Social Context Flashcards
Socio-Political Context: What is the significance of New Orleans in the play? (4 points)
New Orleans emerged as a champion of diversity and acceptance in the South
Became a melting pot of culture due to large influx of European and African immigrants
Influx spurred by shift to an industrial economy - multiple factories were set up
Working class emerged
Socio-Political Context: What 2 aspects of the play allude to the change in the South?
Upper-class Dubois heritage represents the old ways of intolerance towards difference
Elysian Fields showcases the more liberal south
Socio-Economic Context: How is Blanche affected by the change in the South? (3 points)
The play explores a time of transition for the American South - from old money into modernity and diversity
Blanche and Stella’s money was likely built on slavery - abolishment led to the decline of families like theirs
Blanche represents the struggle of being stuck in the past - unable to move on with a progressing society
What is the context behind Blanche and Stanley’s tension? (2 points)
Blanche’s tension with Stanley is caused by their clashing values
Many of her insults towards him imply brutishness and vulgarity, related to him being a working-class immigrant
Socio-Economic Context: What is the significance of Stanley in the play? (4 points)
Stanley represents the American Dream and the go-getting thrust of working-class people
20th-century America became centred around the American Dream and welcomed generations of immigrants like Stanley
They feel all-American and that they can achieve whatever they desire through:
+ Hard work
+ Perseverance
+ Individualism
This is fundamentally at odds with Blanche, who wants to live her Southern belle fantasy
Socio-Economic Context: How was the significance of WW2 in the play? (3 points)
WW2 enabled a sense of American heroism to develop - based on overcoming the Great Depression and defeating the Nazis
Working-class men like Stanley who survived WW2 and rejoined the peacetime workforce were nationally spotlighted
They were seen as bearers of hard-working American spirit
What is the significance of Blanche’s attitude towards New Orleans? (4 points)
To Blanche, New Orleans is:
+ A representation of the ugliness of Reality
+ The epitome of the New South
+ Part of the ‘new social order’ - the opposite of ‘Belle Reve’
As sympathetic as Blanche may appear throughout the play, she often makes intolerant remarks about class, sexuality, and ethnicity
Stanley insists Blanche refer to him as an American (or at least Polish-American)
rather than a “Polack” - ironic moment of dignity given his brutality in other contexts
Blanche’s “refined” world was really one of brutal racism and denigration - the beautiful world she longs for never really existed
What is the significance of the opening of the play in terms of presenting New Orleans? (4 points)
In the low-income world of Stella and Stanley, racial segregation appears to be non-existent according to the play’s beginning
Two minor female characters are chatting, one black and one white - the ease with which they communicate demonstrates the French Quarter’s casual acceptance of diversity
The neighbour is presented as having a thriving, exuberant atmosphere, one that nurtures an open-minded sense of community
This sharply contrasts the elitist ideals of the old South and Blanche Dubois’ childhood
How does Williams use stage directions to portray Elysian Fields? (4 points)
“runs between the L & N tracks and the [Mississippi] river” - probably explains why it is a poor area
‘unlike corresponding sections in other American cities, it has a raffish charm’ - it is carefree, fun-loving and unconventional
Reinforced by ‘music of Negro entertainers’ - characterises the area, expressing the spirit of the life which goes on here
“the atmosphere of decay” - suggests that this area, like the South in general, has seen better days
