to be realistic, but symbolic

what had williams claimed about his own personal association with the character of blanche?

repeatedly claimed “i am blanche dubois” + identified w/ her particularly in terms of shared hysteria

what was the socio-political context behind new orleans being a “melting pot of culture”?

• segregation + systems that perpetuated cheap labour based on race still existed in south despite slavery being abolished

• after the great depression = large influx of immigrants from europe and africa

with the play being set in the deep south, how are both sides of the socio-political climate post-civil war symbolised in the play?

• upper-class dubois heritage → representative of mississippi and the old ways of intolerance towards difference and the ‘other’

• elysian fields → representative of new orleans/new, more liberal south

what are the values of the ‘american dream’?

vigour of working class people will be rewarded with anything they desire, merely through hard work, perseverance, and individualism

what did williams claim was the major theme of ‘streetcar’?

“i have only one major theme for my work, which is the destructive power of society on the sensitive, non-conformist individual”

how did postwar emergence of a sense of american heroism have implications for gender roles?

• championing of masculinity

• placing women in a domestic, submissive role w/ the intonation that they should provide for their husbands who have fought for the country

how much did the percentage of women in the national workforce grow during WWII?

rose from 27% to 37%

how did the numbers of women in the national workforce change post-WWII?

some women pushed back into domestic roles → traditional gender roles shaken up + sense of the new woman

why is the symbol of the locomotive/streetcar important?

represents modernity - the fast and intrusive changes that the old south underwent after the civil war

symbolises the dominance and inevitability of stanley’s victory over blanche

what was williams' realistic and ‘vulgar’ style of writing in the play inspired by?

people had seen the brutal reality of war and weren’t left with much hopeful imagination

the lack of ability/strength to portray things in a romanticised way

when was streetcar first performed?

1947

what is an aristotelian tragedy?

traditional greek tragedy

said by aristotle to have a change in circumstance for the central character

central character should have a hamartia which exacerbates their downfall

what is a hegelian tragedy?

expressing a tragedy as a battle of two opposing moral claims (ideas), typically mutually exclusive

what is a nietzschean tragedy?

expresses tragedy as an internal conflict between the apollonian and dionysian side of a character

define hegemonic masculinity.

practises that authorise and encourage male domination = justifies the subordination of women and non-hegemonic males

what is the modern/postmodern (late 20th century) era marked by?

• psychological/spiritual displacement → lack of religion

• loss of connections

• loneliness

• retrogression into sexual hedonism

what would have been some causes for anxiety/social tensions post-WWII?

• inequalities in race/gender

• competitiveness in society → judgement and establishment of winners and losers

• shift away from religious ideals to the worship of money (post-WWII prosperity)

• exploitation of the natural world

what is the significance of marlon brando in the 1951 film adaptation wearing a white shirt?

• before his role, the t-shirt was mostly hidden under clothes - after his role, it became a staple of mens clothing - the plain t-shirt

• audience reaction to streetcar (particularly stanley’s violence) being embracing his masculinity and not challenging it

define diegetic.

(of sound in a film, television programme, etc.) occurring within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters.

what is peripeteia?

an absence of justice in a play