Lady Torrance

E1009671

Lady Torrance is the restless, unhappily married storekeeper’s wife in Tennessee Williams’ play *Orpheus Descending*, whose yearning for freedom and passion drives much of the drama’s emotional conflict.

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Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf female character
fictional character
theatrical character
appearsIn Orpheus Descending NERFINISHED
authorWork character in a modern retelling of the Orpheus myth
backstory father was burned to death by a racist mob
basedOn earlier Williams character in Battle of Angels
characterArc moves from resignation toward defiant hope
conflictType marital conflict
conflictWith Jabe Torrance NERFINISHED
createdBy Tennessee Williams NERFINISHED
desire emotional and sexual fulfillment
escape from her marriage
new life away from the town
dialogueLanguage English
dramaticFunction central female protagonist of Orpheus Descending
drives much of the play’s emotional conflict
emotion fear
hope
loneliness
restlessness
sexual frustration
yearning for freedom
familyBackground daughter of an Italian immigrant wine maker
firstAppearance Orpheus Descending (1957 Broadway production) NERFINISHED
healthStatus suffers from a gynecological illness
literaryPeriod 20th-century American drama
maritalStatus unhappily married
medium stage play
nationality Italian American
notableTrait capacity for passion
emotional intensity
moral courage
sharp tongue
occupation storekeeper’s wife
relationshipWith Val Xavier NERFINISHED
residence dry-goods store
small Southern town
romanticInterest Val Xavier NERFINISHED
settingOfActions Torrance dry-goods store NERFINISHED
spouse Jabe Torrance NERFINISHED
themeAssociation desire for freedom
repression
sexual passion
violence and bigotry in the American South

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Orpheus Descending hasMainCharacter Lady Torrance