 |
Biography
Tennessee Williams: Wounded Genius
Tennessee Williams revolutionized American theater with plays like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. But he never escaped the painful legacy of his childhood. This episode of BIOGRAPHY follows Williams through his early years when writing allowed him an escape from his past to his final, lonely days in New York. Tennessee Williams: Wounded Genius would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture, Literature and Theater. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.
Vocabulary
Discussion Questions
-
Many have called Tennessee Williams a genius. What is a genius? Do you think that Tennessee Williams was one? Who are some other geniuses of the 20th century?
-
Tennessee Williams was an amalgam of both his mother, Edwina, ad his father, Cornelius. How did Tennessee inherit both the best and the worst of his two parents?
-
Tennessee Williams had a very painful childhood. How did he deal with those painful years? How did those years provide fodder for his vivid characters and plots?
-
Cornelius Williams was ashamed of his son for not being a "real man?" Why didn't Cornelius think Tennessee was a "real man?" How do you define a "real man" or for that matter, a "real woman?"
-
How did Tennessee Williams end up in the movie business?
-
Discuss the role and influence of alcohol in Tennessee Williams' life.
-
In 1943, Tennessee's sister Rose had a lobotomy. What is a lobotomy?
-
How did the death of Frank Merlow, once Tennessee Williams' partner, affect him?
-
Tennessee Williams friends assert that critics murdered Tennessee. What do they mean?
Extended Activities
-
Create a Playbill cover or poster for one of Tennessee Williams' plays.
-
Read one of Tennessee Willliams' plays and compare it to the movie version. How did it change? Was it better or worse on screen?
Related Videos
Air Dates
|
