Minor Techniques Quotes and analysis
Characters
Allan Grey -Allan Grey is an -Tennessee Williams was a homosexual man who
absent, unseen struggled with his sexuality during his youth. The
character, yet he is pain that Blanche caused Allan possibly reflects the
an omnipresent struggles that Williams experienced due to his
character in the sexuality. Homosexuality was a taboo topic at the
play. time, and Blanche’s disgust for Allan’s illicit relations
-His death marks with a man would have paralleled the reactions of the
the end of audience. Allan’s death may also be symbolic of
Blanche’s naïve Williams’ internalised homophobia due to his inability
youth and the to reconcile between his morality and sexuality which
beginning of the was never expressed openly and in the forefront of
downward spiral. his plays.
-Blanche’s - Williams uses a heteronormative context to portray
obsessive search the homosexual experience, thus mirroring the way
for youth is the gay men had to navigate life in denying their
product of her homosexuality while presenting to the public a
desire for another façade that mimicked that of the hetero-norm.
Allan Grey which is Ultimately, Williams uses illusions to make a
indicative through comment on the greater society’s attitudes towards
“young man” and homosexuals. Homosexuals were forced to present
her 17-year-old themselves in illusory manners to be accepted within
student. society; they had to navigate the world inside and
-Williams employs outside “the closet”. Thus, Williams uses this theme
Plastic Theatre and of illusion and perception in various instances in the
non-diegetic sound play to showcase this type of mentality.
to relay parallels -The naming of Allan Grey is symbolic as it
with Blanche’s demonstrates his effeminate nature and the belief of
state of mind, as his lack masculinity. Stanley is the epitome of brutish
well Allan’s masculinity, and he adorns himself in garish bright
ubiquity. colours, “Grey” contrasts this and relates Blanche’s
-The Varsouviana “soft colours”, thus suggesting something feminine
Polka played and tender about like Blanche. In addition, his
during Allan’s surname- Grey- contrasts with Stanley’s vivid colours
death and it is a of his “bowling jacket”, may depict his need to
song that plagues camouflage to survive and his difference toward the
Blanche whenever other male characters in the play, which may reflect
she is stressed. Williams’ need to mask his sexuality and conform to
William utilises normative perceptions of sexuality.
dramatic irony that - “a nervousness, a softness and tenderness
the audience can which wasn’t like a man’s.” Blanche’s confession
hear the polka, yet about her husband is the only scene where a
the other homosexual character is somewhat prevalent, not
characters cannot. physically, but certainly in the minds of the audience;
This serves to we neither see nor hear Allan on stage but can
demonstrate picture him in our minds. To the audience Allan is a
Blanche’s memory attached to Blanche, however he is just that.
deteriorating Williams does not provide him with a firm identity, his
mental state. role in the play is perhaps a moral one. A 1940s
Related themes: American audience would likely have been repulsed
death, loss, by Allan’s homosexuality.
homosexuality, - The homosexual experience in 1940s America was
judgement, guilt, one of restriction. The anti-homosexual campaign
, society that swept the government and military in the 1940s
found its way into other areas of life by the late
1950s. After the World War II, gay men and lesbians
were incessantly harassed and arrested. Broadway
mirrored this anti-gay attitude and thus Williams had
no choice but to keep his gay characters off stage
and highly elusive. Public perceptions, attitudes, and
the threat of being denied a producer for his plays,
required it be so. Many considered homosexuality a
crime paralleling the disturbing nature of rape. This
highlights the unaccepting attitude of mainstream
society towards the homosexual community, as well
as their perceptions of homosexuals.
-“although he wasn’t the least bit effeminate
looking” This implies that there was a social
association of gayness and effeminacy. To some
extent Williams reinforces this perception through
the commonly feminine and tenderness that Blanche
describes Allan as. Yet he also refutes this claim
through Blanche who suggests he still possessed
masculinity, this may be a subtle suggestion by
Williams that gayness and effeminacy are
inextricably related as was believed by society.
Negro woman -Symbolic of -“The white woman is EUNICE, who occupies
cosmopolitan and the upstairs flat; the coloured woman, a
the irony of the neighbour” William’s lack of name for the
claim of “coloured woman” of a name deprives of her
cosmopolitanism identity illustrating the sole focus of the play being on
-Related to New white experience and although claiming diversity
Orleans as an racism still existed in New Orleans; and Williams’
apparent ‘melting demonstrates this in his focus on racism experienced
pot of races’ by Stanley, neglecting the racism which existed
Related themes: toward African Americans during this period.
race, new America -New Orleans was like many cities of the 1940s in
that it expanded, filled with immigrants, and
experienced clumped settling patterns. Although
people tended to gravitate towards others of their
same ethnicity, New Orleans was unique and
“cosmopolitan” in that it remained very intermixed
and multicultural. Its reputation of being more
accepting and diverse drew immigrants in and made
New Orleans one of the oldest multicultural cities in
the nation.
