Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams. It provides a thorough exploration of the play’s plot, characters and main themes, including savagery, sexual assault and the Gothic fiction genre. 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 48-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Tennessee Williams
• Presentation of Suddenly Last Summer
• Summary of Suddenly Last Summer
• Character study
  • Mrs. Venable
  • Sebastian Venable
  • Catherine Holly
  • Dr. Cukrowicz
  • Mrs. Holly
• Analysis of Suddenly Last Summer
  • Genre: dramatic literature
  • Scenery: significance of stage setting
  • Women in the play

About Suddenly Last Summer

Suddenly Last Summer is a one-act play which was first performed in 1959. It centers around Mrs. Venable, who idolizes her late son Sebastian and is determined to keep his memory untarnished, and Sebastian’s cousin Catherine, who is struggling with traumatic events from her past and has been forced into an asylum. As Mrs. Venable attempts to persuade the psychiatrist Dr. Sugar to perform a lobotomy on Catherine, the young woman talks about the events of the previous summer, which cast Sebastian in a much less favorable light and reveal the twisted acts his mother is trying to keep secret.

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.