1. September 16th, 2013
AP Literature

2. A Street Car Named Desire
Tennessee Williams

3. Background Info on the Author
Born Thomas Lanier Williams in 1911 in Mississippi
A near fatal childhood illness, coupled with a protective mother, kept him from the company of other children.
His weak physical condition, combined with the influence of his delicate mother, earned him the ridicule of both other children and his highly masculine father, who nicknamed Williams, “Miss Nancy”.

4. A Master in the Making
Williams turned to writing as an escape from the cruel world around him.
In 1938 after receiving a degree from the University of Iowa, Williams moved to New Orleans, where he had his first homosexual experience. (His first and last affair with a woman had been at Iowa).
This was the beginning of a life of sexual promiscuity, which also defines many of his characters (including Blanche).

5. Williams changed his name to Tennessee.
By 1940, Williams’s sexual and social identity had been established.
Williams—highly successful at this point in his life—floods his work with sex, violence, and personal destruction.
His greatest characters are outcasts—usually because their sexual desires put them at odds with conventional society.

6. “Desire” is a central word in Williams’s work, but not necessarily meaning lust; it is the struggle to attain, through sex, some psychological and spiritual state that is always unattainable.
Blanche will say, “Death […] the opposite is desire.”

7. Williams became increasingly dependent on prescription drugs and alcohol, especially after the death of his long time partner, Frank Merlo.
Williams died in 1963 in a NYC hotel room after choking on the top of a plastic pill bottle.

8. Important Characters in Streetcar
Blanche DuBois
Stella- Blanche’s younger sister
Stanley- Stella husband, a Polish immigrant
Mitch- friend of Stanley’s and love interest of Blanche

9. theme

10. What am I trying to teach you?
Theme
Theme is the central or main idea of a literary work.
Themes exist in fictional stories.
A theme is the message or lesson that an author is conveying through the story.
What am I trying to teach you?

11. Themes are often what make a story memorable
Themes are often what make a story memorable. Long after reading a story, we may forget the characters’ names or the plot, but we will always remember what we learned from reading the story. That lesson is what we call the theme in literature.
Living a simple life leads to greater personal freedom.
True friends are hard to find.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Themes are built on the understanding that life experiences are common to all of us. Readers build connections to stories through universal themes.

12. Theme vs. Topic
Be careful that you do not confuse the theme with the general topic of a passage.
The topic can usually be identified with one or two words.
Eastern Europe, pretzels, bike riding, Abraham Lincoln
The theme is usually expressed in a sentence that reveals the story’s message.
Always be satisfied with what you have.
There is no substitute for hard work.

13. Revealing Theme Themes can be revealed through a character’s actions.
Do not disturb what is meant to be peaceful.
Themes can be revealed through conflict in the story.
Problem:
Two friends find a wallet. One friend wants to return it while the other wants to keep it.
Solution:
They return the wallet and share a small reward.
Theme:
Making the right decisions can lead to rewards.

14. Literary 3X3

15. Literary 3x3
The Literary 3x3 is a simple and ultra brief writing activity to prompt students to think outside the plot
The task: students summarize the novel/story they have read without using specific names or events
The catch: they must create this summary using only 3 lines of 3 words each.

16. Literary 3x3 examples
The fun comes out in the discussion: consider these examples of “3x3”s for these popular Disney movies – can you guess what they are?
A B. C.
Arrogance transforms handsomeness
Mistake creates captivity
Inner beauty conquers
Curiosity seeks freedom
Silence creates confusion
Love breaks spells
Innocence craves recognition
Guilt prompts desertion
Duty calls home

17. Use the words generated to prompt further writing
Literary 3x3
The 3x3 exercise forces students to think outside the “main character does this…then this…the end” type of formula.
Let it be a game – students should try to create the most insightful 3x3s
Use the words generated to prompt further writing

18. The RULES are on the next slide…
Literary 3x3
Try it!
Pick a familiar book or movie (let us know which!) and write your own 3x3
Let’s share!
Remember this exercise, we will be making 3x3s with many novels, short stories, etc.
The RULES are on the next slide…

19. Rules 3x3 will use: 3x3 may use: 3x3 will not use: Complete sentences
Effective word order
Strong words, especially verbs and adjectives
Abstract nouns
Contractions using “is”
Proper nouns/names
Repeated words
“to be” verbs
Pronouns
Cliches
a, an, the

20. This process of expressing complex ideas with very specific language helps students examine literature in real depth, as well as explore subtle nuances of specific diction. Students argue persuasively for one word over another as they try to get to the very essence of a story, exploring the text in depth for evidence to support their claims.

21. The Lion King
Click to Return to 3X3s

22. The Little mermaid
Click to Return to 3X3s

23. Beauty and the beast
Click to Return to 3X3s