Tennessee Williams has often been called the American national poet of the perverse and a dirty writer because a recurrent theme in his work is sexual deviation, such as nymphomania, promiscuity, rape, impotence, homosexuality, profligacy, frigidity, cannibalism, and castration (Bauer-Briski 11).
This statement clearly suggests the controversy with which Tennessee Williams’ dramas were perceived by the public and the critics. It is well known that conflicts on these issues can be found in many of his plays. This raises the question as to what extent these conflicts are related to specific gender roles and their subordinate themes. Williams once said that he has never written about anything he has not experienced first hand, thus most of the conflict issues can be considered to be autobiographical to a certain extent. As Williams’ childhood was restricted to a rather reclusive life due to diphtheria, which forced him to spend almost his entire childhood at home with his family, the experiences with his mother, father and sister shaped not only his character, but also the themes in his plays. His upbringing was characterised by Puritanism which was of vital importance in his family. His mother later became the model for his antiquated Southern Belles and overprotective mothers in the plays. His boisterous father was perceived as a frightening and alien male presence by him, his sister and his mother. He later became the model for the same type of harsh, brutal characters in his plays, such as Big Daddy and Stanley Kowalski (Falk 155 f). Yet, not only his Puritan upbringing shaped his life, but also the fact that he grew up in the South of the United States, in the Mississippi Delta, and the region’s heat, its storms, floods, the division into social classes, the colourful imagery and rhythms of the language were to shape his setting and dialogue (Tischler 2).The uniqueness of the South along with its cultural and social characteristics is embodied in many of his plays, and the social roles appointed to the people living there offers an extensive basis of analysis for not only gender roles, but also the related conflicts. In addition to this, Williams was known as being homosexual and leading a very promiscuous life, especially with men much younger than him (Bauer-Briski 11).
At a glance
- Comparative analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- Examines Southern cultural and historical context alongside conflicts in both plays
- 29 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theories on Gender
3 Theories on Conflict
4 Gender Conflicts
5 The Cultural Background of the Plays – The United States South
5.1 Historical Background of the United States South
5.2 Southern Culture and Identity
5.3 Gender Roles in the South
6 Southern Culture in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams
6.1 Southern Culture and Identity as a Source of Gender Conflicts in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
6.2 Southern Culture and Identity as a Source of Gender Conflicts in A Streetcar Named Desire
7 Sexuality in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams
7.1 Sexuality as a Source of Gender Conflicts in A Streetcar Named Desire
7.1.1 Blanche
7.1.2 Stella and Stanley
7.2 Sexuality as a Source of Gender Conflicts in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
7.2.1 Big Daddy
7.2.2 Mae and Gooper
7.2.3 Brick and Maggie
8 Homosexuality in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams
8.1 Gender Conflicts Related to Homosexuality in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
8.1.1 Brick’s and Skipper’s Relationship a Source of Conflict for Maggie and Brick
8.1.2 Brick’s and Skipper’s Relationship as Source of Conflict for Big Daddy and Brick
8.2 Gender Conflicts related to Homosexuality in A Streetcar Named Desire
9 Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This study asks how conflicts in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof relate to gender roles and associated expectations. It examines the plays in light of theories of gender and conflict and the cultural and historical background of the United States South.
- Theories of gender, sex and identity
- Interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict
- Southern history, culture and gender roles
- Family relationships and patriarchal expectations
- Sexuality, marriage and fertility
- Homosexuality and social acceptance
Excerpt from the Book
Theories on Gender
In linguistic terms, gender concerns substantives and is a vital component in the grammar of many languages. In this context it is a category by which words and grammatical forms are classified according to not only sex or the absence of sex (neutral gender) but also other characteristics, such as morphological characteristics in what is called “grammatical gender.” In English, however, there is almost no such thing as a gender in the grammatical sense, meaning that no gender is applied to non human beings, objects and things. Many nouns still seem to have a gender, though, but this development is rather accidental than intentional (Miller 63).
