Overview
This lecture analyzes key themes, historical context, and character dynamics in "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams.
Historical Context & Social Realism
- The play was written in the 1940s, during America's recovery from the Great Depression.
- The Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded both infrastructure and the arts, supporting Williams as a writer.
- Social realism, a style depicting real-life social issues and working-class struggles, influenced the work.
Old South vs. New South
- The Old South, represented by Blanche, was aristocratic, white, and segregated by race and class.
- The Great Depression ended the dominance of wealthy landowners, erasing social divisions based on land.
- The New South, represented by Stanley and Stella, emphasizes working-class values, urban living, and increased race/class integration.
- Tensions arise from thrusting previously segregated groups together, as seen in the play’s setting and characters.
Major Themes in the Play
- Sex and Death: Blanche’s journey from "Desire" streetcar to "Cemeteries" symbolizes how sexual desire leads to her downfall and assumed death.
- Illusion vs. Reality: Blanche creates illusions about her age, status, and past, while Stanley embodies unapologetic reality and physicality.
- Gender Discrepancy: Men’s sexual behavior (e.g., Stanley) is accepted, while women (e.g., Blanche) are judged and ruined for similar actions.
- Ambiguity in Morality: No clear hero or villain; all main characters have both redeeming and unlikeable traits.
Key Characters & Dynamics
- Blanche: Represents the Old South, clings to lost status, uses illusion, and is ultimately destroyed.
- Stanley: Embodies the New South, working-class masculinity, unapologetically real, and wields social power.
- Stella: Caught between old and new values, dependent on Stanley despite his abuse.
- Mitch: Rejects Blanche upon learning about her past, illustrating societal double standards.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Works Progress Administration (WPA) — U.S. government program funding jobs and the arts in the 1930s-40s.
- Social Realism — Artistic style showing society’s realities, especially the struggles of the working class.
- Old South — Pre-Civil War Southern society based on land, aristocracy, and segregation.
- New South — Post-Depression, urban, and integrated society with working-class values.
- Illusion vs. Reality — The conflict between characters’ self-deception and harsh truths.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Consider writing your final paper on any of the major themes discussed.
- Reach out with questions about the play or analysis.