Tennessee Williams is a pen name of an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist Thomas Lanier Williams. He was born on the 26th of March, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, and died on the 25th of February, 1983, in New York City. Williams is one of the most renowned dramatists of the 20th century, and his works are often considered an example of American Realism. Although this is partly true, Williams relies on several other artistic traditions in his plays. As Nalliveettil and Mohamed Gadallah (2016) state, “a playwright uses a variety of literary genres and syntactic structures to communicate personal emotions and societal norms” (p. 201), many of which can be viewed as avant-garde. Williams utilizes discourse rather than deeds as the main medium to convey his ideas and influence the viewers. He “tends to elevate the language and make it appear more dramatic” (Nalliveettil, & Mohamed Gadallah, 2016, p. 201) and often converts the standards used for dialogues in plays. Williams uses a lyrical writing style with elements of the Southern Gothic style. He writes about social norms, family values, and overall dissatisfaction with society.
Williams created over 30 plays, the most famous of which are A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. For his works, he received three New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, two Donaldson Awards, two Tony Awards, and two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. However, it is The Glass Menagerie that is often associated with Williams’ success. The Glass Menagerie was produced in 1944 and premiered on Broadway in the Playhouse Theatre on the 31st of March, 1945. Williams received critical acclaim for the play, and it effectively launched his career. The setting of The Glass Menagerie is the St. Louis tenement in the year 1937. The main characters are Amanda Wingfield, a middle-aged woman who tries to control her children’s lives, her adult son Tom and her 23-year-old daughter Laura. The play begins with a monologue by the character and narrator, Tom, then proceeds with the characters’ interactions, revealing the family’s ill-being. The life of playwright Tennessee Williams is reflected in his play The Glass Menagerie through the character of Tom Wingfield.
Reference
Nalliveettil, G. M., & Mohamed Gadallah, M. S. (2016). Discourse analysis of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(3), 201–210. Web.