A StreetCar Named Desire revision

7/23/2019 A StreetCar Named Desire revision

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Overview – ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

• Significance of the title: A streetcar named ‘desire’ takes Blanche to ‘Elysian Fields’,

which could be representative of the afterlife, or heaven of some sort. The ‘Elysian Fields’

were where the Ancient reeks thou!ht that heroes went after their death. Blanche’s

‘desire’ is either therefore a vehicle that transports her to heaven " or leads to death#

• Setting: $ew %rleans " the French &uarter. 'ery multicultural (this is seen throu!hout the

play) and cosmopolitan. *ome of +a, oddly tolerant city, despite bein! in the middle of

the deep south. The city is one of powerful contrasts- old French architecture and the new

a/ %ld 0orld refinement mi1ed with the !rit of poverty and modern life/ decay and

corruption alon!side the re!enerative powers of desire and procreation.

• Plot: 2oncerned with Blanche’s arrival, her dreams and desires, and eventual break down.

• Context: 3remiered in 4567, into a world that was lookin! forward into the future after

0088. 8t enoyed 9:: performances in its first run, and won all ; maor dramatic awards "

typical of Tennessee<s style.

• Devices: =ses li!ht music " e.!. the blue piano, and intense sta!e directions for

atmosphere " e.!. sta!e direction at the be!innin! of the play.



Scene – S!no"sis.• Eunice and a $e!ro woman are on the steps of the buildin! when >tanley and ?itch arrive.

>tanley calls for >tella, and she appears on the first@floor landin! of their apartment.

>tanley tosses her some meat, and announces that he is !oin! bowlin!. >tella wants to

come to watch.• +ust after she leaves, Blanche ubois arrives on the black/ she looks at the address she

has and at her surroundin!s, shocked that her sister >tella lives in such a place.• >he is helped into the owalski apartment by Eunice, the landlady. Eunice mentions that

she saw pictures of the ubois home, Belle Ceve. Blanche, e1hausted and in no mood for

small talk, finally says that she wants to be left alone. Eunice !oes to fetch >tella.• >tella and Blanche !reet each other with some emotion. Thin!s start out cordially enou!h,

but before lon! Blanche is irritable.• They speak about the poor conditions >tella lives in/ >tella talks about how much she

needs >tanley. Blanche seems to disapprove of the relationship/ the ubois sisters come

from >outhern aristocracy, and now >tella is married to a Dpolack.D• Blanche has bad news- Belle Reve has been lost. Blanche, with her teacher<s salary,

couldn<t keep the place up. >he stayed and fou!ht for Belle Ceve, carin! for all of their

dyin! relatives, while >tella left.• Blanche is full of resentment, and her harshness makes >tella cry. 0hile >tella !oes to the

bathroom to wash her face, >tanley comes home.• %utside, >tanley, >teve, and ?itch plan their ne1t poker !ame. >tanley enters, !ivin!

Blanche a frank stare.• They have an awkward conversation. >tanley is course and rou!h compared to delicate

Blanche, and he is a very se1ual man. Throu!h their conversation, we learn that Blanche

had a husband lon! a!o, but the youn! man died.



Scene – Anal!sis• From the be!innin!, the three main characters of >treetcar are in a state of tension @ the

apartment is small, confinin!, the weather hot, oppressive, and the characters have !ood

reason to come into conflict.• Blanche and her sister come from a dyin! world. The pretensions of their world are

becomin! a thin! of memory " for e1ample, the family mansion is called DBelle ReveD. The

old life may have been beautiful, but it is !one forever, which is shown by the fact that Belle

Reve is lost.• Blanche clin!s to pretensions of aristocracy. >he is as poor as >tanley and >tella, but she

looks down on the owalski apartment. >tanley tells her that she<ll probably see him as

Dthe unrefined type.D•

esire is central to the play. Blanche is unable to come to terms with her desire. >he isrepelled and fascinated by >tanley at the same time. Thou!h she stayed behind and took

care of the family while >tella ran off to find a new life, Blanche ealous of >tella<s choice-

she seems fi1ated on the idea of >tella sleepin! with her D3olack.D >tella has chosen a life

built around her se1ual relationship with >tanley. Blanche is both repulsed by and ealous

of the choice.• >tanley is comfortable with desire and satisfyin! his physical needs. >e1 is part of what

makes him tick. *is appraisal of women is frank and strai!htforward, and he makes nopretenses of bein! se1ually self@controlled.

