Tennessee Williams - A Streetcar Named Desire/Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) are major plays by Tennessee Williams, one of America's most significant dramatists. They both received landmark productions and are widely-studied and performed around the world. The plays have also inspired popular screen adaptations and have generated a body of important and lasting scholarship.

In this indispensable Reader's Guide, Thomas P. Adler:

• Charts the development of the criticism surrounding both works, from the mid-twentieth century through to the present day
• Provides a readable assessment of the key debates and issues
• Examines a range of theoretical approaches from biographical and New Criticism to feminist and queer theory

In so doing, Adler helps us to appreciate why these plays continue to fascinate readers, theatregoers and directors alike.

Autorentext

THOMAS ADLER is Emeritus Professor of English at Purdue University, USA.

Inhalt

Introduction
Producing Performance Texts
Mythic Patterns; Southern, Classical and Christian
Political, Social and Cultural Contexts
Williams and Literary Canonicity
Style and Genre
Feminist Perspectives
Queer Theory as Lens
Contemporary Critical Theory and A Streetcar Named Desire
Film and Television Adaptations
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index.