The Narrative Structure of Tennessee Williams’ A StreetcarNamed Desire

Two of the most famous plays by Williams, The Glass Menagerie (۱۹۴۴) and A Streetcar Named Desire(۱۹۴۷), are constructed on a similar thematic structure: the arrival of a stranger/friend which disrupts theharmonious lives of the characters. This disruption and or interruption is important as it is an element thatadvances the plot. Of the two plays, I am here concerned with the narrative structure of A Streetcar NamedDesire, for one particular reason: the play, in my opinion, perfectly exemplifies a Todorovian pattern of plotdevelopment. Drawing on Tzvetan Todorov, I would like to present an analysis of the narrative structure, anattempt that borders on a structuralist and narratological analysis of this play

Keywords:

disequilibrium , equilibrium , narratology , Tennessee Williams , Todorov