Social Changes In South In Tennessee Williams''s A Streetcar Named Desire
SICIAL CHANGES IN THE SOUTH IN TENNESSEE
WILLIAMS’S
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
A THESIS
Presented to the Board of Examiners in Partial Fulfillment of the requirement
for the Sarjana S-2
American Studies
The Department of Humanity Studies
By
SITI NORMA NASUTION
3390/IV-4/206/90
PROGRAM OF GRADUATE STUDIES
GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY
1994
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007
ABSTRACT
T h i s t h e s i s d e a l s w i t h s o c i a l c h a n g e s i n t h e American South which is
exposed in the drama A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams. The
changes w e r e d r a w n f r o m t h e l i f e e x p e r i e n c e s o f t h e m a i n character in
the drama, named Blanche Du Bois. In the glorious time before the war, the Old South
was built by Agrarianism and developed as”King Cotton". With the background of
Southern tragedy, Williams created a tragic story. Blanche Du Bois became the victim
of the social changes in the South.
Blanche endured hardship at the same time while the Southern people lived in
poverty and misery after the Lo s t C a u s e . T h e p l a n t a t i o n s h a d b e e n b r o k e n , a n d
t h e b l a c k s l a v e s h a d b e e n f r e e d a n d r a n a w a y . A s t h e consequences of the
sudden changes, many people moved to the newly established towns. They tried their
fortune in commerce and industry.
B l a n c h e w a s u n e q u i p p e d t o f a c e t h e c h a n g i n g situation. She was
frustrated and hopeless because she w a s u n r e a l i s t i c a n d h y p o c r i t i c a l . S h e
c r e a t e d h e r illusion and lived in her dream. Her younger sister Stella was
luckier and could survive because she abandoned her "aristocratic" tradition
a n d a d j u s t e d herself to the way her husband lived. Social changes in the South
emerged different values in the Industrial Era.
Key words: glorious time -- tragedy -- social changes -victim -- frustrated
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007
INTISARI
Tesis ini menguraikan tentang perubahan sosial di A m e r i k a S e l a t a n
seperti yang terlihat dalam drama A S t r e e t c a r N a m e d D e s i r e k a r y a
T e n n e s s e e W i l l i a m s . Perubahan-perubahan itu digambarkan melalui
pengalaman hidup pelaku utama dalam drama, Blanche Du Bois. Amerika Selatan
mengalami masa yang gilang gemilang dalam periode A g r a r i s d a n b e r k e m b a n g
menjadi "King Cotton". Dengan l a t a r b e l a k a n g t r a g e d i A m e r i k a
S e l a t a n , W i l l i a m s menciptakan suatu cerita yang tragis. Blanche Du Bois
menjadi korban perubahan sosial di. Amerika Selatan.
Blan ch e meng alami kesulitan h idup p ada saat yang bersamaan ketika
masy arak at Amerika Selatan menderita kemiskinan dan kesulitan setelah kalah
perang. Perkebunan m e r e k a r u s a k b e r a t , p a r a b u d a k b e r k u l i t h i t a m t e l a h
d i b e b a s k a n d a n m e l a r i k a n d i r i . S e b a g a i a k i b a t d a r i perubahan yang tibatiba itu, mereka berpindah ke kota-k o t a y a n g b a r u m u n c u l d i d a e r a h i t u .
Mereka mulai k e h i d u p a n b a r u d a n m e n c o b a k e b e r u n t u n g a n d a l a m
perdagangan dan industri.
Blanche tidak cukup berpendidikan untuk menghadapi keadaan yang
berubah. Ia menjadi frustrasi dan putus asa k arena ia tidak realistis d an men ipu
d iri sendiri. Ia hidup dalam khayalan dan mimpi-mimpinya. Adiknya Stella
d ap at selamat d an hidup lebih b aik k aren a ia b ersedia m e n g h i l a n g k a n
t r a d i s i " k e b a n g s a w a n a n n y a " d a n d a p a t menyesuaikan diri dengan cara hidup
suaminya. Perubahan sosial di Amerika Selatan menimbulkan nilai-nilai yang
baru dalam Era Industrialisasi.
