context
post-great depression
written in the 1940s → recovering from the great depression
american govt helped americans recover through the WPA (1935)
WPA → Works Progress Administration
paid americans to work on infrastructure and gave money to artists and writers to ‘revive american culture’
Tennesse Williams was a recipient of money from the WPA and used that money to move to New Orleans and write ASND, which surpassed the glass menagerie to become his most famous play
this style of writing led to a style called ‘Social Realism’
a bridging idea into the post-modern era
the depiction, in art/ literature, of society as it actually exists
draws special attention to the w.c. and poor
depicts the human condition and the worst sides of people
doesn’t feel the need to have a hero/ moral, even if that is an uncomfortable truth
old south vs new south
the identity of the old south formed w/in Maryland, Virginia, North + South Carolina, and Georgia; all of which were o.g. southern colonies
the old south had an agrarian way of life and was based off small farms and fertile plantations
Agriculture was at the centre of the South’s economy, which meant that slavery was too. African Americans were enslaved everywhere in the south; small farms, cities and towns, in home, large plantations, in industry and in transportation
Slaves were considered property and they were property because they were black
this status was enforced by violence
whilst ¾ of the white population of southern america did not own slaves, they identified and defended the institution of slavery, aspiring to one day own slaves. this is bc whilst they might have been poor, they were not slaves, nor black, and therefore gained a sense of power simply by being white
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the southern states were against its abolishment as their plantations were based on slavery, and therefore the southern economy would collapse.
blanche and stella’s previous way of life was destroyed, and they were now equalised → blanche struggles with this, thus embodying the old south.
the war ended in 1865, with the victory of the northern states
despite the loss, the image of the ‘american south’ remained in their minds
whilst, due to their defeat, slavery was no longer legal, there was still a great importance placed on ancestry and heritage, which meant that the racism existing in the antebellum period was carried through to the post-civil war era
the south was alienated from the rest of america and was famous for being fulled with racism and poverty
despite slavery being banned, segregation was prevalent, and this system led to cheap labour based on race
note that the kowalski baby (post-war hybrid of stella and stanley) is born the day that blanche, the representative of the antebellum south, is defeated, raped and destroyed
significance of new orleans
in the transition into the post antebellum era, after the great depression, new orleans emerged as a leading town of diversity and acceptance in these southern states
accepting a large influx of immigrants from europe and africa due to a shift to an industrial economy to replace the old agrarian community, new orleans became a melting pot of culture
at the same time, a new working class emerged
ultimately, new orleans was filled w immigrants but remained v intermixed and multicultural (e.g opening stage directions of play), which is unique form other cities, which had trends of clumped settling patterns
concept of the southern belle
the southern belle is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum south.
they were expected to marry respectable young men, and become ladies of society dedicated to the family and community
southern belles are characterised by southern hospitality, cultivation of beauty and a flirtatious yet chaste demeanour
on the surface, blanche is seen as the epitome of the ‘southern belle’; an archetypal sheltered young women of the old south’s upper socioeconomic class.
her upper-class status creates a class distinction between her and stanley; perhaps her defeat against the working class immigrant is symbolic of the idea of the ‘southern belle’ becoming redundant
the dissonance between her past (allan grey), her sexual desire, and alcoholism, and her perceived appearance as a southern belle represents the fall of the old south and the defeat of the southern agrarian upper class.
the american dream (post ww2)
the american dream is the idea that every citizen of the usa should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative in a capitalist society with few barriers
stanley represents this dream, and the go-getting thrust of the working class people who feel they can achieve whatever they desire through perseverance and individualism
this promise is fundamentally at odds with everything that allows blanche to live in her southern belle fantasy
this individualistic all-american ideology was shone on working class men like stanley who had survived, re-joined the peacetime workforce and were now seen as bearers of american hard-working spirit
some argue that the american dream originates from the united states declaration of independence, which states that ‘all men are created equal’ (with the notable exclusion of women, who were expected to quit the jobs they took up in ww2 to let men pursue the american dream), with the right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’
the main point of tension between blanche is the friction between blanche’s old southern lifestyle (which is becoming redundant in modern, post-war america) and stanley claiming what he though was his american dream, that he believes he is entitled to by any means necessary.
southern gothic
style of writing practiced by writers of the american south whose stories set in taht region are characterised by grotesque, macabre or fantastic incidents
borrows an emotionally rich style from the Romantics, and themes of Gothicism and putting them in the American south setting.
Uses the grotesque and macabre to dissect social issues (e.g. blanche’s rape as the ultimate defeat of the old south, and the removal of power from women in post-war america) and highlight the american south’s cultural climate
the post-civil war south made it a perfect landscape for writers to explore dark and brooding gothic themes
highlights the history of slavery, racism, violence and fear of the outside world
exposed prevailing social issues and explores the question of moral integrity (which perhaps reinforces tennesse’s choice to write an amoral play, with no morally righteous characters)
life/ background of tennesse williams
born in mississippi
difficult childhood; unhappy marriage, father was an alcoholic and mother resented her husband’s drunken and philandering ways
father was domineering, working-class salesman and negligent of parental duties
mother was a southern belle, born to a higher class and a well-read episcopal minister and an educated music teacher, who detested her husband’s drinking, extra-marital affairs and general lifestyle
as a child was bedridden for two years and so grew reserved and vulnerable after being ostracised and bullied in school
close to his sister rose, who later suffered from mental illness and was institutionalised
williams was gay at the time where homosexuality was seen as a mental illness
negative life experiences fuelled much of williams’ writing
identified w blanche (struggled w loneliness, alcoholism and depression)
happy families all around tbh!
marriage and relationships in 1940s/ 1950s america
the stability of families was tested by the great depression, as unemployment and lower wages forced americans to delay marriage and having kids
the divorce rate fell during this time because it was expensive, and few could afford it
however, by 1940 almost 2 mil married couples lived apart
some families adjusted to the economic downturn by “returning to a cooperative family economy. many kids took part-time jobs and many wives supplemented the family income”
the 1950s, however, marked a swift shift to a new type of domesticity
the idea of a nuclear, all-american family was created in the 1950s, and put an emphasis on the family unit and marriage
this time period saw younger marriages, more kids and fewer divorces
the average age for women to marry was 20, divorce rates stabilised, and the birth rate doubled
however, the perfect images of family life that appeared on tv didn’t tell the whole story: “onlu 60% of children spent their childhood in a male-breadwinner, female homemaker household”
the 1950s saw a period of conformity with more traditional gender roles, and financial stability, meaning marriage and relationships were much more stable than in the previous decade (because america was clinging onto pre-war social hierarchy in the time of displacement/ change)
EPIZEUXIS BLANCHE