'A Transitory Possession': Economics of A Streetcar Named Desire (thesis)

Abstract

My most specific goal with this research is to offer a new angle for analyzing one of America's greatest plays. I also have a more general goal: to introduce readers to the methodology and benefits of economic criticism. With this second goal in mind, I've organized this thesis' chapters in conceptual tiers. Chapter 1 focuses on one scene and serves as an introduction to the economic concepts most important for approaching the play. Chapter 2 brings these concepts to use, giving shape to the characters' libidinal economy. Chapter 3 reevaluates this analysis through the lens of dialectical criticism, which complicates, then clarifies my vision of the play's economic landscape. [From Introduction]