As this play encompasses a time period from 1965-1989, key events during America were sure to help invoke feminist movements to an even more extreme level. Starting from the early 1960’s to the late 1990’s, a movement known as “Second Wave Feminism” arose, which happened around the times that The Heidi Chronicles displayed. Basically, Second Wave Feminism rebounded off the first’s strife to legal equality rights for voting and property and focused more on social equality, such as issues regarding sexuality, employment, and family.
As a prelude to introduce rising feminist movements, under the Kennedy administration, the President made women’s rights a key policy of his 1961 New Frontier campaign. As talks of equality begin to pick up, many find that in almost every aspect of American life involve discrimination against women. To counter this, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in terms of sex, gender, etc. when hiring. Betty Friedan, an immensely important feminist figure founds the National Organization for women in order to create more civil rights opportunities. More and more momentum begins to pick up around 1967 as the Equal Rights Amendment and National Welfare Rights Organization start. Women’s liberation movements begin appearing all over America and the first conference is held later on. A huge achievement is made when the first Women’s Equality Day is announced in 1971. Another is seen the following year when the Equal Rights Amendment is reintroduced into Congress and passes in order to secure presidential consent for gender equality. Women begin getting permission to join the Army and Air Force, and the Time Person of the Year goes to a woman in 1975 to celebrate feminist successes. Women all over the nation begin speaking out against common issues that have faced them for so long: abortion, divorce, equal pay, pregnancy, etc. However, the 1980’s marked the decline of the second wave. Curiously enough, the play’s second act also remains in New York, from 1980-1989. Perhaps this shows the world’s decline in feminism in accordance with Heidi’s own.
As shown by the enormous historical events that occurred with feminism during the era of Heidi, clearly outside factors were a large factor on the play. Other social developments are also conveyed through the transition in time, such as music, use of television, dress, and other forms of media/entertainment.
Since Streetcar took place roughly 10-30 years, from the start to end of Heidi, its evident how different women were treated before the Second Wave Feminism. What is also a factor in the treatment is the location, as the East coast of America is sure to be a lot more civilized and socially advanced than the South area of New Orleans. The domestic abuse that the women face are nowhere to be seen in Heidi, yet Stella, Blanche, Eunice, and the prostitute are all abused verbally and physically.
In act one the setting is important as it takes Heidi is a circle, returning her to her original location at the end. This cyclical journey emphasizes in the play how much the world has changed while Heidi has remained the same.
The setting is also important as is shows Heidi’s remoteness in the scenes. In the first scene Heidi is at a high school dance with many people but still is able to be removed from what is happening. The setting during that scene is very youthful and with “streamers” and such, this displays Heidi’s youth while her placement in the crowd displays how she is removed from the others at the dance. When she is seen in the next scene she is also removed from setting in away as she stands by herself by the table and is only connected to the scene through Scoop when he comes to chat with her. In the next scene the setting shows how Heidi is removed from what is happening around her as she sits “slightly outside the circle.”
In once scene the setting echos what is happening in the scene. In scene four, at the art institute it is raining. This reflects what is going on in the scene as not only has the rally not gone well but initially Peter's and Heidi's friendship is not in a good place. However by the end on the scene both situations have cleared up and so has the weather.
The changes in setting in act one compared to act two also show us the difference between the characters in the acts. At the beginning of the play they are young and are not required to be responsible and can do as they please; but in the latter half of the play they are older and having to face their decisions and have realized that they cannot keep chasing the ideals they did in their youth. The second half of the play reflects how the characters in the play have needed to become stable and responsible while having to give up their initial goals in life.
