Publication Date
2-9-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (MA)
Committee Chair
Niemeyer, Paul J.
Abstract
Tennessee Williams’ work A Streetcar Named Desire presents a complicated but rich text that does not fit in smoothly to any category of literature. I argue that while this complexity and difficulty of placement is true, the text is best seen through the lens of Naturalism due to the determined lives of the main characters, their attempts to escape these determined lives, and the tragic endings of these characters because of said attempts. This theory is explored in this thesis primarily through an analysis of the main characters of Blanche DuBois, Harold "Mitch" Mitchell, Stanley Kowalski, and Stella Kowalski. This thesis also explores the connection Williams’ own life had to the text for the sake of showing a deeper connection to the theme of Naturalism with Williams himself attempting to break from the self-believed determined life he was living.
Recommended Citation
Gonzalez, Daniel Alexander, "Just A Paper Moon: A Naturalist Reading of a Streetcar Named Desire" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 21.
https://rio.tamiu.edu/etds/21