• The play is haunted by mortality. esire and death and loneliness are played off a!ainst

each other a!ain and a!ain. The settin! is one of decay @ the dyin! %ld >outh and the

dyin! uBois family. Blanche<s first monolo!ue is a !raphic description of tendin! to the

terminally ill. There is also the specter of Blanche<s husband, who died when they were

both very youn!/ Blanch still refers to him as a Dboy.D



Scene # Setting and Atmos"here.

• >ettin!-

• ‘Elysian Fields’ " where reek heroes ended up after death " the three

main characters are therefore linked to death, whether this is

emotionally or mentally.

• There is an unhealthy atmosphere which will be e1acerbated by

Blanche’s arrival.

• Atmosphere-

•

Two conflictin! moods created by the initial atmosphere " createstension, points towards conflict ahead. First atmosphere " bustlin!,

lively and romantic, there is music in the area and the buildin!s have

‘raffish’ charm. 2reates a li!ht tone, and also a sense of e1oticism

bananas and coffee, involves the senses. $ew %rleans is portrayed

as a cosmopolitan city, does not suffer from racial discrimination (theplay opens on two nei!hbours, one white, one black). 'oices of people

on the street overlappin! !ives the reader the impression that the city

is thrivin!.

• *%0E'EC- there is also an underlyin! feelin! of decay. The houses

are ‘weathered !rey’ with ‘rickety stairs’. The sky is a ‘tender blue’ " isthe bustlin! atmosphere a fra!ile faGade# The use of the word ‘decay’



$irst im"ressions of the characters:

• Blanche " tense, breakin! down already# Talks frantically " has an alcohol

dependency# 8nsensitive " makes sister cry, rude to Eunice (who tries to be

welcomin!). 'ain, self centred. Fi1ated on old ways, doesn’t fit into >tella’s

way of life. 8nsecure, defensive, hi!h maintenance (posh clothin!,

incon!ruous to surroundin!s.) 0hite " purity, cleanliness. 2leaner than her

surroundin!s (to cover up a dirty past#) ?oth attracted to li!ht " desires

!lamour, life# estructive " moths are attracted to li!ht, it kills them. 0ill her

desire for life and !lamour lead to her destruction#

>tanley " meat H blood or death# Forebodin! atmosphere around him.

>e1ual implications# *e is the archetypal primitive hunter !atherer, brin!in!

home meat to his ‘little wife’. 2aveman implications# Typical alpha male "

dominatin! (use of imperatives towards >tella). ominated the conversation

with Blanche.>tella " weak, dominated by sister (doesn’t speak) and by husband. 'ictim.

$ot from >tanley’s back!round@ patient when listenin! to repetitions,

Blanche’s vanity. 2ompared to Eunice, more polite B=T- a pushover#



Stanle! Contrasts %etween Stanle! and %lanche %lanche%ac&gro'nd

• 0orkin! class upbrin!in!, an

immi!rant.

• Cemnant of the plantation house era, upper

class, 0A>3.

A""earance

• audy, se1ual, a ‘bri!htly coloured

male bird’. %pen and honest " in

>cene 4, he takes off his shirt, even

thou!h he is sweaty.

• ressed in white, to represent purity.

2oncerned with ‘powderin! her face’, flashy

ewellery " dishonest, a faGade,

(se of )ang'age• =ses a rou!her ton!ue, and

pronunciation " uses slan! terms like

‘little woman’.

