US IB English-A Streetcar Named Desire: The Story

(Source: urliteraryneworleans.wordpress.com)

A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams. Set in New Orleans, Louisiana shortly after World War II, the play explores the plight of impoverished Southern gentry and the rapid changes of Southern society in the industrial age. It tells the story of a southern belle, Blanche DuBois, who, after encountering a series of personal losses, leaves her aristocratic background seeking refuge with her sister and brother-in-law in a dilapidated New Orleans tenement. The play was successful both commercially and critically. It opened in December of 1947 on Broadway and ran for over two full years, earning two Tony awards for the stage production and the 1948 Pulitzer Prize. The drama is often regarded as among the finest plays of the 20th century, and is considered by many to be Williams' greatest work.