StudyMoose App
24/7 writing help on your phone
The essay should be about the author Tennessee Williams.nTennessee Williams was one of the most influential American playwrights of the twentieth century. He was born Thomas Lanier Williams in Columbus, Mississippi, in 1911. Williams’ father, Cornelius Williams, was a shoe salesman, and his mother, Edwina Williams, was a homemaker. Williams had two older sisters, Rose and Dakin.nWilliams’ father was a strict and often abusive man, and Williams’ relationship with him was fraught with tension. Williams’ mother was kind and gentle, and she provided him with a refuge from his father’s anger.nWilliams was a sensitive and introspective child, and he found solace in reading and writing. He was also an avid moviegoer, and he often escape into the world of the movies.nWilliams’ family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, when he was eight years old. Williams attended Soldan High School, where he was an average student.nAfter graduating from high school, Williams attended the University of Missouri for two years. He then transferred to Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied English literature.nWilliams’ college years were marked by personal turmoil. His father died in a car accident in 1929, and his mother was diagnosed with cancer in 1930. Williams also struggled with his own mental health, and he was briefly hospitalized for depression in 1932.nDespite his personal difficulties, Williams was a talented student, and he was awarded a prestigious fellowship to study at the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop.nWilliams’ time at the University of Iowa was highly productive, and he wrote several plays, including The Glass Menagerie, which was later adapted into a successful film.nAfter graduating from the University of Iowa, Williams moved to New York City, where he worked as a journalist and a screenwriter. He also continued to write plays, and his first Broadway success came with the production of The Glass Menagerie in 1945.nWilliams’ other plays include A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and The Night of the Iguana. Williams also wrote a number of successful screenplays, including The Rose Tattoo and Sweet Bird of Youth.nWilliams was a gay man, and his plays often dealt with issues of sexuality and gender. Williams’ own life was often tumultuous, and he battled addiction and mental illness throughout his life.nWilliams died in 1983 at the age of 71. He was survived by his partner, Frank Merlo.nWilliams was a groundbreaking playwright, and his work continues to be performed and studied around the world.