• ‘Iou !oin! to shack up here#’

• >peaks properly (>tandard En!lish) with

literary references to show her education

(Ed!ar Allen 3oe).

• ‘8 thou!ht 8 would if its not inconvenient.’

*ocation+,alents• *e was ‘never a very !ood En!lish

student’

• En!lish teacher, who uses literary references

fre&uently.

Actions

• >tanley recommends that Blanche

‘take it easy’

• *e ‘!rins at Blanche’.

• >he is the nervous type " ‘sprin!s up’ when

a cat outside screeches.

•>he can not return his smile, she tries‘unsuccessfully to smile back’.



Scene - – S!no"sis.• >i1 o<clock, the followin! evenin!. The owalski apartment is bein! prepared for a poker

!ame. >tella and Blanche are !oin! to !o out for the evenin!.• Blanche is takin! a bath, and >tella tries to tell >tan to be nice to her. >he also tells >tan

that they<ve lost Belle Ceve. >tan, convinced that the plantation was sold, be!ins to ask

about papers. >tella is sure, and ri!htly so, that Blanche has not profited from the home<s

loss.• Almost in a freny, >tanley be!ins to pull out Blanche<s De1pensiveD clothin!. *e is

convinced that Blanche has pocketed the money and spent it on finery- in truth, anythin!

fine that Blanche owns is old, and anythin! new is cheap. >tanley can<t tell the difference.• Blanche emer!es. As she prepares for her ni!ht out, Blanche tries to make small talk with

>tanley, but the two converse in a way that is entirely incompatible.• >tanley is increasin!ly rude, and Blanche is fully aware of what he suspects- she sends

>tella to !et a soft drink for her, and tells >tanley to ask away. *e demands to see

papers, and be!ins to search throu!h the trunk. *e upsets her terribly when he be!ins to

e1amine love letters from her dead husband.• >he !ives him the papers he demands, and >tanley says he<s !oin! to have a lawyer

ac&uaintance !o over them. Blanche is unconcerned. >tanley lets slip that >tella is

pre!nant.• Blanche !reets her sister with oy. >he feels e1hilarated about winnin! her confrontation

with >tanley, as well as the idea of >tella havin! a baby.• Blanche feels stron!, and the women !o out for their dinner/ on their way out into town,

Blanche is startled by the shout of a tamale vendor.



Scene - – Anal!sis.• >tella tries to tell >tanley how to treat Blanche (she is anticipatin! conflict.) This su!!ests she

is ashamed of his low class status, because she feels the need to tell him how to behave.• Blanche is bathin! @ attemptin! to cleanse herself# %bsessed with cleanliness, and becomin!

pure, perhaps from a sense of !uilt.• >tella does not want to tell >tanley about the baby, because she is not sure how Blanche will

react. A baby would complete the owalski family unit, and emphasise Blanche’s isolation.• Blanche understands, as if by instinct, the threat that >tanley represents. >he knows that he

has no need for the manners that are important to her. >he is not blind to >tanley<s a!!ression

as >tella is- D8 have an idea she doesn<t understand you as well as 8 do.• 0e see that Blanche cares nothin! for money/ her class only understands how to spend it.

0hen >tanley (thinks he is bein! swindled) demands if it was lost on a mort!a!e, Blanche can

only respond DThat must have been what happened.D >he is i!norant on business matters andunable to survive in the real world.

• The contents of Blanche’s trunk show that althou!h she is used to an upper class life, it is only

an 8?AE, a faGade of lu1ury. The contents are costume ewellery, fake furs, and show how

she uses fantasy to make reality more bearable.• Blanche also believes she is much stron!er than she is. >peakin! of her dead husband, she

tells >tanley that she hurt the boy, in the same way that >tanley would like to hurt Blanche. But

she believes he can<t- D8<m not youn! and vulnerable anymoreD.• Blanche’s attitude towards fantasy and reality is shown in her reactions to the letters. >he is

happy to let >tanley handle the le!al letters, representative of the real world, but not the love

letters " they are her illusions, her fantasies.• The truth is far harsher. Althou!h Blanche is e1uberant after her supposed victory over >tanley,

we soon see how frayed her nerves are. 0hen the tamale vendor shouts out to hawk his

product, the cry startles Blanche terribly. >he reacts as if she<s seen a !host.