Eunice and The relationship -Eunice and Steve mirror the trajectory of Stanley
Steve between Eunice and Stella’s marriage
and Steve serves -Stage directions: “Steve and Eunice come
to mirror that of around the corner. Steve's arm is around
Stanley and Stella Eunice's shoulder and she is sobbing
luxuriously, and he is cooing love-words. There
is a murmur of thunder as they go slowly
upstairs in a tight embrace.” Steve and Eunice’s
domestic abuse is a direct reflection of the
relationship Stanley and Stella have— violence
followed by passion. The thunder here symbolizes
Characters
Allan Grey -Allan Grey is an -Tennessee Williams was a homosexual man who
absent, unseen struggled with his sexuality during his youth. The
character, yet he is pain that Blanche caused Allan possibly reflects the
an omnipresent struggles that Williams experienced due to his
character in the sexuality. Homosexuality was a taboo topic at the
play. time, and Blanche’s disgust for Allan’s illicit relations
-His death marks with a man would have paralleled the reactions of the
the end of audience. Allan’s death may also be symbolic of
Blanche’s naïve Williams’ internalised homophobia due to his inability
youth and the to reconcile between his morality and sexuality which
beginning of the was never expressed openly and in the forefront of
downward spiral. his plays.
-Blanche’s - Williams uses a heteronormative context to portray
obsessive search the homosexual experience, thus mirroring the way
for youth is the gay men had to navigate life in denying their
product of her homosexuality while presenting to the public a
desire for another façade that mimicked that of the hetero-norm.
Allan Grey which is Ultimately, Williams uses illusions to make a
indicative through comment on the greater society’s attitudes towards
“young man” and homosexuals. Homosexuals were forced to present
her 17-year-old themselves in illusory manners to be accepted within
student. society; they had to navigate the world inside and
-Williams employs outside “the closet”. Thus, Williams uses this theme
Plastic Theatre and of illusion and perception in various instances in the
non-diegetic sound play to showcase this type of mentality.
to relay parallels -The naming of Allan Grey is symbolic as it
with Blanche’s demonstrates his effeminate nature and the belief of
state of mind, as his lack masculinity. Stanley is the epitome of brutish
well Allan’s masculinity, and he adorns himself in garish bright
ubiquity. colours, “Grey” contrasts this and relates Blanche’s
-The Varsouviana “soft colours”, thus suggesting something feminine
Polka played and tender about like Blanche. In addition, his
during Allan’s surname- Grey- contrasts with Stanley’s vivid colours
death and it is a of his “bowling jacket”, may depict his need to
song that plagues camouflage to survive and his difference toward the
Blanche whenever other male characters in the play, which may reflect
she is stressed. Williams’ need to mask his sexuality and conform to
William utilises normative perceptions of sexuality.
dramatic irony that - “a nervousness, a softness and tenderness
the audience can which wasn’t like a man’s.” Blanche’s confession
hear the polka, yet about her husband is the only scene where a
the other homosexual character is somewhat prevalent, not
characters cannot. physically, but certainly in the minds of the audience;
This serves to we neither see nor hear Allan on stage but can
demonstrate picture him in our minds. To the audience Allan is a
Blanche’s memory attached to Blanche, however he is just that.
deteriorating Williams does not provide him with a firm identity, his
mental state. role in the play is perhaps a moral one. A 1940s
Related themes: American audience would likely have been repulsed
death, loss, by Allan’s homosexuality.
homosexuality, - The homosexual experience in 1940s America was
judgement, guilt, one of restriction. The anti-homosexual campaign
, society that swept the government and military in the 1940s
found its way into other areas of life by the late
1950s. After the World War II, gay men and lesbians
were incessantly harassed and arrested. Broadway
mirrored this anti-gay attitude and thus Williams had
no choice but to keep his gay characters off stage
and highly elusive. Public perceptions, attitudes, and
the threat of being denied a producer for his plays,
required it be so. Many considered homosexuality a
crime paralleling the disturbing nature of rape. This
highlights the unaccepting attitude of mainstream
society towards the homosexual community, as well
as their perceptions of homosexuals.
-“although he wasn’t the least bit effeminate
looking” This implies that there was a social
association of gayness and effeminacy. To some
extent Williams reinforces this perception through
the commonly feminine and tenderness that Blanche
describes Allan as. Yet he also refutes this claim
through Blanche who suggests he still possessed
masculinity, this may be a subtle suggestion by
Williams that gayness and effeminacy are
inextricably related as was believed by society.
Negro woman -Symbolic of -“The white woman is EUNICE, who occupies
cosmopolitan and the upstairs flat; the coloured woman, a
the irony of the neighbour” William’s lack of name for the
claim of “coloured woman” of a name deprives of her
cosmopolitanism identity illustrating the sole focus of the play being on
-Related to New white experience and although claiming diversity
Orleans as an racism still existed in New Orleans; and Williams’
apparent ‘melting demonstrates this in his focus on racism experienced
pot of races’ by Stanley, neglecting the racism which existed
Related themes: toward African Americans during this period.
race, new America -New Orleans was like many cities of the 1940s in
that it expanded, filled with immigrants, and
experienced clumped settling patterns. Although
people tended to gravitate towards others of their
same ethnicity, New Orleans was unique and
“cosmopolitan” in that it remained very intermixed
and multicultural. Its reputation of being more
accepting and diverse drew immigrants in and made
New Orleans one of the oldest multicultural cities in
the nation.
Eunice and The relationship -Eunice and Steve mirror the trajectory of Stanley
Steve between Eunice and Stella’s marriage
and Steve serves -Stage directions: “Steve and Eunice come
to mirror that of around the corner. Steve's arm is around
Stanley and Stella Eunice's shoulder and she is sobbing
luxuriously, and he is cooing love-words. There
is a murmur of thunder as they go slowly
upstairs in a tight embrace.” Steve and Eunice’s
domestic abuse is a direct reflection of the
relationship Stanley and Stella have— violence
followed by passion. The thunder here symbolizes
