Prejudice And Persecution Against Homosexuals-The Implied Theme In A Streetcar Named Desire And Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) is considered as one of the three most excellent American playwrights in the 20th century. His works always have slightly reference to homosexuality in context. Behind those indistinct homosexual contexts, the implied themes of his works are hidden. Aside from direct themes "a southern belle’s degeneration" in A Streetcar Named Desire and "fight for legacy" in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, prejudice and persecution against homosexuals is the hidden implied theme in two plays.The purpose of this thesis is to indicate how Williams expresses the implied theme by an obscure way to avoid either violating moral code or breaking law. This thesis indicates that Williams applies one writing strategy to reveal the implied theme, which is writing special relationship between off-stage homosexual character and main character. Because of the off-stage homosexual characters’impact on main characters, homosexuals "appear" onstage. In A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche feels guilty about her gay husband Allan’s suicide, therefore she imagines being Allan, and even imitates him in both speaking way and manner. At last, her ending is as miserable as Allan. In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, homosexual Skipper’s suicide has an enormous impact on Brick. He begins to suspect his sexual orientation and falls into enormous agitation like Skipper used to do. Although Brick denies everything related to homosexuality, he follows Skipper’s footsteps.The contribution of this thesis is that it is an analysis from pure homosexual perspective to William’s plays. Except for revealing the implied theme, this thesis also pierces the veil of the playwright’s writing intention. This is an innovative point of this research. In both plays, Williams shows sympathy and understanding against homosexuals. As a gay playwright, he is suffering the same prejudice and persecution as his gay characters. The implied homosexual theme could be seen as silent shouting of the playwright under the pressure of moral code and law.