Homosexuality In Williams Play

Being an autobiographical character, it is easier for us to understand the motives of Bricks behaviour and his feelings. Thomas (Tennessee) Williams was brought up in a puritan family, and his first love experiences were very chaste. He loved without understanding what exactly this feeling was, and there was not even a hint to the physical side of these passions. Tennessee was a puritan, and even to kiss a guy would be impossible for him. The undisguised homosexuality of the men he met always stunned him. The same can similarly be attributed to Brick from the play. It is quite possible that in the epoch of Puritanism, this young man, as well as his friend Skipper, could not even find a name for his feelings, and even if he realised to some extent what the nature of their mutual fondness was, could he possibly admit that? We do not know what Skipper thought about their relations, and if he felt the same as Brick. However, we may presume that Skipper had undergone the same as Brick; their destinies intermingled and reflected one another. And the result of their feelings being broken by the social norms and morals is one and the same: attempts to escape from the reality, seeking the remedy in a bottle of whiskey. In Williamss life, the death of his true love, Frank Merlo, was a serious shock that changed his life and work. Just as Brick or late Skipper, Williams began to seek oblivion in drugs and alcohol. These parallels between the life of Tennessee Williams and his character Brick are obvious, and we may rightfully presume that the reasons and motives for their actions are also the same. Moreover, we should keep in mind that Williams was prone to self-analysis, and never wrote about anything that did not reflect the hidden and deeply rooted emotions of a personality.