Scene – S!no"sis.• The same ni!ht, the men play poker. Everyone is drunk. >tanley is bossy with the other men.

?itch announces that he should !o home @ he fears his sick mother is waitin! for him.• >tella and Blanche return home. >tanley rebuffs Blanche’s overtures with rudeness. %n her

way to the bathroom, Blanche meets ?itch " they are attracted to each other.• Blanche asks >tella about ?itch. They chat and Blanche turns on the radio. The other men like

the music, but >tanley demands that it be shut off. 0hen the women don<t obey, he umps up

and shuts it off himself.• ?itch !oes to the bathroom, but it is bein! used by >tella. *e chats with Blanche, they smoke

to!ether. >he admires his ci!arette case, which was a !ift from a dead e1@!irlfriend.• Blanche has bou!ht a 2hinese paper lantern and asks ?itch to put it over the bulb. >tanley

!rows an!ry at ?itch<s absence/ he is in a bad mood because he<s been losin!.

• 0hen >tella comes out of the bathroom, Blanche turns on the radio a!ain and starts dancin!/?itch moves in imitation of her. Furious, >tanley umps up and throws the radio out the

window.• >tella, embarrassed by >tanley<s behavior, calls >tanley a drunken animal and tells all the men

to !o home. >tanley be!ins beatin! her. The men restrain him/ at first he resists, but

eventually !oes limp.• Blanche is hysterical. >he !athers >tella<s clothes and they !o up to Eunice<s place. >tanley

attacks the men. The men sweep up their winnin!s and leave.• >tanley tries to call up to Eunice<s place. 0hen that doesn<t work, >tanley !oes outside and

bellows >tella<s name. Eunice comes out and tells him to !o away. >he !oes back inside, but

>tanley keeps callin! to her. >tella comes out, and the two come to!ether like animals in heat.• Blanche comes out lookin! for >tella, frantic with fear. >he !oes down to the landin! in front of

the owalski apartment, and stops, stunned by somethin! she sees. >he looks around, lost.• ?itch appears. Blanche is shocked that >tella went back to >tanley, but ?itch seems

unsurprised. Blanche and ?itch smoke on the steps, and Blanche thanks ?itch for hiskindness.



Scene – Anal!sis.• 8t becomes clear that Blanche is more comfortable with make believe than reality.• Blanch has suffered terribly/ loneliness and desire are inte!ral to her bein!. >he chose

the harsh road of stayin! at Belle Ceve to care for the dyin!, and she has suffered

because of it @ for many years, she was a delicate youn! woman who lived alone in a

house full of the terminally ill.• %n one hand, Blanche is very insincere. >he has dealt with her sufferin! by makin!@

believe, by takin! refu!e in fanciful dreams about herself and her surroundin!s. >he lies

about her a!e.• >he also insists that ?itch cover the naked bulb. >he does not want to be seen in the

harshness of bri!ht li!ht. 8n darkness, she is free to fabricate and re@ima!ine whatever

cannot be seen.• %n the other hand, there is somethin! sincere about Blanche<s affection and kindness.

>he lies, but never with the intent to hurt. >he seeks to become what she thinks will

please others.• The animal nature of >tanley and his bond with >tella also becomes clear.• >tanley is at his most basic and animalistic in this scene. *e insists on livin! up to the

ideas of male dominance/ he acts like the apartment is his alone. *e seeks to dominate

not only the women, but the other men as well. *e beats his pre!nant wife.• And yet >tella comes back. >omethin! about >tanley e1cites her when he is at his most

beast@like. >i!nificantly, what we see of their makin!@up is completely wordless. There is

not an elo&uent plea for for!iveness, no promise of better behavior- >tanley and >tella

make up by couplin! like animals. 0ords come second, if at all. The bond between

>tanley and >tella is not intellectual, but physical.



