Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Theatre: Acting

Department

Theatre

First Advisor

Larry Quiggins

Second Advisor

Donnell Walsh

Third Advisor

Ann Canale

Abstract

Andrea M. Grey’s thesis, Blanche Dubois: Feminist Forerunner, explores Blanche Dubois from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire as a proto-feminist figure. Challenging traditional interpretations of Blanche as merely fragile or delusional, Grey argues that Blanche exhibits traits of modern feminism, advocating for female independence, financial self-sufficiency, and resistance to patriarchal oppression.

Blanche’s education, career as a teacher, and efforts to manage her family’s estate position her as an independent woman in a male-dominated world. However, societal constraints and gendered double standards undermine her agency. Her sexual autonomy is condemned while her male counterparts’ indiscretions are ignored. Blanche’s opposition to Stanley Kowalski’s violent dominance, particularly in urging her sister Stella to leave him, marks her as a direct threat to patriarchal control.

The thesis blends character analysis with historical and literary research, showing how Williams drew from his own experiences to create a complex, sympathetic heroine. Though Blanche ultimately succumbs to societal and personal pressures, Grey argues that her defiance makes her a forerunner of the modern women’s liberation movement. This work reframes Blanche not as a victim of madness but as a tragic figure challenging oppressive norms before her time.

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