Much has been written about the common themes running through all of Williams' works, including violence, overt sexuality, madness, alienation, and dysfunctional families. In Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee seems to draw from several major catalysts in his own life. Not the least among them being the lobotomy imposed on his own beloved sister, Rose. How many of these do you think are universal themes throughout contemporary playwrighting and how many do you think are unique to Williams' own life experience?

The character of Catharine says, "We all use each other and that's what we think of as love." Is this a universal truth? How is the statement applicable to the relationships in Suddenly Last Summer?

Tennessee Williams is famous for his use of symbolism. How do you interpret some of the more fierce symbolism in Suddenly Last Summer? For example, the carrion birds frenzied feeding on the sea turtles. What is Tennessee Williams trying to express through the story of the carnivorous birds? Is it merely foreshadowing or a broader judgment on the world? Is it Sebastian's definition of God? Williams'?

Compare the use of religious imagery and metaphors throughout the play. What is William's implying about the character of Sebastian? Was he a sinner or a saint? Is it reasonable to view Catharine's persecution like a saint's?

What characters in Suddenly Last Summer can be seen as outcasts? Are they social outcasts? Religious? Sexual? How did their position affect their relationship with their family? With their world? With society in general?

Williams presents the physical aspect of cannibalism through the birds and children, but what other forms of cannibalism exist in the play? Think in terms of relationship between the characters - who is feeding off of whom? Who is a predator? Who is the prey?

Foreshadowing is a literary device used to indicate upcoming events before they occur. What and how does Tennessee Williams foreshadow events in Suddenly Last Summer?

The statement "This is a true story of our time" is possibly one of the most haunting lines in the play. Given the sort of fantastic setting and story what do you think Catharine means by this utterance? Does it hold true for contemporary audiences? What, if anything, makes Suddenly Last Summer "a true story of our time?"