Scene # Setting and Atmos"here.

• >ettin!-

• >tanley’s apartment, the kitchen. The sta!e directions !ive the

impression of a manly scene " !audy bri!ht colours are dominant.

rinkin! whiskey (masculine) and eatin! watermelon " red, also has

seeds " associated with the idea of >tanley as the ‘!audy seed

bearer’#

• 2ompared to a 'an o!h paintin!, described as ‘lurid’. 2ontrasts with

Blanche’s pastel colours and white " when she arrives she seems

incon!ruous and out of place. The colours are described as ‘raw’,

!ivin! an impression that everythin! is unrefined and primitive " the

kitchen therefore echoes >tanley himself#

•

Atmosphere• 8t is ni!ht " use of pathetic fallacy to create a sense of forbiddance.

The presence of alcohol also contributes to this " it often leads of

violence and is therefore a bad omen.

• The sta!e directions describe an ‘absorbed silence’, which creates a

tense and uneasy atmosphere.• The bri!ht colours described in the sta!e directions clash with each



Scene / – S!no"sis.• The ne1t mornin!. Blanche stayed at Eunice<s last ni!ht. 0hen >tanley is !one, she

rushes into the owalski apartment, frantic with worry.• >tella seems baffled by Blanche<s concern/ she thinks Blanche is overreactin!. Blanche

cannot understand how >tella could return to a man who beat her.• >tella insists that she loves >tanley, and his impulsive and ferocious nature is part of

what she loves about him.• Blanche is awash with plans to Descape.D >he seems oblivious to the fact that >tella does

not want to escape >tanley. >he recently ran into an old colle!e friend of hers, who has

since become a millionaire. >he thinks he mi!ht provide the funds to set the women up in

a shop.•

As she tries to think of an appropriate way to word the tele!raph messa!e, >tella tries toassure Blanche that everythin! is fine. >he tries to share some of the money >tanley has

!iven her, and she also tries to convince Blanche that what she saw was >tanley at his

worst. Blanche believes she saw >tanley<s true self.• >tanley comes home, but the sound of a passin! train masks the sound of his comin!.

*e overhears as Blanche condemns him as an animal, a primitive, an ape@like creature.

>tanley hears it all. *e waits for the sound of another train to leave and make another

entrance. *e embraces >tella and !rins at Blanche over >tella<s shoulder.



Scene / – Anal!sis.• The sta!e directions portray a conflictin! air of confusion ‘confusion of street cries’ and

serenity ‘serene’. >tella is serene, in a ‘narcotied tran&uillity’ (>tanley is her dru!#) >he

is rela1ed. +ust as serenity and tension clashed in the sta!e directions, they also clash in

>tella and Blanche.• Blanche is panicked " she spent a ‘sleepless ni!ht<. This shows that althou!h she can be

callous, she does care about her sister.• >tella is holdin! comics, showin! that like her sister, she has the capacity to loose herself

in fantasy and implyin! that she has the need to delude herself# 2omics H simple,

childish.• Blanche soothes herself by creatin! an elaborate illusion, a fantasy that would never

work out as she would like it to. >he dreams of lu1ury, but this does not appeal to >tella.This also shows her dependence on men and on a patriarchal society " she immediately

turns to a man for help.• The streetcar named esire comes up a!ain as a metaphor. As Blanche and >tella ar!ue

about desire, Blanche talks about the rattletrap streetcar. >tella asks if Blanche has ever

ridden it/ Blanche says that it brou!ht her here.• They<re talkin! about the literal streetcar, but the symbolism is clear. Blanche denounces

the streetcar, ust as she denies the power and appeal of desire. But in reality, she hasknown desire, too. 8n her loneliness, it<s been one of her refu!es. As she says of the

streetcar, D8t brou!ht me here,D she is speakin! also of how her desire and loneliness

caused her to be run out of town.• >tanley<s overhearin! Blanche<s denunciation of him will ultimately be disastrous for her.

