context Flashcards
what was the ‘declining aristocracy’ of the south caused by?
the fact it never fully recovered economically from the civil war
what were working class men empowered by?
growth of the trade unions
what does Belle Reve mean in french?
beautiful dream
why is the poker game a metaphor for the play?
it revolves around hiding your emotions
What was Elysian Fields in Greek Mythology?
heaven/paradise
What was an earlier version of the play called?
the moth
what biblical reference does Blanches red robe have?
the scarlet woman (prostitute)
why would the idea of mixing with ‘polack’ blood repulsed Blanche so much at that time in america?
america was obsessed with eugenics
1951 film censorship laws meant was happened differently at the end of the film version?
stella left stanley - he had to be punished for being a rapist
what year were the confederates beat?
1865
what year was the play published?
1945
the south continued to be romanticized in the arts, give a film example
gone with the wind
what was southern gothic about?
favoured individuality, the eccentric and outcasts
When Williams lived in new orleans what did he write an essay about?
desire and cemmetries streetcars
Blanches fear of death could be linked to Williams…
crippling hypochondria
which of the 3 unities of drama did Williams break?
unity of time - set over more than 24 hours
what does each scence end with?
a tableau vivant
williams was a film critic at his high school, how can this influence be seen in his plays?
many short scenes of violence and passion - 15 of his plays became films
how did the 3rd edition show how pivotal the poker scence was to the action?
the play was named ‘the poker party’
the ritual of bathing is seen in many great tragedies - name one famous Shakespearean one
macbeth - ‘will all great Neptune’s ocean was this blood clean from my hands’
what element of film did glass menagerie use in its scenes?
screen images and titles
what extra character did the 2009 African-american production include?
Allan
what would be a noticeable difference between modern and contemporary audiences reactions to Blanche being raped?
early audiences laughed
women were being held to high standards about their looks because of what cultural phenomenon?
the rise of the hollywood woman
