Critical Insights: Tennessee Williams
“Murphy (English, U. of Connecticut) presents a collection of 20 essays, by 20 American academics and independent scholars, providing a diverse selection of criticism of one of America’s most significant 20th-century playwrights. The text includes seven essays commissioned specifically for the book that examine Williams’ career, life, and influence, and provide critical contexts for thinking about Williams. The 13 reprinted essays that follow include overviews of Williams’ work, essays on specific plays, and essays on his prose. Topics explored include Williams’ representations of women, creativity and madness, images of escape and selfhood, the role of the “southern belle” in Williams’ work, black and multiracial productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams’ treatment of homosexuality, the significance of the natural world within Williams’ artistic vision, and the reader as spectator and voyeur. Also included are a chronology of Williams’ life, a list of his works, and a bibliography.”
-Book News