You Touched Me! and the Presence of D. H. Lawrence in Tennessee Williams´ Work

Abstract

This article analyzes You Touched Me! – A Romantic Comedy in Three Acts, a play written by Tennessee Williams and Donald Windham in 1942, an adaptation of The Fox and You Touched Me by D. H. Lawrence. The main objective is to carry out a critical examination of the historical-social conjuncture from the perspective of the characters. However, this assessment moves away from the hegemonic reading of psychological realism, to identify symbolic pairings that get closer to expressionism. What is sought in this reading is to reveal the roots figuration of sexual desire in the axis of capitalism and the characterization of the sexes in the face of stereotypes that denote the author’s critical position in relation to the society of their time, especially in relation to femininity and masculinity. It is concluded that the woman’s random touch on man is a metaphor that represents the female world of that historical moment and its contradictions: alienated subjectivity and the social protocols warranty. The playwrights, therefore, position themselves as the human condition and society observers, giving rise to reflections that make clear the power and dominion of men over women, a cultural stereotype that maintains the capitalism and sexism status quo.