Forms of Violence in the Plays of Tennessee Williams

Bc. Andrea Bačinská

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Cieľom mojej bakalárskej práce je analýza rozdielnych form násilia ktoré sa objavujú v dvoch hrách Tennesseeho Williamsa Električka zvaná túžba a Mačka na horúcej plechovej streche. Práca sa zameriava na analýzu vzťahov medzi hlavnými postavami a skúma najmä násilnícku podstatu hier. Mojim zámerom je dokázať, že násilie, krutosť a brutalita iniciujú tragédiu hlavných hrdinov v oboch hrách. Práca je rozdelená do dvoch kapitol a každá je založená na textovej analýze hier. Prvá kapitola za zaoberá Električkou zvanou túžba a zkúma tri hlavné postavy-Blanche, Bricka a Stellu. Zameriava sa na násilné udalosti ktoré sa v minulosti prihodili Blanche a na Stanleyho agresivitu k dvom hlavným ženským postavám. Druhá kapitola sa sústreďuje na rozčarované postavy v Mačke na horúcej plechovej streche a upozorňuje na trojuholník medzi Brickom, Skipperom a Maggie. Taktiež sa zameriava na autoritatívnu osobnosť Big Daddyho ktorý predstavuje hnaciu silu hry. Nakoniec záver ponúka krátku porovnávaciu analýzu, ktorá je založená na dvoch predchádzajúcich kapitolách. Zdôrazňujem tam podobnosti a rozdiely medzi hrami a zhrňujem znaky násilia ktoré sa objavujú v dvoch rozobraných hrách.

Abstract:

The purpose of my Bachelor Thesis is to analyze the different forms of violence which are found in the two plays of Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The thesis focuses on the analysis of the relationships between the main protagonists and it particularly examines the violent nature of the plays. My aim is to argue that violence, cruelty and brutality function in both plays as a catalyst for the tragedy of the characters. The thesis is divided into two chapters and each one is based on the textual analysis of the play. The first chapter deals with A Streetcar Named Desire and it studies three main characters of the play-Blanche, Brick and Stella. It focuses on the violent events that happened to Blanche in the past and it is concerned with Stanley’s aggressiveness towards the two women. The second chapter concentrates on the frustrated characters in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and it draws attention to the triangle between Brick, Skipper and Maggie. It also deals with the authoritative figure of Big Daddy who represents the dynamics in the play. Finally, the conclusion provides a short comparative analysis based on the two previous chapters. I point out the analogies as well as the differences between the plays and I summarize the violent features occurring in the two analyzed plays.

Keywords

Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, violence, literary analysis, plays

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 8. 12. 2011

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 1. 2. 2012
• Supervisor: Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Bachelor programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature