A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams Born in March of 1911 in Columbus, MS Grand-Father was an Episcopalian priest Father was a salesman, and a heavy drinker Sister was a schizophrenic, spent much time in mental hospitals Family openly favored his brother because of Tennessee’s observed weakness and perceived lack of masculinity, and apparent homosexuality, in comparison

Career Began writing in high school and continued in college His first produced play, Battle of Angels, was a failure, so he moved to New Orleans While in New Orleans, he began A Streetcar Named Desire and successfully debuted The Glass Menagerie Williams garnered immediate success with these two plays, and won the first of two Pulitzers with Streetcar

Cont. Williams continued to write throughout his life and won his second Pulitzer for 1954’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof In addition, 1952’s The Rose Tattoo won the Tony for best play and was adapted into an Academy Award Winning film soon thereafter However, in the midst of his success, Williams struggled with depression

Streetcar Set in a poor borough of New Orleans This play was based on his sister’s illness and his own depression and struggles The main characters are neurotic and cannot cope with the other’s egocentricities Themes: insanity, real vs. fantasy, ostracizing, acceptance, racism, cultural irrelevance, truth vs. lies, domestic violence, delusion, sexuality, aging, social economics and, of course, desire