A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) are major plays by Tennessee Williams, one of America's most significant dramatists. They both received landmark productions and are widely-studied and performed around the world. The plays have also inspired popular screen adaptations and have generated a body of important and lasting scholarship.

In this indispensable Reader's Guide, Thomas P. Adler:

• charts the development of the criticism surrounding both works, from the mid-twentieth century through to the present day
• provides a readable assessment of the key debates and issues
• examines a range of theoretical approaches from biographical and New Criticism to feminist and queer theory.

In so doing, Adler helps us to appreciate why these plays continue to fascinate readers, theatregoers and directors alike.

A stimulating guide to the mass of secondary criticism on two of Williams' most popular and widelystudied plays
Surveys key critical responses from the 1940s/50s through to the twentyfirst century
Also covers the hugely successful film adaptations of both plays

Autorentext

THOMAS ADLER is Emeritus Professor of English at Purdue University, USA.

Klappentext

A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) are major plays by Tennessee Williams, one of America's most significant dramatists. They both received landmark productions and are widely-studied and performed around the world. The plays have also inspired popular screen adaptations and have generated a body of important and lasting scholarship.

In this indispensable Reader's Guide, Thomas P. Adler:

. charts the development of the criticism surrounding both works, from the mid-twentieth century through to the present day
. provides a readable assessment of the key debates and issues
. examines a range of theoretical approaches from biographical and New Criticism to feminist and queer theory.

In so doing, Adler helps us to appreciate why these plays continue to fascinate readers, theatregoers and directors alike.

Zusammenfassung
This guide charts the development in the criticism surrounding two of Williams' most popular plays, from the 1940s/50s through to the present day. Adler's overview of the critical responses proceeds in a generally chronological fashion and demonstrates how the emergence of newer theoretical methodologies has broadened the range of these responses.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Producing Performance Texts.- Mythic Patterns; Southern, Classical and Christian.- Political, Social and Cultural Contexts.- Williams and Literary Canonicity.- Style and Genre.- Feminist Perspectives.- Queer Theory as Lens.- Contemporary Critical Theory and A Streetcar Named Desire.- Film and Television Adaptations.- Conclusion.- Notes.- Bibliography.- Index.