About+Tennessee+Williams

=About The Playwright=

Tennessee Williams was born in Mississippi on March 26, 1911. His father and mother had three children, and he was the middle child. He attended the University of Missouri, but his father made him drop out after he found out his girlfriend was also in school there. Williams worked at a shoe store until eventually, he returned to writing. His parents acted as inspiration for his characters after he moved to New Orleans. Tennessee Williams received numerous awards for his works including two Pulitzer Prizes. He died in 1983 being remembered as a staple in American plays.

Glass Menagerie is perhaps his most well-known play. It follows the story of a single mother with two kids. Amanda, the mother, is from the South. Laura is the little sister who has a handicap. She is extremely fragile like the glass unicorn. Tom, the older brother, wants to leave the family; he stops paying the bills. Laura falls in love with her older brother’s friend, and ultimately, he comes over for dinner, kisses her, breaks the horn off her unicorn, and just as the unicorn, makes her feel normal. But, he has a fiancé. The electricity goes off at dinner since Tom quit paying the bills. He leaves Laura and Amanda, and since he is the only source of income, they are left with nothing. We don’t know what becomes of them, but Tom forever is filled with regret. Like in Night of the Iguana, desire is a theme. Laura wants to feel normal, and in high school, she had desired Jim, her brother’s friend. Amanda desires her daughter to find someone to marry, but in my opinion, she really desires someone for herself too, and Tom desires to travel the world. We really can’t be for sure if anyone’s desires are truly met.

A Streetcar Named Desire is about, well, desire. Which I believe is Tennessee William's favorite theme. This is the story of a school teacher, Blanche. She is broke and goes to stay with her sister, Stella, and brother-in-law, Stanley. Stella is pregnant and Blanche is disdainful about Stanley because he does not come from status as they do. Stanley hits Stella one night. Blanche tries to convince Stella to meet with a millionaire so that he can support them after Stella leaves Stanley. Blanche starts seeing Stanley's friend, Mitch. Stanley ruins this relationship when he reveals Stella's past of having an affair with a student and getting fired and her former husband who ended up being a homosexual and then committing suicide. Blanche is obsessed with young men and has so much desire towards them. Things are not going well when Stella goes into labor. A few weeks later, Stella tricks Blanche into thinking a millionaire is coming to get her, but really, she is taken to the insane asylum.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is about a Southern family. The husband, Brick, and wife, Maggie, do not get along since she is wanting to have a baby. Big Daddy, Brick's dad is about to die with cancer. Brick's brother and sister have come around knowing that Big Daddy is sick. Both sons' wives want the fortune that Big Daddy will be leaving. Maggie wants to have a child so she can become the inheritor. Big Mama thinks Big Daddy's cancer has gone away, but it really hasn't. Maggie claims at the end that she is pregnant. Another play revolved around what I think is desire! The desire to inherit money, to have a child, to have a loving relationship.

I believe that most of Tennessee William's plays revolve around desire. Night of the Iguana is definitely filled with much desire.

Source: Wikipedia