Biography of Tennessee Williams (1911-83).

Biography of Tennessee Williams (1911-83) Playwright, poet, and fiction writer, Tennessee Williams left a powerful mark on American theatre. At their best, his twenty-five full-length plays combined lyrical intensity, haunting loneliness, and hypnotic violence. He is widely considered the greatest Southern playwright and one of the greatest playwrights in the history of American drama. Born Thomas Lanier Williams on March 26, 1911, he suffered through a difficult and troubling childhood. His father, Cornelius Williams, was a shoe salesman and an emotionally absent parent. He became increasingly abusive, as the Williams children grew older. His mother, Edwina, was the daughter of Southern Episcopal minister and had lived the adolescence and young womanhood of a spoiled Southern belle. Williams was sickly as a child, and his mother was a loving but smothering woman. In 1918 the family moved from Mississippi to St. Louis, and the change from a small provincial town to a big city was very difficult for William¹s mother. Williams had an older sister named Rose and a younger brother named Walter. Rose was emotionally and mentally unstable, and her illnesses had a great influence on Thomas¹s life and work. In 1929, Williams enrolled in the University of Missouri. After two years he dropped out of school, compelled to do so by his father, and took a job in the warehouse of the

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  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The office scene (pages 59 - 66) is a crucial part of the play as it sees the turning point in Willy's career and encourages the last part of his mental downfall towards destruction and dramatises many of the central concerns that are shown throughout.

The office scene (pages 59 - 66) is a crucial part of the play as it sees the turning point in Willy's career and encourages the last part of his mental downfall towards destruction and dramatises many of the central concerns that are shown throughout. Willy is humiliated during his time in Howard's office and the audience therefore have an increasing amount of sympathy and pathos for Willy. The scene opens with Willy entering Howard's office repeating the word "Pst!". From the very beginning of the scene the audience see Willy as a pathetic character and a failure in business. He shows his inability to show confidence around his boss, possibly because Howard is a successful businessman and this is exactly what Willy cannot achieve. Willy is already contradicting himself as he had previously told Biff to "Walk in very serious", yet he shows an undignified entrance which does not command respect from anyone around. Howard refuses to give Willy instant attention and he repeatedly ignores what Willy is saying which automatically gives Howard higher status. Howard is preoccupied with a newly purchased wire recorder and so is slow to listen to Willy's plea. This wire recorder highlights Willy's isolation from technology in the continually modernising America and could be seen metaphorically alongside the drama of this scene where the communication is one way between Howard and

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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It was 9am and the tarmac was already warm from the first glimpses of the early morning sun.

Creative Writing - Trapped by the Media Barney Grove 3 October 2006 It was 9am and the tarmac was already warm from the first glimpses of the early morning sun. A small private jet had just touched down and out of it came the Williams. The Williams were too important to waste time going through normal customs and collecting baggage; they had places to go and people to see. There just outside of the Airport, their chauffer driven Mercedes limousine was waiting for them. The limo left Terminal 1 smoothly and was soon out of the airport area and on to the palm tree flanked promenade. One side lay the beach leading into the inviting dark blue Mediterranean; on the other were exclusive apartments, boutiques and 5 star hotels. The limo came to a gentle halt as the doorman came up to help with the luggage, they had arrived. The VIPs walked up the red carpet and through the revolving doors with a distinctive style. They stepped through the doors and out of the public eye. They entered a different almost fairytale land which suggested eons of fun. They swaggered up to the check-in and there was no need for words, "Williams, Superior suite" said the neat check in girl. Almost immediately they began climbing the grand marble staircase right to the top. The manager showed them through huge double doors into a room fit for a king, but the Williams didn't comment. "I'll leave you to it

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Death of a Salesman: The Loman's Misguided American Values

