A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

INTRODUCTION

Background on Tennessee Williams1. Early life and family

2. His work

3. His style (poetic dialogue, realism, naturalism, symbolism, use of light and sound)

TENNESSEE’S METHOD

psychological realism and realism of setting combined with anti-realistic devices: dialogue mixed with direct

address, soliloquy, and confession

isolation of characters during set speaches by lighting

projection of words and pictures to explain or elaborate the action

frequent use of symbols and significant names and of music to enhance mood

STRUCTURE OF THE PLAY

STRUCTURE II

A. Eleven scenes – no “Well-constructed Play” sturcture

B. Emotional Structure1. arrival and suspicion

(“guerrilla war”)2. poker and violence3. Stanley as ape4. investigation5. the birthday party6. Downfall and dignity

CHARACTERS

A. Blanche – one of America’s greatest dramatic creations1. the fall of Blanche=fall

from elegance/innocenceto desire and degradation

2. frantic, trapped, proud, determined to survive

3. addiction to baths, strong drink, cigarettes, andyoung men

4. eloquent and educated5. most courageous (ending)

CHARACTERS

B. Stella1. “average woman”2. forgotten Belle Reve and her background3. thrilled by Stanley’s

sexuality and drive4. stays with Stanley,

now with baby—victim of her fate—

her desire

CHARACTERS

c. Stanley1. personification of male sexual energy2. smart and perceptive

(good salesman, “destined for success”

and a Neanderthal – both Stella and Blanche are right)

3. Battle with Blanche (suspicionInvestigationwar (bus ticket, rape,destruction)

CHARACTERS

D. Mitch1. weak, “momma’s boy”

more sensitive than Stanley (a bit like Alan Grey?)2. hopes to replace his dying mother with Blanche3. weak love (abandon’s Blanche when he sees

her “in the light”4. turns his back on love5. regrets and compassion

in the last scene

THEMES

A. The search for a home1. the “unwelcome guest,” the

outcast2. shelter (physical and

spiritual)3. a place where you are

wanted and where you belong

THEMES

B. Love vs. Desire1. Stanley and Stella

2. Blanche and Allan

3. Blanche and Mitch

THEMES

C. Truth and Illusion (practical vs romantic physical vs spiritual) Truth Illusion

Stanley

Naked bulb

Stella

Poker players

Steve and Eunice

Allan Grey

Paper lamp shade

Blanche

Women

THEMES

C. Truth and Illusion

1. Blanche’s “lies that tell the truth (or what

ought to be true”;she never “lied in herheart.”

2. Stanley’s Truth that destroysthe possibility for love

THEMES

D. The Moral Theme1. kindness of strangers vsdeliberate cruelty

2. Blanche’s sins vs.Stanley’s

3. “epic fornications” that lose Belle Reve

4. Stella’s betrayal and Mitch’s betrayal

THEMES

E. Feminist – View of Women: Virgin vs. Whore Blanche’s dilemna—has deep feelings of desire (sexual) but must maintain an illusion (50% of a woman’s charm) of the innocent flirtatious girl.

THEMES

F. Sex and Death1. Blanche’s fear of aging2. The Title and first line

Streetcar named Desire --Blanche’s love for Allan --her “killing” of him --filling her life with meaningless affairs—trying to fill the

emptiness of the broken heart --seducing the student – mustn’t touch the children

THEMES

F. Sex and death (con’t)1. “transfer to one called Cemetery”

a. Her self-disgust and self hate over Allen’s death lead to her downfall (she has now transferred to the streetcar name

Cemetery.)b. At this point in Blanche’s life, the play begins.

Death (symbolized by the streetcar “Cemeteries”) can bring either heaven or hell.

Blanche can either “ride six blocks and then get off at—Elysian Fields”, or she can continue, broken spirited, to her final “death”—a life without desire.

THEMES

F. Sex and Death – Elysian Fields1. Blanche confesses to Mitch, with complete honesty, the story of how she destroyed her young husband. (Her honesty is significant because prior to this point, her relationship with Mitch is based solely on lies.)2. In response to Blanche’s outpouring of emotion,

Mitch says, “You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be—you and me, Blanche?”

3. Through her sobs, Blanche replies, “Sometimes—there’s God—so quickly!” – but then…

THEMES

G. UniversalThe play tries to go below the

surface and show what happens to fragile

creatures (Blanche) in a cold, uncaring, hostile, and violent world (Stanley). Williams shows little for “making gentle the savage heart of

man.”

SYMBOLS

A. Lighting1. truth2. age 3. brutal reality

B. The paper lampshade

SYMBOLS

C. The poker game(s)

D. Streetcar

E. Music (gunshot)