SC
Quotes: | Context: | Genre: | Theme: |
Scene 4 ‘Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one’ ‘ape-like’ ‘Don’t- don’t hang back with the brutes’ ‘We’ve had this date since the beginning’ ‘ ‘I am the King around here’ ‘Queen the nile’ Blanche ‘incongruous’ to the setting ‘white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace, earrings of pearl’ ‘suggests a moth’ ‘Polack’ ‘Pig’ ‘Ape-like’ Scene 6: | New post-war American-devolution (Stanley embodies this) decline in American civilisation. Inversion of Darwinism, primitive Huey Long ‘Every man is a king’ power, class struggle, American Dream, Civil war destruction of Old South (Blanche is a relic of this) 1947-first performance, progressive playwright who transformed American theatre. Shocked mid-century audiences with frank depictions of sexuality and brutality. Opening night shocked silence then 30 mins of applause Challenged Cultural rigidity Mirrors the largely patriarchal society of post-war America Individualistic society, American dream more feasible in the post war accentuated capitalist society Blanche transgresses conventional notions of femininity Demise of Belle Reve → declining Old South Rejection of conventional and traditional theatre traits and taking a more cinematic approach Pushed boundaries of censorship, rape scene, female sexuality, hints of homosexuality | Modern domestic tragedy: central characters anti-heroes, ordinary people, family life is central but corrupt Classical tragedy: characters must suffer Stanley tragic villain? Destined to succeed. Williams argues against there being villains in Sc Pre-determined faits of the characters in the tragedy Dialectic, ambivalent in writing, Brechtian moments that remind you you’re watching a play Psychoanalytical ideas Symbolism Meta theatre, we watch Blanche playing a role, bathroom as a dressing room Melodrama?sensational plot and character actions eg Stanley on poker night, Blanche’s hysteria, the rape BUT Blanche could just be viewed as a melodramatic character in a realist play Southern gothic: dying culture (Belle Reve), deeply flawed characters, ambivalent gender roles (lesbian, all female version), decayed settings, gothic to explore social issues of American South Plastic theatre: props/noises/stage directions, a more immersive sensory experience, brechtian. Soundscape deteriorates with Blanche Post modernism: rejecting plot-driven narratives for a focus on the psyche | Class backgrounds American civil war World War Two Sexism Bigotry Predator vs Prey Darwinism Outsider Othering Class Old vs New Nuanced, contradictory people, being unwilling to know each other corrupts the world Light Sound Bathing Fragility Escapism Conflict Loneliness Longing for love Destructive nature of desire Sex Passion Inside/outside Permanency vs temporary Insanity Violence |
Binary Oppositions:
Masculine | Feminine |
Industrial | Agrarian |
Pre-war | Post-war |
Ambition | Nostalgia |
Old South | New America |
Young | Old |
Violent | Soft |
Primary colours | White, pastels |
Primitive | Civilised |
New life | Death |
Meritocracy | Aristocracy |
Hyper-masculinity | Southern Belle |
Pragmatic | Romantic |
New order | Old order |
Creationism | Darwinism |
Proletariat | Bourgeoisie |