"Sensual But Pure":Tennessee Williams’s Vision On The Body-Soul Relation In Summer And Smoke And The Night Of The Iguana

This paper intends to explore Tennessee Williams’s dramatic vision of being "sensual but pure" on the topic of body-soul relationship, as exemplified in his plays Summer and Smoke and The Night of the Iguana. Critics tend to either criticize his sensual scenes or deify his representation of physical power, especially sexuality. Some recognize the body-soul duality but fail to give a detailed interpretation. Through elaboration on his "sensual but pure" vision and detailed textual analysis, this thesis mainly argues Williams’s belief that human beings need not only the physical contact and even some violent incidents in order to see the world more truly, but also the guidance of spiritual power such as purifying love and God of Nature to fight the cruelty in real life.The harmonious relationship between body and soul involves both the duality and unity. While sensual characters and spiritual characters underline the conflict, recurring symbols such as sleeping tablets, doctor and poppyseed tea present the integration. Those medicines or drugs manifest the interaction between the spiritual consolation and the physical pain. Then the necessity of the sensual body is demonstrated through violence and sex, signifying not only the painful and delightful experience of body but also Freud’s concepts of death instinct and life instinct. After violence breaks characters’fantasy world and reveals the truth, sex can either offer the long desirous human contact or help fight against strict ethical morals. The guidance of the soul is illustrated through the explanation of "purity of the sensual world". Besides the soothing power of the soul, purifying love sometimes grows out of sensual sex and due to Natural theology’s "two book" metaphor, violent scenes in nature can better express disciples’ respect and love for God than going to church. Body and soul are hence inseparable and indispensable in Williams’s dramatic world to "survive beyond despair". As a playwright, Williams intends to advocate in his seemingly sensual theatrical world his own ideal of love, truth and God.