context
tennessee williams
early life:
born march 26, 1911, as thomas lanier williams in columbus, mississippi.
spent first 7 years in a rural area with mother, sister, and grandparents; father was a traveling salesman, rarely present, and had a strained marriage with his wife.
father had heavy drinking and gambling problems and intimidated williams, calling him a "sissy" for his sensitivity.
williams described his parents' marriage as "just a wrong marriage."
his sister, affected by the family dynamics, retreated into her mind and became mentally unwell.
despite this, williams described his early childhood as pleasant and happy.
his outlook changed when the family moved to st. louis, missouri, where he turned inward and began writing.
enrolled at the university of missouri in 1929 to study journalism but was withdrawn by his father upon learning his girlfriend was also attending.
returned home discouraged and took a sales assistant job at his father's request, which he called “living death,” turning to writing to cope.
suffered a nervous breakdown due to depression and recuperated in memphis.
returned to st. louis and connected with poets at washington university.
re-enrolled in college in 1937 at the university of iowa, graduating in 1938.
later left home due to conflict over the decision to lobotomise his sister, who lived in a sanitarium most of her life after the procedure.
sexuality and relationships
initially engaged in relationships with women before exploring homosexuality in the 1930s.
homosexuality was an open secret during his life, publicly confirmed post-stonewall.
many works, including short stories and plays, dealt with gay themes, often negatively, reflecting either internal shame or the sadness in his life.
a streetcar named desire was his first work to acknowledge a character’s queerness through blanche’s husband, allan, who committed suicide after being discovered in a gay affair.
settled in new york, came to terms with his sexuality, and embraced opportunities despite societal criminalisation of being gay.
in a 1975 article, stated, “sexuality is a basic part of my nature. i never considered my homosexuality as anything to be disguised... it was after i went to new orleans that i selected homosexuality as a way of sexual life. lucky for me, i made the decision,” later editing this to, “the decision was made for me.”
relationships included:
kip kiernan (1940): a young dancer whose marriage devastated williams; kiernan’s death at 26 was a heavy blow.
pancho rodríguez y gonzález (1945-1947): tumultuous relationship marked by jealousy and excessive drinking; remained friends until the 1970s.
frank merlo: williams’ most enduring romantic relationship, lasting 14 years; merlo provided stability and domestic support during williams’ most productive years. their relationship ended due to infidelities and substance abuse. williams cared for merlo until his death from lung cancer in 1963, after which williams spiraled into depression and drug use.
robert carroll (1970s): lengthy relationship with a vietnam war veteran, seen as destructive due to mutual substance abuse; they remained friends after breaking up in 1979. carroll was one of two individuals to receive a bequest in williams’ will.
commercial success
won $100 and an agent, audrey wood, from a playwriting competition.
moved to new orleans at 28, changed his name, and found inspiration for future works, including a streetcar named desire.
first major success was the glass menagerie (1945), followed by other highly commended plays like orpheus descending and streetcar.
later years
always maintained an apartment in the new orleans french quarter.
his final play, a house not meant to stand, was completed in 1981.
struggled during the 1960s due to poor reviews, turning to alcohol and drugs; hospitalised by his brother in 1969.
continued writing plays and a memoir post-rehabilitation.
found dead on february 25, 1983, in his new york city hotel room, surrounded by wine and pills.
new orleans (the french quarter):
Oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans – founded in 1718 by the French.
Suburbs growing
Originally known as ‘Vieux Carré,’ meaning ‘Old Square’
New Orleans = originally a Catholic settlement, meaning that social distinctions of the Protestant settlements in the South were largely disregarded – meaning people of all backgrounds mingled indiscriminately
Less segregation
southern belles:
‘Proper’ young white woman of the American South’s upper socioeconomic class.
Expected to be charming, hospitable, and well-mannered.
Are often romanticised: associated with marriage, courtship, and dependence on men.
Originated in the ‘antebellum’ period of the American South, referring to daughters of rich plantation owners
Blanche DuBois can be interpreted as a ‘fading’ Southern Belle, a key struggle for her is her attempts to maintain that image as is crumbles around her
Supposed to be chaste and pure, very educated in social etiquette.
post-war america:
Three main events define post war America: The Cold War, civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.
United States was in a strong political position after the war, the war wasn't fought on US soil and therefore in comparison to the rest of Europe the infrastructure was particularly strong.
By the end of the 1950’s civil rights movements had expanded personal privacy rights, freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
an economy driven by consumer spending, which introduced a surge of prosperity and job opportunities in the urban regions.
mass migration from rural to urban areas, resulting in a clash between traditional and modern values,
increased industrialisation and urbanisation
The biggest post-war concern was the rise of communism and the Soviet Union, every foreign policy decision was guided by stopping communism. The US put money into 3rd world countries to stop them from turning to communism. Tension between soviet and usa.
There was rise of nuclear bombs, people lived in fear of bomb dropping
expressionism:
Expressionism is artistic style in which the artist seeks to depict not objective reality, but the subjective emotions and responses that certain scenarios arouse within a person – emphasise on interpretation over representation.
Williams uses Plastic Theatre – meaning he uses things like props, music and lights in a symbolic way to add more meaning to a story – makes emotions in the play stronger
Plastic theatre creates a more engaging and immersive experience unlike traditional theatre that relies on dialogue and a clear storyline.
Plastic theatre is used in ‘A streetcar named desire’ using items to reveal more about the primary characters and themes. For example, a broken mirror symbolises Blanche DU Bois’s shattered self-perception and her desperate chase for eternal youth within her society.
Other examples of plastic theatre include her aversion to bright light / her outfit / the streetcar’s name / the music.
expectations of men/women:
Early 1940s: Men expected to adhere to specific characteristics that defined masculinity
Mid 1940s, war’s end: society change from war >> peace = new ideas for manhood complementing peacetime | veterans needed for idyllic postwar life, stable family and job
Sense of American heroism post-war: embrace of family and home places women (e.g. Stella) in more domestic roles - although more women in the workforce during WW2, postwar saw them pushed back to traditional domestic roles
Post-WW2, America, particularly the American South reverts back to Christian values/conservatism: expectation of chastity/modesty from women (which Blanche does not adhere to)
Essentially, women were expected to step up wherever needed:
Whilst men were occupied with the war, nurseries became widespread, allowing women to fill the manufacturing roles needed of women
Majority of nurseries were closed at war’s end, as women returned to domesticity and home-centred roles, whilst war vets returned to breadwinning
‘Rosie the Riveter’: representation of the women who produced munitions and war supplies
mental health:
Common treatments in the 1940s:
Lobotomies (mainly given to women) - for mental illnesses e.g ocd, schizophrenia, depression- less tolerant of ‘non-conforming behaviour’ for women
Although most institutionalised patients were men
Psychotherapy to cure the ‘neuroses of battle’ post-war
Psychoanalysis – developed by Freud, focus on the unconscious
Speculations that psychiatric problems (jn women) triggered sterility and psychoanalysis was the cure – which was sex
Theories of the Electra complex etc. – believed women had an ‘inferior superego’ to men
Tranquilisers
Those considered mentally ill were isolated – didn't fit the face of the ‘new America’ that was being rebuilt post-WWII
Mental Health Act 1946 – provided funds for a National Institute of Mental Health (for veterans)
Diagnoses of hysteria mainly in women, used almost as a synonym for ‘over-emotional’ or ‘deranged’
Androcentric medicine – hormonal differences in women seen as abnormal