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Tennessee’s Tragedies Tennessee Suffered from Depression and Hypochondria, as well as drug and alcohol addictions. He was always fighting some element of himself. He had panic attacks which he called “Blue Devils” Sadly his sister Rose was also fighting the same sort of insanity that Tennessee was. Unfortunately she was not as fortunate as he was. He was able to escape his mania by his writing. He had left her behind to pursue his dream. His sister was institutionalized and in 1943 received a full frontal lobotomy. He published “The Glass Menagerie” in 1947 which is seems very much inspired by his sister. In the play he even goes as far as to name the main character Tom, after himself. And in the end toms states that he never forgot his sister and thought of her often even though he had been away for so long. He always felt guilty for leaving his sister behind. After the death of Merlot from cancer in 1963 Williams steadily spiraled downward. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” would one of his last great works. His brother convinced him to be hospitalized for his addictions in 1969. He was alright for a while afterwards continuing to write but never at the rate of success he enjoyed in his earlier career. Tennessee Williams passed away in February 1983. He was found in his Hotel Room in New York City having choked on a cap from eye drops. It was a tragically unusual ending to this genius of a man. Almost as if he had written it himself.
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