A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams

A Streetcar Named Desire: Genre 1 key example

Key Examples in A Streetcar Named Desire

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

A Streetcar Named Desire is a work of Southern Gothic literature, which is a subgenre of Gothic fiction set in the American South. It examines idiosyncrasies of the region as writers explore social and emotional issues. Southern Gothic literature is particularly characterized by an attention to local color and history, as well as the use of irony and the macabre to link Southern culture with the uncanny. It often features decayed or derelict settings of the Old South, deeply flawed or eccentric characters, and focuses on death and rebirth. The genre as a whole critiques the values of the South, often focusing on the aftermath of slavery and the legacy of the Civil War. Notable Southern Gothic authors include Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, and Tenessee Williams himself.