Rick Welch Professor Frantz Writing Seminar December 2, 2002 Death of a Salesman: The Loman's Misguided American Values Arthur Miller's The Death of a Salesman explores the Lomans' values. The entire family values a misconceived notion of the American dream. The American dream is something that we all chase after, yet we have different concepts of it. Willy Loman's vision of this dream is a rather distorted one; he and his family never really obtain the dream. They never actually have all the stability, success, security, and love that they expect they will, and are constantly worrying about finances. After hearing his bills, Willy exclaims: "A hundred and twenty dollars! My God, if business don't pick up I don't know what I'm gonna do!" (Miller 1933). This constant worrying about money also eliminates the chance for having a happy, communicating family, because it inhibits all of Willy's time. Willy Loman is a part of our capitalist society; he measures success by material wealth and popularity. One author writes, "Miller dramatizes the limited nature of Willie's values of material success and continual optimism" (Magill 1). Wealth and success are all the things that he values; he believes that they are the American dream. Willy teaches these values to his sons, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it -- because personality always wins the day" (Miller

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The Card game scene is an important dramatic scene in "Death of a Salesman." What is Miller trying to convey to the audience through the scene and which dramatic devices and structures does he use to achieve this?

The Card game scene is an important dramatic scene in "Death of a Salesman." What is Miller trying to convey to the audience through the scene and which dramatic devices and structures does he use to achieve this? "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller was written in 1949 and portrays, Willy Loman, a failing salesman in the last few days of his life. He is very caught up in the "American Dream" with the opportunity of success for everyone who wants it, and is driven mad by the fact that whatever he does, he cannot be successful forcing him into a breakdown and eventually suicide. During the last few days of his life, of which we are allowed a glimpse, Willy has many flashbacks of key parts in his life which help to explain his breakdown to the audience. I think Arthur Miller used this play as an attack on capitalism showing how it does not benefit everyone. Here is a man who poured everything he had into making a success of himself, only to be beaten by the system. The card game scene is a key scene in the play as it really brings out the madness of Willy. It starts off with Willy downstairs in the kitchen with Happy who has come down to see what the matter is when in walks Charley who is wondering what all the noise is about. Charley is presented as the dramatic opposite of Willy; he is successful, has plenty of money and is well liked. He pities Willy and is happy to help

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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To what extent is, in terms of both style and theme, is 'Spring and all' characteristic of Williams' poetry, and in what ways does it represent a particularly modernistic treatment of the subject?

To what extent is, in terms of both style and theme, is 'Spring and all' characteristic of Williams' poetry, and in what ways does it represent a particularly modernistic treatment of the subject? 'By the road to the contagious hospital' considers issues of change, growth, discovery and identification, split quite dramatically into two parts. Firstly the panoramic landscape Williams is describing seems barren, sparse, devoid of life and movement, save for the "cold wind" travelling through the 'waste' land described. Clues and strategically placed adjectives, however, suggest from the beginning that Williams is not describing a dead landscape, but rather, dormant life forms waiting to resurface for discovery. Albert Gelpi refers also to the 'human' connotations Williams carefully attaches to his seemingly straightforward descriptions of the scene. Words such as "standing and fallen", are often associated with human actions and emotions; "upstanding", dazed" and "naked" all suggesting a personification of spring, however no one appears to be there. The hospital also enforces this idea. The words, 'surge', 'driven', 'beyond' hint at the presence of life. The lines, "Lifeless in appearance, sluggish Dazed spring approaches - " are Williams' confirmation that his ambiguous landscape contains life, after the recent winter season. It is lifeless in appearance, rather than

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  • Level: University Degree
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Simmilarities and Differences between the Vladimir and Estragon and Pozzo and Lucky Pair

Popescu Name: Popescu Irina Adriana Lect. univ. dr. Ludmila Martanovschi English - Spanish, 3rd year English Literature Simmilarities and Differences between the Vladimir and Estragon and Pozzo and Lucky Pair Samuel Beckett is an important representative of the theatre of the absurd. One of his most famous plays is “Waiting for Godot”. “In Beckett’s plays people exist in gloomy, empty, alien environments. They are paralysed by their hopelessness and inability to take action. Their alienation is expressed in concise, syncopated language that dose not help them achieve meaningful communication” (Delaney and Ward 162). The characters wait for Godot at the beginning of the play, wait for Godot in the middle of the play, and wait for Godot at the end of the play. Godot never comes. So they continue to revolve–but never evolve. They are caught in the absurdity of continuously moving but never progressing. “I know no more about this play than anyone who just reads it attentively” (14), Beckett wrote. “I don't know what spirit I wrote it in. I know no more about the characters than what they say, what they do and what happens to them . . . everything I have been able to learn, I have shown. It’s not a great deal. But it’s enough for me, quite enough. I’d go so far as to say that I would have been content with less . . . Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo,

