Ap+2013+Tennessee+Williams

Kathleen - Aim Tennessee Williams used his point of view to portray the messages that were important to his being. Williams lived a troubled life ever since his birth, and he believed that writing was a way to release all the pain and anguish that he had acquired in life. The following article focuses on how his life greatly affected his works. The author wrote, “Elia Kazan…said of Tennessee: "Everything in his life is in his plays, and everything in his plays is in his life” (“Tennessee Williams”). His “life” and “plays” became synonymous with each other. Williams communicated by discussing “everything” that came from his “life.” In doing so, he created a connection with the audience, by being honest about his “life” and not shying away from it, no matter the context matter. Besides writing for himself, Tennessee Williams also focused on how his writing would be viewed by the individuals in society.“When I write I don't aim to shock people, and I'm surprised when I do. But I don't think that anything that occurs in life should be omitted from art, though the artist should present it in a fashion that is artistic and not ugly. I set out to tell the truth. And sometimes the truth is shocking” (Abbotson). Williams believes that having some “truth” in a writing’s message is what makes it powerful. He uses his talents as an “artist” to portray the “truth” in a way, so that most people can appreciate the beauty of it. By being an “artist,” he does not apologize for his “truths” being “shocking,” because this opens the minds of a society. As seen throughout Tennessee Williams’ life, it is evident that the aims of his writing focused on revealing the truth, and how life is affected by those truths.

Works Cited Abbotson, Susan C. W. "Tennessee Williams On America." Critical Insights: Tennessee Williams. 38-57. n.p.: Salem Press, 2010. Literary Reference Center. Web. 2 April 2013.

“Tennessee Williams.” Imagi-nation. Moonstruck, n.d. Web. 2 April 2013. Abbey - Audience Beth Roberson - Cultural

Tennessee William’s wide range of ideas explored in his plays and poetic language culturally affected the idea of the modern dramatic art. His plays have become timeless as they expose a raw concept and portray a __#|window__ to reality. Through the majority of his career, according to a PBS documentary, Williams faced critiques for his subject matter, as equally as the praise from his characters. It states, “His plays, which had long received criticism for openly addressing taboo topics, were finding more and more detractors” (About Tennessee Williams). William’s choice to use “taboo” topics that at the time were kept quiet form society, created a path way for what can be used in a dramatic play. As time has passed, these topics have remained the primary focused of society, and have allowed Williams’ poetic writing to flourish and solidify the topics in any time period. According to “Biography on Tennessee Williams”, the author explains Williams contribution to the definition of drama. She explains “It is the impact of Williams's poetic language and imagery on the American stage that remains his distinctive contribution to American drama” (Rusinko). William’s use of images, symbols, and objects helped draw out the language in these topics discussed in his works. He paved the way for the modern idea of dramatic art through subject matter and use of language. William’s plays affected the definition of dramatic art through use of subject matter and embellishment of writing.

About Tennessee Williams." PBS. PBS, 8 Feb. 1999. Web. 01 Apr. 2013
 * Works Cited **

Rusinko, Susan. “Biography Of Tennessee Williams.” Critical Insights: Tennessee Williams. Salem Press, 2010. Literary Reference Center. Web 1 April 2013

Luca - Historical



Tennessee Williams was a playwright and novelist who pushed the cultural boundaries set during 20th century America due to his bravely honest, controversial work. He grew up in an era that was not as accepting of ideas that strayed to far from the norm. Women were not as equal to men, nor were minorities. Homosexuality was also not accepted on a societal level, which is particularly relevant to Tennessee Williams due to the fact that he was gay. Growing up in a smaller town, called Columbus, Mississippi, was a positive, carefree experience for him, but this changed as he became an adult. "This sense of belonging and comfort were lost, however, when his family moved to the urban environment of St. Louis, Missouri. It was there he began to look inward, and to write— 'because I found life unsatisfactory'" (PBS). As he began to gain prominence as a playwright, an honest and questioning perspective of society could be interpreted within his work, which was reflective of his experiences within New Orleans and during a testing time for Homosexuals in America. "...//A Streetcar Named Desire//, opened, surpassing his previous success and cementing his status as one of the country's best playwrights" (Bio.com). His work touched on taboo subjects, but proved to be popular and award winning in the long run. His experiences, including harsh criticism, struggling with who we was, fear that he would not continue to be successful, and eventually the loss of his companion, added to his downfall from __#|alcohol and drug abuse__. His life journey and his work can be seen as representative of many young Americans, in this time in history, who struggled with their identity and coping with external influences.

"Tennessee Williams." //PBS//. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 8 Feb. 1999. Web. 03 Apr. 2013. "Tennessee Williams Biography." //Bio.com//. A&E Networks __#|Television__, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.