You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
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.
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.
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 10 lessons in this course.