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007
WILLIAMS’S
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
A THESIS
Presented to the Board of Examiners in Partial Fulfillment of the requirement
for the Sarjana S-2
American Studies
The Department of Humanity Studies
By
SITI NORMA NASUTION
3390/IV-4/206/90
PROGRAM OF GRADUATE STUDIES
GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY
1994
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007
ABSTRACT
T h i s t h e s i s d e a l s w i t h s o c i a l c h a n g e s i n t h e American South which is
exposed in the drama A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams. The
changes w e r e d r a w n f r o m t h e l i f e e x p e r i e n c e s o f t h e m a i n character in
the drama, named Blanche Du Bois. In the glorious time before the war, the Old South
was built by Agrarianism and developed as”King Cotton". With the background of
Southern tragedy, Williams created a tragic story. Blanche Du Bois became the victim
of the social changes in the South.
Blanche endured hardship at the same time while the Southern people lived in
poverty and misery after the Lo s t C a u s e . T h e p l a n t a t i o n s h a d b e e n b r o k e n , a n d
t h e b l a c k s l a v e s h a d b e e n f r e e d a n d r a n a w a y . A s t h e consequences of the
sudden changes, many people moved to the newly established towns. They tried their
fortune in commerce and industry.
B l a n c h e w a s u n e q u i p p e d t o f a c e t h e c h a n g i n g situation. She was
frustrated and hopeless because she w a s u n r e a l i s t i c a n d h y p o c r i t i c a l . S h e
c r e a t e d h e r illusion and lived in her dream. Her younger sister Stella was
luckier and could survive because she abandoned her "aristocratic" tradition
a n d a d j u s t e d herself to the way her husband lived. Social changes in the South
emerged different values in the Industrial Era.
Key words: glorious time -- tragedy -- social changes -victim -- frustrated
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007
INTISARI
Tesis ini menguraikan tentang perubahan sosial di A m e r i k a S e l a t a n
seperti yang terlihat dalam drama A S t r e e t c a r N a m e d D e s i r e k a r y a
T e n n e s s e e W i l l i a m s . Perubahan-perubahan itu digambarkan melalui
pengalaman hidup pelaku utama dalam drama, Blanche Du Bois. Amerika Selatan
mengalami masa yang gilang gemilang dalam periode A g r a r i s d a n b e r k e m b a n g
menjadi "King Cotton". Dengan l a t a r b e l a k a n g t r a g e d i A m e r i k a
S e l a t a n , W i l l i a m s menciptakan suatu cerita yang tragis. Blanche Du Bois
menjadi korban perubahan sosial di. Amerika Selatan.
Blan ch e meng alami kesulitan h idup p ada saat yang bersamaan ketika
masy arak at Amerika Selatan menderita kemiskinan dan kesulitan setelah kalah
perang. Perkebunan m e r e k a r u s a k b e r a t , p a r a b u d a k b e r k u l i t h i t a m t e l a h
d i b e b a s k a n d a n m e l a r i k a n d i r i . S e b a g a i a k i b a t d a r i perubahan yang tibatiba itu, mereka berpindah ke kota-k o t a y a n g b a r u m u n c u l d i d a e r a h i t u .
Mereka mulai k e h i d u p a n b a r u d a n m e n c o b a k e b e r u n t u n g a n d a l a m
perdagangan dan industri.
Blanche tidak cukup berpendidikan untuk menghadapi keadaan yang
berubah. Ia menjadi frustrasi dan putus asa k arena ia tidak realistis d an men ipu
d iri sendiri. Ia hidup dalam khayalan dan mimpi-mimpinya. Adiknya Stella
d ap at selamat d an hidup lebih b aik k aren a ia b ersedia m e n g h i l a n g k a n
t r a d i s i " k e b a n g s a w a n a n n y a " d a n d a p a t menyesuaikan diri dengan cara hidup
suaminya. Perubahan sosial di Amerika Selatan menimbulkan nilai-nilai yang
baru dalam Era Industrialisasi.
Siti Norma Nasution : Social Changes In The South In Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar …,1994
USU Repository © 2007