TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

 

-Born Thomas Lanier Williams, March 26, 1911 to February 25, 1983.

 

Early Life

•      Born to Cornelius and Edwina Williams

•      The middle child of older sister Rose and younger brother Dakin

•      Spent his first 10 years in rural Tennessee with his mother and grandparents

•      His shoe salesman father moved the family to urban St. Louis

•      Tennessee became introverted and began to write

•      1928 he traveled to Europe and started writing poetry

•      1929 Tennessee enrolled at the University of Missouri

•      It was at the U of Missouri that Tennessee received his nickname

•      Cornelius withdrew him a few months later

•      Tennessee took a job in a shoe factory and wrote at night

 

His Prime

•      Tennessee had a nervous breakdown and after recovery enrolled in the University of Iowa in 1937

•      Attended College during the Great Depression

•      Spent years traveling the country and writing

•      Tennessee fell in love with New Orleans and made the city his home

•      New Orleans also became the backdrop for his play A Streetcar Named Desire

•      In 1944 Tennessee had a hit with The Glass Menagerie

•      The 1940’s and 1950’s were the height of Tennessee’s career

•      The 1960’s hit Tennessee hard.

•      His life partner Frank Merlo passed away from cancer

•      The critics were very harsh when reviewing his work

•      Williams began to depend on drugs and alcohol

 

Later Years

•      Williams was opposed to the Vietnam War and participated in anti war protests but was upset by Norman Mailer’s anti-war play Why We Are in Vietnam

•      In 1975 Williams published his memoirs entitled Memoirs

•      In this text Williams used stream of consciousness to describe his life

•      Williams detailed his use of alcohol and drugs and talked about his homosexuality

•      In 1982 Williams wrote his last play A House Not Meant to Stand

•      On February 25, 1983 Williams was found dead in a New York City hotel room surrounded by half empty pill and wine bottles.

 

Common Theme in His Works

•      Loneliness

•      Social Isolation

•      Conflict between repression and release

 

 

Major Works

•      The Glass Menagerie, 1945

•      A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947

•      Summer and Smoke, 1948

•      The Rose Tattoo, 1951

•      Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1955

•      Sweet Bird of Youth, 1959

•      A Night of the Iguana, 1961