A Streetcar Named Desire: Context

This 31-slide lesson explores the context behind Tennessee Williams’ classic play, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

Designed to introduce students to key ideas essential to understanding the play’s historical and literary background, this lesson features discussions around key vocabulary, themes and techniques relevant to Williams’ theatrical vision.

Students think critically about stagecraft and theatrical technique before learning about expressionism and the Deep South of the early 20th century (including an exploration of what is meant by a ‘Southern Belle’).

There are further discussions of tragedy, the American Dream, post-war masculinity, homophobia, and psychiatry of the 1940s.

The play’s key themes are outlined before students are given some examples of sophisticated vocabulary to enable precise analysis of the play.

Questions, images and discussion points are included throughout the lesson. A research task is included at the end.

This lesson is saved both as a PDF (to retain original design) and editable PowerPoint.