Post-War Drama: Williams and Miller

Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller are two of the most important dramatists of the twentieth century. Their plays — written in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War — explored the failures of the American Dream, the disintegration of the family, and the psychological costs of living in a society that values material success above all else. For AQA Paper 2 (Modern Times), understanding their dramatic methods and thematic concerns provides essential context for the wider study of post-war literature.

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Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire (1947)

Context and Background

Williams wrote Streetcar in the aftermath of the Second World War, a period when America was experiencing rapid economic growth, suburbanisation, and a reassertion of traditional gender roles after the wartime disruption. The play is set in New Orleans — a city Williams chose for its atmosphere of sensuality, decay, and cultural mixing.