8f before they were enemies, now they will become locked in a more serious stru!!le.

>tanley will not be content until Blanche is !one from the apartment, even if it means herdestruction.



Stanle! and Stella in Scene /

• Blanche- ‘there’s somethin! downri!ht bestial about him’ " there’s evidence to

back this up " his ‘animal’J’primitive’ pleasure from women, alpha male attitude

in the house (can not stand challen!es, like in scene ;) hunter !atherer ima!e

in scene 4.

• *e’s a ‘survivor of the stone a!e’

• >tanley is totally alien from ‘art’ ’poetry and music’@ this is true. *e is totally

unrefined, uncultured and down to earth, as shown throu!h first conversations

with Blanche.

• *e’s a ‘brute’@ trueK To >tella, but also, he went to !et her back. oes care for

herK

• ‘!runtin!’, ‘swillin!’, ‘knawin!’, ‘hulkin!’ " Blanche is very ne!ative towards

>tanley " he’s her opposite, and the antithesis of the refined upper class

!entleman she used to, hence to overreaction to his animal@like nature.• >tanley becomes en!a!ed in a war for >tella with Blanche in this scene, as can

be seen from the !rin he !ives Blanche " almost like an animal barin! its teeth

in challen!e#



Stanle! and Stella0 and the end of Scene /.

• >tella listens to Blanche ‘!ravely’ but is animated, enthusiastic and bri!ht with

>tanley when he enters.

• They share a lot of physical contact (‘embraced’ with both arms, fiercely ‘claspsher head to him’) this visually shows that their relationship is based on desire.

• >tanley enters sayin! ‘hiyah’ emphasised Blanche’s point about his

un!entlemanly nature.

• ood endin! " there is tension as Blanche and >tanley are clearly fi!htin! over

>tella (the tension is clear). >tanley !rins pointedly at Blanche before makin!sure that she can see him hu! >tella. There 8s also tension due to him

overhearin! Blanche insultin! him " there is potential for further violenceK

• 2ould his triumph in this scene be foreshadowin! his triumph in the penultimate

scene, when he rapes Blanche#

• ?usic " the ‘blue piano’ " makes it clear to the audience that >tanley has theupper hand " round one is complete, and it ends with >tanley in control.



Scene 1 – S!no"sis.• Blanche is in the middle of writin! a letter full of lies, describin! a et@set life for >tella and

Blanche to >hep, her millionaire friend.• =pstairs, Eunice and >teve are fi!htin!. Eunice rushes down out of the apartment, sayin!

she<s !oin! to call the police. >tanley comes home, dressed to bowl. >teve comes down,

with a bruise on his forehead/ >tanley tells >teve that Eunice has !one to a

nei!hborhood bar. *e rushes out to find her.• >tanley asks some unsettlin! &uestions. A friend of his !oes throu!h Laurel, Blanche<

and >tella<s hometown, this friend claims that Blanche was a !uest at a disreputable

hotel called the Flamin!o. Blanche denies it. >tanley leaves. >teve and Eunice come

home, Eunice sobbin! and >teve tryin! to make it up to her.•

Blanche is shaken. >he asks if >tella has heard any rumors about her/ >tella is baffled byBlanche<s behavior. Blanche admits that she Dwasn<t so !oodD durin! the last few years/

she sou!ht comfort with men. >he insinuates that she was se1ually intimate with these

men, but >tella has stopped listen because Blanche is bein! so morbid. Blanche is

clearly on ed!e.• >tella fi1es her a drink. Blanche !ushes with emotion and affection for >tella/ >tella is

embarrassed by Blanche<s sentimentality.• >tella and Blanche talk about ?itch. Blanche will be !oin! out with him later that ni!ht.

