Tennessee williams Page 2

Short biography of Tennessee williams

Williams was born in Columbus, Mississippi, on March 26, 1911, the son of Cornelius, a shoe company executive, and Edwina, a cold, pious woman who had the mind of a child. His father had been severely injured in an auto accident: he was knocked unconscious, and later had to be brought to the hospital in an ambulance. Williams referred to his father as “a little man with a big voice” who had a weakness for drink and gambling. As a result, his family was constantly on the move, living in hotels, apartments, and even rooming houses.The family’s continual movement, combined with a father who was frequently absent, added to Williams’ feelings of insecurity and loneliness. Williams’ mother, on the other hand, was a rigid, religious woman who demanded that her children pray often and attend church regularly. Williams later described his mother as “a woman with a tragic, wasted life” and “the most repressed person I have ever known.”In 1929, Williams graduated from high school and enrolled at the University of Missouri to study journalism.

However, he soon became more interested in drama and literature, and he transferred to the University of Iowa, where he earned a degree in English in 1938. Williams then moved to New Orleans, where he worked as a clerk in a shoe store and began writing plays.In 1939, Williams’ first play, The Glass Menagerie, was produced in Chicago. The play was a success, and Williams soon became one of America’s most popular playwrights. He continued to write successful plays, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), and The Night of the Iguana (1961).In addition to his successful career as a playwright, Williams also wrote short stories, poems, essays, and screenplays. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, for A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and he was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for his screenplay of The Rose Tattoo (1955).Williams’ personal life was often as tumultuous as the lives of the characters in his plays. He was a heavy drinker and a drug user, and he had numerous relationships with both men and women. In 1983, Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment; the cause of death was ruled to be choking on a bottle cap.

General Essay Structure for this Topic

1. The life and work of Tennessee Williams
2. The early years of Tennessee Williams
3. The influences on Tennessee Williams
4. The development of Tennessee Williams’ style
5. The major works of Tennessee Williams
6. The reception of Tennessee Williams’ work
7. The later years of Tennessee Williams
8. The legacy of Tennessee Williams
9. The personal life of Tennessee Williams
10. Tennessee Williams and American culture

Important information

Parents: Edwina Williams, Cornelius Coffin Williams

Plays: A Streetcar Named Desire 1947, The Glass Menagerie 1944, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1955