These work is concerned with the depiction of women in Tennessee Williams´s plays.
Victims or manipulative creatures? Shy and innocent or seductive and well aware of their potential? What is the picture of Tennessee Williams’s women? The author has chosen two plays – The Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to help with analysis of this question.
Indeed, a pure rhetorical analysis of his work that does not take into consideration the biographical aspects of Williams's characters and therefore cannot demonstrate the fullness of those characters, it also can it expect to accurately determine the message that the playwright sends us through those characters . What is also typical for Williams’s heroines is that they are not able to deal with their past, the problems of their history is growing stronger and is rooted in their everyday life. Consequently, those women of various age are stuck with the life in a state of current crisis. The hopelessness and the mediocrity of the characters in Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is caused by a serious breach between the characters’ feelings and their ability to verbalize the emotions.
The women that parade in a pages of this thesis – Laura, Amanda, Maggie and even Big Mamma and Mae are lacking in almost physical, tangible way something very important – freedom of emotions. Modern woman – an icon which presents self-made woman, are well aware of her targets, beautiful, treating her body as a medium to promote herself. Not so much changed in comparison with Tennessee Williams females. Tennessee Williams women are so strikingly up-to-date with a modern woman. They are left prostrate in their womanhood, unsatisfied needs and desires. They keep on going despite their failures; they have their goals to achieve and ways to do so.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Chapter One: The Descendant of the Southern Genteel
- Chapter Two: The Dreams of the Unicorn
- The World Around the Women of The Glass Menagerie
- The Women in the World of "The Glass Menagerie"
- The Men around the Women of "The Glass Menagerie"
- Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie
- Chapter Three: Kitty in the Bottle - Maggie's Battle with Brick
- "Maggie the cat is alive. I'm alive."
- "Have you ever heard the word ‘mendacity'?”
- Fairies on Plantation or the Themes in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- Cat, Bed and Fatherly Love - the Symbolism of Language
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the female characters in Tennessee Williams' plays, analyzing their personalities and the influences surrounding them. The paper examines two main perspectives: that these women are innocent victims of society and their families, and that they are aware of their environment and intentionally or subconsciously manipulate others to achieve their goals. The paper also delves into Williams' life and how his experiences may have shaped his writing.
- The portrayal of women in Tennessee Williams' plays
- The influence of societal and familial pressures on female characters
- The exploration of themes of innocence, abandonment, and manipulation
- The autobiographical elements in Williams' works
- The evolution of female characters from innocent victims to determined individuals
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter One introduces Tennessee Williams and his life, focusing on events that might have shaped his writing style. It explores his early life, his family dynamics, and his struggles to gain recognition as a writer. Chapter Two delves into the character of Laura, a young woman with dreams shattered by her past love. It explores the societal and familial pressures that contribute to her isolation and vulnerability. Chapter Three examines the relationship between Maggie and Brick, exploring themes of marital difficulties and the complexities of their love. It analyzes Maggie's attempts to mend their relationship and the consequences of her actions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the portrayal of women in Tennessee Williams' plays, analyzing their experiences in a societal context. Key themes include innocence, victimhood, abandonment, manipulation, and the complexities of love and relationships. The paper also delves into Williams' life and how his experiences, such as familial relationships, his upbringing, and his struggles as a writer, may have influenced his writing.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Marta Zapała-Kraj (Autor:in), 2018, Tennessee Williams's World of Southern Descendants. On the Depiction of Women in his Plays, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/470987
