Essays on Plays

1977

How Blanche and Stella Rely on Self-delusion in a Streetcar Named Desire

1 page / 763 words

By the time she speaks her famous closing line about depending on the kindness of strangers, it has become apparent that the ability of Blanche DuBois to survive in a world of men—and not just animalistic throwbacks like Stanley Kowalski, either, but men of all...

A Streetcar Named Desire

1978

Blanche and Mitch Relationship in a Streetcar Named Desire

2 pages / 1270 words

Introduction In the 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the relationship between Blanche and Mitch is a key subplot in the tale of Blanche’s descent into madness and isolation. Whilst Williams initially presents Mitch as the answer to all Blanche’s problems and...

A Streetcar Named Desire

1979

A Marxist Criticism of a Streetcar Named Desire

4 pages / 1712 words

Tennessee Williams’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, illustrates the struggle of power between economic classes and the changes taking place in America at that time, regarding social status. The constant tension between Blanche and Stanley represents the conflict between social classes, and the clash of...

A Streetcar Named Desire Marxist Criticism

1980

The Strugglea of an Outsider in "Medea" and "A Streetcar Named Desire"

2 pages / 1106 words

The struggle of the outsider is facilitated by their isolation and their inability to form significant bonds with others in their community. Whilst outsiders have the capacity to challenge their respective communities, their struggles inevitably lead to their moral corruption. Reflecting the patriarchal norms of...

A Streetcar Named Desire Medea

1981

Stanley Kowalski: Why He is The Villain that Everybody Hates

3 pages / 1480 words

When looking at A Streetcar Named Desire – a tragedy, after all – it is traditionally required that there should be a selected antagonist, a ‘villain’ so to speak. Stanley Kowalski, you could argue, is that ‘villain’. It is evident that throughout the play he...

A Streetcar Named Desire Villain

1982

First Impression Lies: The Power and Masculinity Exuded by Stanley Kolawski

3 pages / 1580 words

Throughout scenes 1 and 2 of A Streetcar Named Desire, playwright Tennessee Williams presents Stanley as extremely powerful and authoritative through the use of dialogue as well as stage directions. The audience immediately learns how strong Stanley is in a physical sense; however, we soon...

A Streetcar Named Desire Character Masculinity

1983

The Theme of Abandonment and Brutality in a Streetcar Named Desire

2 pages / 1236 words

“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a story of damaged people. Blanche DuBois, a repressed and sexually warped Southern belle, seeks either atonement or reassurance; she wants someone to help lift the burden of her guilt for her twisted sexuality. Meanwhile, Stanley Kowalski, a horrifyingly abusive...

A Streetcar Named Desire Band

1984

How Femininity and Masculinity Are Presented in Ariel and a Streetcar Named Desire

7 pages / 3216 words

In both Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar named Desire and Sylvia Plath’s Ariel, there is extensive concern for how masculinity and femininity are portrayed. Both texts present archetypical interpretations of gender as well as juxtaposing figures that undermine these stereotypes, either actively or passively. Made-to-order essay...

A Streetcar Named Desire

1985

How Tennessee Williams is Influenced by The Work of Chekhov

3 pages / 1346 words

The shape of American drama has been molded throughout the years by the advances of numerous craftsmen. Many contemporary playwrights herald the work of Anton Chekhov as some of the most influential to modern drama. Tennessee Williams has often been compared to Anton Chekhov. When...

A Streetcar Named Desire The Glass Menagerie

1986

How Blanche Dubois is Portrayed in Scene 6

2 pages / 820 words

The protagonist of A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois, is a fallen southern Belle whose troubled life results in the deterioration of her mental health. She has just returned from a date with Mitch and their conversation turns to her past. This topic is extremely...

A Streetcar Named Desire Character

1987

A Comparison Between The Plastic Theatre and Expressionism in a Streetcar Named Desire

4 pages / 2155 words

Expressionism was key in many of Williams’s plays – so much so that it was he who came up with the term ‘Plastic Theatre’. Throughout his plays, and particularly in A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams uses expressionism to show emotions or themes which may not...

A Streetcar Named Desire

1988

Dissecting a Dream Deferred in "A Raisin in The Sun"

6 pages / 2816 words

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore — And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over — Like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags...

A Raisin in The Sun

1989

A Raisin in The Sun Revised: Examining Petrie's Film Adaptation

3 pages / 1458 words

The American Dream varies for individuals, but for most it includes providing a stable home for their children and ensuring future generations will have more opportunities to become successful. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, she carefully develops the characters...

A Raisin in The Sun Film Analysis

1990

Generational Disparity in Hansberry's a Raisin in The Sun

3 pages / 1258 words

The African-American experience of growing up in America changed dramatically throughout the course of the twentieth century, thus leading to differing views between the older and younger generations. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, the character of Mama was raised during a...

A Raisin in The Sun

1991

Twentieth Century American Family Literature: a Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and a Raisin in The Sun

4 pages / 1994 words

A melodrama is a film which appeals to the emotions of its audience, on a higher level than the simple “drama” genre. The characters of a melodrama are often stereotyped and exaggerated to indicate something about the culture of the times, making their traits illustrations...

A Raisin in The Sun Film Analysis

1992

African American Women's Empowerment in Literature

4 pages / 1966 words

“We’re people, we’re just like the birds and the bees, We’d rather die on our feet, Than be livin’ on our knees” (“James Brown Lyrics”). These lyrics for James Brown’s classic soul hit “Say It Loud (I’m Black And I’m Proud)” could have easily been...

A Raisin in The Sun Alice Walker Everyday Use

1993

"A Raisin in The Sun": Feminism in Lorraine Hansberry's Book

2 pages / 1113 words

Introduction Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun challenges the stereotype of 1950’s America as a country full of doting, content housewives. The women in this play, Mama, Ruth and Beneatha, represent three generations of black women who, despite their double fronted subordination, continue to...

A Raisin in The Sun Woman

1994

Pride and Money: What Ties a Family in a Raisin in The Sun

4 pages / 1789 words

Money and acquisitiveness have always had the ability to turn people into someone they are not. Greed can tear apart families and friendships when a person neglects others for their own benefit. This is depicted perfectly in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun...

A Raisin in The Sun

1995

The Cultural Allegories Behind Twelve Angry Men

2 pages / 913 words

Twelve Angry Men is an allegorical play written by Reginald Rose in 1955. It depicts the way in which economic, social and cultural factors can have a significant impact on the process of justice. Rose encapsulates 1950s America through each of the 12 jurors, giving...

12 Angry Men Allegory Plays