Blanche is &uite taken with him. >he hopes that their relationship can !o somewhere.

>tella leaves for an outin! with >tanley. Eunice bounds out of the apartment, shriekin!

with lau!hter, and >teve chases after her.• A youn! man comes to collect for the paper. Blanche hits on him with shockin!

forwardness. The youn! man, a boy probably not out of his teens, seems nervous and

e1cited at the same time. Finally, she kisses him, and then sends him on his way.• ?itch comes with a doen roses, and Blanche accepts them with mock@formality.



Scene 1 – Anal!sis.• The theme of illusion runs throu!h this scene, and we see how the past is be!innin! to

catch up with Blanche. >tanley is learnin! of her past, and her old desires are comin!

back to haunt her.• 0e watch Blanche fabricate a series of lies in her tele!raph to >hep. >he has no

&ualms/ the truth is less interestin! than the illusion she offers, so why not #• Blanche is not the only character with some fear of the truth. 0hen she confesses to

>tella about her behavior in Laurel, >tella stops listenin! @ whenever Blanche is morbid/

this convenient ability to block out the truth foreshadows >tella<s betrayal of Blanche at

the end of the play.• ramatic tension created around a conflict between >tanley and Blanche " she

‘reco!nises his entrance with nervous !lances’• Blanche’s star si!n is ironic " 'ir!o " ‘the vir!in’ " does she want to relciame her vir!inity

spiritually and emotionally# 2reate a new life for herself.• >tanley’s si!n is 2apricorn " ‘the ram’ " !oats are supposed to be promiscuous and

stubborn. *e is both. 2apricorn and 'ir!o are opposites " they either conflict orM

opposites attract#• >tanley mentions his friend >haw, and the tension escalates. This !ives the impression

he has been investi!atin! Blanche.• Blanche<s illusions are &uite fra!ile. >tanley upsets her by hintin! that he knows the truth.

>he is rendered vulnerable by this attack/ her lies have isolated her.• >tanley has the last word " ‘clear up an mistake’ " he threatens to !et proff and reveal

truth, leavin! Blanche in a panic. >he starts makin! e1cuses and makes >tella

suspicious.• 3athetic fallacy " thunder is forebodin! for Blanche.



Scene 1 – Anal!sis -.• Afterward she !ushes with emotion for >tella. The theme of loneliness, central to the

play, is rendered skillfully in this scene. >tella is uncomfortable with these displays of

emotion/ @ they make her feel !uilty because >tella is all that Blanche has in the world,

and >tella herself has >tanley#• The soda spillin! and foamin! out the bottle is a metaphor for Blanche "it stains her

white shirt, ust as her purity is stained. 8t also represents her emotions spillin! over, how

she herself is now out of control, and the way that the truth will spill out.• The local couples provide a contrast to Blanche<s less healthy outlets for her desire.• The near@comic altercation between Eunice and >teve shows a world where more stable

people !o throu!h the same convulsions of violence and desire, with a somewhat

healthier approach. The fi!ht is over another woman, but >teve and Eunice seem to workit out. The violence of the fi!ht also shows an alternative to the brutality of >tanley and

>tella/ >teve comes down the stairs with a bruise on his forehead. A woman strikin! her

husband, who afterward is none the worse for wear, is a healthier alternative to a man

sava!ely beatin! his pre!nant wife. By the middle of the scene, all is well between them.• Eunice and >teve also put Blanche’s fantasies into perspective " whilst she fabricates a

life of cocktails and luncheons, they are a reality check.

• Blanche cannot seem to recover from the convulsions of desire. >he denounced thephysicality of >tanley<s and >tella<s relationship, but suffers from a terrible loneliness,

from which she seeks to escape in inappropriate ways. *er advances at the Ioun! ?an

are the first direct si!n, on sta!e, that she occasionally seeks desperate remedies for her

loneliness. Blanche has been the lone observer of two happy couples- >tella and >tanley,

>teve and Eunice. Left alone in the apartment, she seeks some connection with the first

person she sees.



