context on a streetcar named desire Flashcards
the great depression
october 1929
caused by the stock market crashing
businesses went bankrupt, people became unemployed
a key factor of the depression was the uneven distribution of wealth within american society
accelerated the end of the ‘old south’ as much of it’s wealth was held up in property and landed wealth - the value of land severely depreciated during this period
world war two
williams worked on the play at the end of ww2
hardly any mention of its effects during the play apart from the salerno landings in scene 11
brought forth the change of the ‘old south’ to the ‘new south’
the south
divided in terms of class
as a result of ww2, the aristocracy of the ‘old south’ (blanche) was replaced by the heroism of the ‘new south’ (stanley)
the men in the play represent strong, young men who had served america
the old south vs the new south
encapsulates the battle between the old and new america which emarged after ww2
very different in terms of values and ideals
the south was seen as very chivalrous, sophisticated and romantic but also heavily segregated in terms of race, class and its foundations of wealth often built on slavery
the new south was more racially diverse, accepting, cosmopolitan and less hierarchal, however, it was seen as much more violent, with no place for etiquette and morals
southern literature
southern gothic literature rose out of the end of slavery
focused on decaying grandeur of the plantations and the lifestyle associated with the ranches
while the world and america industrialised, with rapid economic growth, these plantations remained but slowly corroded until their eventual extinction
though williams saw the south as a damaged place, he like many of his contemporary writers, found a certain tragic charm in it
he is reported to have said that ‘i write out of love for the south…once a way of life that i am just old enough to remember - not a society based on money…i write about the south because i think the war between romanticism and the hostility to it is very sharp’
there are elements which are grotesque - this is perhaps an acknowledgement that the romantic and nostalgic lifestyle of the old south was ultimately built on grotesque exploitation and racism
the role of women in 1940s/50s america
the mid twentieth century was a time of great social upheaval - the two world wars had invested marginalised groups with sudden power ,and for a short time, the balance of power between genders had shifted
by the late 1940s, men had taken the upper hand again
a streetcar named desire discusses the struggle between men and women within downtown society
williams foregrounds this struggle, using different techniques to represent the truth of societal attitudes towards masculinity and femininity
stanley represents the stereotypical within society
the southern belle
born out of the antebellum period in the southern states of america before the civil war
based on ideas of keeping upper class ideas of english class values originally from victorian morality
young women from well respected families and were expected to marry reputable men
they were to become ladies of society that were devoted to their family and community
the southern belle archetype is characterised by southern hospitality, which comprised of beauty and a flirtatious yet innocent demeanour
could only exist in a patriarchal society, as their dependency on men was integral to their character
in turn, women who could not achieve marriage, a family or maintain their status in a wealthy home, would suffer gravely
machismo
the sense of being manly and self reliant, the concept associated with a ‘strong sense of masculine pride’
one key aspect of machismo’s association to violence is its influence in a man’s behaviour towards proving his strength
stanley kowalski is one of literatures most true depictions of machismo
homosexuality
for most of williams’ life it was illegal in america
tolerated in some areas on new orleans and florida
introduces the theme in the play in the character of blanche’s husband, but didn’t want his own sexual orientation to define him
new orleans
when williams discovered new orleans, he wrote in his memoirs that he had found a home, a place like no other in the american south
a stage of drama, filled with an exciting symphony of sounds and a ‘spirit of life’ which intrigued him
he enjoyed the loud and coarse mannerisms of the people, and found symbolism in the elements in which the city was built