In the German language, the English words sex and gender translate as the same word, Geschlecht. As a result, in German, there exists no distinction between the meanings of these expressions, as there is only one translation. In English, however, this distinction has been the basis of various discussions, mainly socio-philosophical ones, and its analysis raises subsequent questions which shall be analysed as well. Commonly, the term gender is used to refer to the difference between men and women. Usually, this is meant in a sexual context, actually referring to the biological sex of a person. In everyday communication, the terms sex and gender are often used simultaneously.
One of many theories concerned with this topic is the so-called biological determinism, in its earliest stages present in Aristotle’s philosophies, justifying social inequalities on the basis of physical, mental and moral inferiority of women. This determinism is based on the assumption that the differences between men and women, in terms of character traits, behaviour, social relationships, and social and economic status, are a results of their biological constitution (Swanson 45 ff). The consequence of this theory shall be brought up again later in the gender discussion.
It shall be supposed that the general difference between gender and sex is that sex is considered to be the biological constitution of the body, a human being comes equipped with, whereas gender is culturally constituted. In addition to that, gender is not a property of bodies or something originally existent in human beings. It is rather the set of effects produced in bodies, behaviours and social relations (de Lauretis 3). Therefore, it cannot be concluded that gender is to any extent linked to sex, is the causal result of it, nor that its condition and definition is as fixed as that of sex. Assuming that gender is the cultural meaning which the sexed body takes on, it becomes obvious that a gender cannot be said to derive from a sex in any way (Butler 9).
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: The introduction sets out the question of how conflicts in Williams’ plays relate to gender roles and explains the selection of the two plays.
Theories on Gender: This chapter discusses distinctions between sex and gender, cultural construction, gender relations and identity.
Theories on Conflict: The author considers interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict and the influence of gender, power and cultural context.
Gender Conflicts: The chapter defines gender conflict for the analysis and identifies sexuality and Southern social expectations as important contexts.
The Cultural Background of the Plays – The United States South: This chapter surveys Southern history, regional identity and gender roles as a background to the plays.
Southern Culture in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams: The author examines how Southern identity and social standards shape character relationships in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire.
Sexuality in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams: This chapter analyses sexuality and gender expectations through Blanche, Stella and Stanley, and members of the Pollitt family.
Homosexuality in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams: The author explores conflicts surrounding Brick and Skipper, and the significance of Blanche’s late husband Allan.
Conclusion: The conclusion brings together the analysis of cultural values, sexuality and gender conflicts across the two plays.
Keywords
Tennessee Williams, gender conflict, gender roles, Southern culture, Southern identity, sexuality, homosexuality, patriarchy, family relationships, gender theory, conflict theory, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It examines gender conflicts in two plays by Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
What are its central themes?
Its central themes include gender roles, conflict, Southern culture, sexuality, homosexuality, family relationships and social expectations.
What is the main research question?
The study asks to what extent conflicts in Williams’ dramas are related to specific gender roles and associated themes.
What method does the author use?
The author uses a comparative literary analysis informed by theories of gender and conflict and by research on Southern history and culture.
What does the main analysis cover?
It considers how Southern identity, sexuality and homosexuality relate to conflicts among characters in the two plays.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include gender conflict, Southern culture, sexuality, homosexuality, patriarchy and Tennessee Williams.
How does the study approach Blanche’s character?
It examines Blanche’s relationship to the ideal of the Southern Lady, her attitudes to sexuality and the significance of her late husband Allan.
Why are Brick and Skipper important to the analysis?
Their relationship is examined as a source of conflict involving Brick, Maggie and Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
What role does Southern history play in the study?
It provides context for the discussion of regional identity, patriarchy and expectations about men’s and women’s roles.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Kerstin Müller (Autor:in), 2003, Gender Conflicts in the Dramas of Tennessee Williams, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/29989