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Consider the importance of time in "Death of a Salesman"

Consider the importance of time in "Death of a Salesman" In this essay, I hope to analyse Millars use of time and how he represents it in the play "Death of a Salesman." The first thing to realise when looking at this play is how Millar conveys the thought that everything you do in the past has a consequence in the future. The way Millar does this is to squash 10 years of the Loman family's life into the space of 24 hours using flashbacks and memories. In this essay I will be looking more closely at how he does this and what effect it has on the story. In the play, we see the Lomans as a family who have been left in the past and therefore not succeeded in the present. This is shown by the changing scenery and people around them. The Loman's house used to be an average suburb house surrounded by others like it, when we see it in the present though; it is dwarfed by the new tower blocks which suffocate. Willies friends also advance in life where he fails to, Howard for instance has become head of the company whilst Willy has stayed in the same job for years, and he could even be seen as going backwards by the way that he is only paid with commission nowadays. Biff as well has also failed to make anything substantial while the "boffin" Bernard has become a high flyer in the business world. The whole of the Loman's world has become stagnated with things going from bad to worse

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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An analysis of the dramatic structure of Kalidasa's "Abhinjanasakunthalam"

Dramatic structure of Abhijnanasakuntalam: An analysis Submitted by Sherrin Rajan 11/PELA/002 The Abhinjanasakunthalam is regarded as the very first Indian play to be translated into a western language. After the translation by Sir William Jones, there were about forty six translations in twelve European languages. Some English translations are “The Fatal Ring: an Indian drama” by Sir William Jones, “The Lost Ring: an Indian drama “by Sir Monier Monier Williams and “Sakuntala and other works” by Arthur W. Ryder. In the thesis by Tripti Mund , it is mentioned that the Abhinjanasakunthalam contains over two hundred verses. These verses are mostly uttered by the major characters. The language spoken by them is Sanskrit. The division of language spoken by the character is according to the social status. Vidushaka speaks Prakrit, Maharastri is spoken by high class women, children and royal servants. The other attendants of the royal palace speak Magadhi. The low class people like cowherds, robbers, gamblers speak varieties of prakrit like Abhiri, Paisaci and Avanti. ( Mund 24, 25) The themes for any Sanskrit play are usually from history or epic legend. But the dramatist mixes it up with his own fictitious inventions like Kalidasa has done it many places in his Abhinjanasakunthalam. The play commences with Nandi followed by the prologue wherein the stage manager

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Womens Depression; The Other Side of Look Back in Anger

Assignment Women’s Depression; The Other Side of ‘Look Back in Anger’ Submitted by: ANFAL. M, (Roll No: H-1411), MA English Submitted to: Dr. Subrahmanyam sir. PWBD Course, Department of American and Caribbean Literature, School of English Literature, EFL University, Hyderabad ________________ The world of English drama, especially the modern ones, carries many specialties in both themes and structures which could even lead to many literary as well as cultural movements for their credits. Same way, the ‘Look Back in Anger’, a much celebrated as well as highly influenced drama in British society , written by an English middle-class modern writer John Osborn, did spread more views and comments by introducing an ‘angry young man’ living in British society. Certainly, the play did much to kindle a new energy and method of thinking in the middle class British society, after a long period of hesitating rule of unimpressive royal and upper class themes and styles in the British drama. But, whatever actions or influences did the play may had brought in the British middle class society when it presented an educated middle class ‘angry man’ named as Jimmy Porter as symbol of whole depressed middle class people in Britain after the second world war, it bears a never ignorable curse of woman society, who are represented in the play by Alison Porter, an

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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