Like many dramas, Tennessee Williams’ plays follow a simple and clear structure. The Glass Menagerie includes production notes from the author at the beginning. It describes in detail how the stage must be set and includes specifics on lighting, music, and prop placement. For both plays, Williams is very specific on the aesthetic of the stage. He leaves little room for the director's own interpretation. From there, Williams presents a list of characters. Unlike in The Glass Menagerie, there are no descriptions of the characters in A Streetcar Named Desire. At the beginning of most scenes, Williams describes the setting and mood in italics. This helps the actors and directors visualize and create what he had envisioned. The scripts are largely made up of dialogue between characters, but intermingled within the dialogue are very clear and precise stage directions. The italicized directions pop up as they would occur on stage. For those reading the drama and those trying to interpret the written work into a stage performance this is very beneficial. They are easily able to visualize the actions the actors would be making onstage. The downside of clear and precise instruction is that the actors are not able to express as much of their own interpretation of a character.
Williams writes with both an informal and formal voice depending on the aspect of a play he is writing. How he illustrates the setting of the stage and instructs the actors through stage directions is concise and formal, but at the same time, very descriptive. In no way does it sound conversational. As for the dialogue though, it is very informal. This is necessary for the play and dialogue to sound genuine and realistic. A key factor in a great play is the realism. The audience should forget that they are simply watching actors performing on a stage what they were instructed to perform. A great play will make the audience feel they are witnessing a real experience unfold right before their eyes. To help create realism, Williams matches the diction to the characters and setting. He uses the slang of the era such as “he’s got ants now” and other examples throughout his plays. Williams is a chameleon when it comes to writing the dialogue between the characters. He creates a unique voice for each character which is especially evident in The Glass Menagerie. Tom has a sarcastic tone when addressing his mother. With Laura though, Williams shows her timid tone and low self confidence through his word choice. Amanda Wingfield and Blanche DuBois are classic characters in Williams’ writing. They are the dull and faded Southern belles. Both characters were raised in prominent, wealthy Southern families, but at one point in their lives, lost their influence or wealth. They still act according to the way they were brought up even though their surroundings may be much different than what they are accustomed to. The stark contrast between Amanda and Blanche’s speech, actions, or appearance and the setting of the play display the irony in Williams’ dramas. Through these characters and other events, Williams sets an ironic tone for The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire.
Tennessee Williams’ writing is filled with literary and rhetorical devices whether they be metaphors, allusions, or double entendres. In fact, only a couple pages into the first scene, he alludes to a famous American poet. The audience would be familiar with this reference which would only enhance their understanding of the content of the play. He goes on in later scenes to refer to prominent Biblical characters and classical Greek mythology. Williams uses literary and other devices to create realistic dialogue between characters. For example, in The Glass Menagerie, the two sisters joke together about Stella’s husband’s sexual appetite without overtly talking about sex. This is an example of a double entendre. Williams also creates interruptions within the text which can be found in both dramas. One character will be speaking and then another will interrupt them. This is notified in the text with a hyphen at the end of the first speaker’s line. One can find many examples of metaphors and similes as well within the characters’ dialogue. When telling Mitch about her past in A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche speaks in metaphors and vague similes which gives the impression of mysteriousness as well as showing off Williams’ beautiful and artistic writing ability.
Overall, these dramatic scripts are well-written for their target audience and purpose. For his American audience at the time of his plays’ debuts, Williams includes references to American literature, Bible stories and characters, and other things the audience would be familiar with. It is clear through the subject matter and events in his play that Williams intended for his plays to reach a more mature audience. One would not be taking their 8 year old to A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams does a good job at captivating his audience with his beautifully artistic, but realistic plays through his use of metaphors, similes, other literary devices. He shows incredibly flawed characters that the audience not only identify with, but feel emotionally attached to as well. To his largely American audience, Williams presents the South not through rose-tinted glass, but in a very honest light. He shows his audience the undeserving glory the American South receives through his characters and settings. The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire are a beautiful combination of humor, heartache, and harsh reality.