Context

Question 1

Old south/New America

Answer 1

• challenges traditional values and customs of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ southern american society
  -Stanley represents the new america, blanche represents the old southern aristocracy
  -Williams used stella and Blanche’s dependence on men to question the transition from the olds south to the new south; because womens were treated as property whatevr women said went unnoticed because they had to live under the complete authority of men.
  -Belle Reve is typical of the plantations that were being sold off as the aristocracy bowed out to the new urbanisation
  -play represents the decline of the aristocratic families traditionally associated with the south. These once-influential families had lost their historical importance when the south’s agricultural base was unable to compete with the new industrialization

Question 2

Historical conxet

Answer 2

• the play was published in 1947-after WW2. Post-war america was changing rapidly
• Following the American civil war, the wealth of plantations declined
• Williams portrays Stanley in a way that matches experiences of many men at the time who returned home from world war II.
  -Stanley presents himself as having more ‘value’ due to his service in the army-dominant in the household

Question 3

Womens 1940s/feminism

Answer 3

-Women in the old south had a social and symbolic role, expected to be passive and chaste.
-Women not usually sent out to war-Stella is submissive and inferior towards Stanley which puts emphasis on the patriarchy.
-Women expected to have traditional household role and men, the breadwinners of the family.
-Women usually absorb men’s anger as men let out their frustration on women because of the exploitation they suffer at work-this can justify stanley’s aggressive attitude.

Question 4

New Orleans

Answer 4

-Multicultural
-Birth place of jazz
-Extreme poverty
-South was alienated from the rest of America and was known to be a place brimming with racism and poverty.
-While slavery was illegal, segregation was prevalent
-After the Great Depression, New Orleans emerged as the champion of diversity and acceptance in these Southern States.
-With a large influx of immigrants from Europe and Africa, New Orleans became a melting pot of culture.

Question 5

Williams

Answer 5

• was a homosexual
• Many characters are based on his family
• His mum was a southern bell and,like Blanche, suffered psychological distress and relied on her parents for financial support
• Following Williams families move to st. Lewis, his mum lost lots of privileges and social status, struggling with the change
• His dad, much like Stanley, was angry, argumentative, a drinker and gambler
• His sister suffered from schizophrenia and Williams held guilt over not being able to help his sister’s mental health

Question 6

Homosexuality

Answer 6

• until end of world war II, topic of homosexuality was almost completely invisible to mainstream media
• psychiatrist considered in an illness
• all major religions considered at sinful

Question 7

Gender roles

Answer 7

-Williams establishes conventional gender stereotypes and twists the notions of masculine and feminine energy
-Stella and Stanley portray the accepted societal gender roles
-Blanche showcases masculine energy in her sexuality and arrogance, while Mitch and Allan Grey are used to showcase sensitivity, a “feminine” trait.
-societal gender norms negatively impact all the main characters in the play driving them towards either death, mental or moral destruction.