A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. It provides a thorough exploration of the play’s plot, characters and main themes, including sexuality, addiction and social class. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 52-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Tennessee Williams
• Presentation of A Streetcar Named Desire
• Summary of A Streetcar Named Desire
• Character study
  • Blanche Dubois
  • Stella Kowalski
  • Stanley Kowalski
  • Harold “Mitch” Mitchell
  • Steve Hubbel
  • Eunice Hubbel
  • Pablo Gonzales
  • The negro woman
  • Strange man and strange woman
• Analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Form
  • Themes

About A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire was first published and performed in 1947. It tells the story of Blanche Dubois, a fading Southern belle who is forced to move in with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley in New Orleans’ working-class French Quarter after the loss of their opulent family home. However, the crudeness and brutality of her new neighborhood precipitates a mental and emotional breakdown that will have drastic consequences.

A Streetcar Named Desire is widely considered be one of the greatest plays of the 20^th century and is still regularly performed today. In 1951, it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh.

About Tennessee Williams

With two Pulitzer Prizes, four New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards and a Tony Award to his name, Tennessee Williams was one of the most celebrated American dramatists of the 20^th century. After a dysfunctional upbringing, Williams sought refuge in writing, and many of his plays draw on his troubled family life. His best-known works include A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Night of the Iguana and Suddenly Last Summer.