Tennessee Williams' Characterization Of Female Characters

Tennessee Williams is regarded as one of the greatest American playwrights who have made great contributions to the development of American theatre. His particular concern about women becomes one of his main writing features and his active attitude towards women earns a very important position for him in American theatre. He has used a new and developing viewpoint to reflect women's growth as well as their unfair position in the patriarchal society. So his writings of female characters are very vivid and lively. Among his works, The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire can be considered as his masterpieces at his early age which expose the theme that women have been deprived of independent economic ability and freedom of thinking. Neither Laura of The Glass Menagerie nor Blanche of A Streetcar Named Desire, they can not control their fates and lives. They have to depend on men and become their attachments. Therefore, their lives are doomed to be failures. Being a Southern playwright, Williams has taken Southern women as central figures in his plays. He has molded such pathetic female characters as Amanda, Laura, Blanche and Stella. By employing theatrical devices, especially setting and properties, Williams has successfully characterized miserable female figures. Thus in order to clearly and systematically appreciate Williams'skillful characterization, this thesis will conduct a detailed and comprehensive approach to exposing how Williams successfully molded female characters. Williams'professional skills in using theatrical techniques help him become a prominent playwright in American theatre.