The concept of alienation in Tennessee Williams' works

Tennessee Williams who is distinguished with the masterly use of dramatic devices such as light, music, and stage setting, his poetic language as well as the extraordinary themes on which his works are centered is often regarded as one of the greatest American dramatists of the twentieth century. As a gifted writer, Tennessee Williams managed to create many impressive characters since he had an empathetic understanding of the human soul and its most powerful motives, which direct the acts of individuals. He focuses not only depicting their identities but also their interaction with other members of society. Most of his heroes and heroines suffer because they fail to adapt themselves to the established values of the environment in which they live; therefore, they are usually confused and unable to fulfill their prescribed roles. In that sense in most of his works it is noticed that his characters, under the pressure of harsh reality, develop the feeling of alienation. They escape from the reality to seek refuge under the shadow of illusion. However they cannot get rid of the harsh reality and finally, they live their life with the very feeling of frustration, loneliness and alienation.This dissertation aims at exploring Tennessee Williams? characters in some of his works in respect to the concept of alienation. It is important to note that this study covers Tennessee Williams? three major plays and one novel; The Glass Menagerie (1944), Portrait of a Madonna (1946), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1950). The reason to confine this dissertation to scrutinising these four works is that the feeling of alienation is so distinct in the characters and it plays the central theme in these works. The introduction gives a general information on Tennessee Williams? biography and his theatre in relation to the theme of alienation which shapes his works. In the second chapter the concept of alienation is discussed within the framework of various theories put forward by leading thinkers. The third chapter presents detailed studies of the works and analyse comparatively how this concept is reflected in these works. The conclusion presents a general evaluation that Tennessee Williams dealt with the theme of alienation to project the internal conditions of his characters who, by not showing the capacity to experience an awakening, cannot overcome their illusion. Key Words: Alienation, Illusion, Isolation, Self- Awareness.