Gender and Violence in Tennessee Williams and Sam Shepard’s Plays

Abstract

Tennessee Williams and Sam Shepard are two generational playwrights whose work not only defines their perception of American masculinities but also the role and social consequences of women in domestic environments. It is with mothers, daughters, and wives that the writers delve into dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, which often lead to physical and psychological abuse. This study analyzes the clash between gender and violence on Williams and Shepard’s selected plays, such as A Streetcar Named Desire and A Lie of The Mind. By considering whether these playwrights perceive and treat their female characters similarly in reality and literature, one can conclude that Williams and Shepard’s tendency to put women through traumatic experiences is not only the representation of their social and cultural atmospheres but also a form of literary technique. Thus, this capstone analyzes how both playwrights’ ideas revolve around American masculinities and violence, the authors’ personal experiences, and the cycle of abuse that women suffer in the plays.

Keywords: Tennessee Williams, Sam Shepard, drama, violence, masculinities, gender studies, domesticity, marriage, motherhood.