Against the tragic myth: The surprisingly successful heroines of Tennessee Williams

One of the most misunderstood playwrights of the twentieth century has been Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams. Did Williams intend his drama to be apprehended on a realistic level, or did he intend the characters, their actions, and indeed the entire movement of the plots of his plays to be viewed as symbolic of something much larger than what actually occurs on the stage? The incredible shyness and "abandonment" of Laura Wingfield; the isolation and consequent promiscuity of Alma Winemiller; the "rape" and subsequent madness of Blanche DuBois; and the ravishment of Flora "Baby Doll" Meighan all appear to be undeniably tragic aspects of life and, when viewed prosaically, must certainly be. If, however, we relinquish conformist morality, then these characters and events become quite transformed: victims become victors and tragedy changes to triumph.; Traditionally, Williams' female protagonists have been seen as pathetic or unsavory. In order to confront this view, I contend that Williams requires us to redefine our orthodox concept of what is tragic, pathetic, or socially undesirable. My study begins with Laura Wingfield of The Glass Menagerie, often considered one of the most pitiable women in modern American drama. She represents one end of the spectrum of Williams' women: the isolationist. Alma Winemiller of Summer and Smoke and Eccentricities of a Nightingale is actually a character in transition; in Williams' preferred version, Eccentricities, Alma's success in finding happiness comes sooner in the play, instead of occurring at the denouement. The problematic rape scene in A Streetcar Named Desire provides much of the fuel for my argument in favor of the triumph of Blanche DuBois in that play: Blanche's dream-like nature allows her to have the last laugh in the face of those who have dismissed her. Finally, Flora "Baby Doll" Meighan achieves selfhood only through a strange experience of masochism.; All of these women come to triumph over society's hostile terrain by way of unconventional and even shocking routes. In order to illustrate Williams' brilliant strategy of portraying heroism, I explore the alternative paths that these four women must take to claim their victories.