Scene 2 – S!no"sis.• Blanche and ?itch return from a carnival. Blanche is e1hausted, ?itch is upset that she did

not have a !ood time, but Blanche tells him it<s her fault.• *e asks to kiss her, and she asks why he asks @ he says because of a previous incident,

when she rebuked him. >he tells him that durin! the incident, she obected to his familiar

fin!ers. A !irl needs to protect herself or she is lost. *e says she is like no one else he

knows.• Blanche invites ?itch in for a drink. Blanche briefly speaks nau!hty French to ?itch @ he

doesn<t understand. They discuss ?itch<s build @ he speaks of his hei!ht, wei!ht and trim

waistline awkwardly. Blanche seems impressed by his physi&ue. *e lifts her. They flirt.• Blanche proclaims her devotion to old@fashioned values. >he asks an1iously if >tanley has

said anythin! about her. ?itch says no. >he talks about the difficulties of the situation,stayin! with >tella and >tanley. ?itch asks Blanche<s a!e, but she deflects the &uestion.

• They talk about ?itch<s mother, who is terminally ill. ?itch is devoted to her. Blanche tells

?itch about her husband. They were only teena!ers when they married. The boy was

beautiful, sensitive, and talented. >he eloped with him, not realiin! that the boy needed

her help. >he DdiscoveredD his secret- she found him in bed with someone else. Afterward,

everyone pretended that nothin! had happened. All three of them went to a casino, and

danced the polka. As Blanche retells her memory, she hears the music a!ain. 8n the middleof their dance, the boy broke away and shot himself. 0hen Blanche describes hearin! the

!unshot, the music stops.• urin! their dance, Blanche had pulled the boy to her and said, D8 knowK 8 knowK Iou dis!ust

me.D• Blanche be!ins to hear the polka music a!ain. >he talks about how much the e1perience

has chan!ed her/ she be!ins to sob. As ?itch embraces her and comforts her, the polkamusic fades away. Blanche is !rateful @ D>ometimes there<s od so &uicklyKD



Scene 2 # Anal!sis• Blanche<s fati!ue after the carnival emphasies how frail she is. 0e see the act that

Blanche puts on for ?itch. >he pretends to be taken with old@fashioned values. *er need to

be the vir!inal >outhern belle isn<t malicious " she indul!es in the deception for her own

sake. 3layin! the >outhern belle !ives Blanch pleasure @ allows her to feel youn! and

unscarred a!ain.• ?itch seems insecure and tense " he lau!hs ‘uneasily’. ?aybe because of Blanche’s

previous reection of him# Their relationship is weak " they do not understand each other.• The conversation about ?itch<s sie is a comic moment. The discussion of ?itch<s wei!ht,

his membership and Blanche ooh@in! and ah@in! over ?itch<s muscles is wonderful

courtship scene, a brief respite from the increasin! darkness of the play. There is an

awkward silence afterward thou!h, emphasiin! the immaturity of their relationship.• Finally, we hear the truth about Blanche<s marria!e. 8n some editions of the play, Blanche

speaks of findin! her husband in bed with someone, but the !ender is never e1plicitly

stated/ in other versions, she tells ?itch that she found him in bed with an older man.• Blanche has never overcome her !uilt for what happened @ her e1pression of dis!ust set

the boy off/ she blames herself, and has relived the music ri!ht up to the !unshot many

times.

• Loneliness plays itself out in so many ways throu!hout the play. Blanche<s intenseloneliness !oes far back/ she discovered that the man she loved had a secret life, &uite

separate from his life with her. >ince than, she has been a !irl carin! for dyin! relatives.• ?itch, too, is lonely. *e had a love who died/ he also is carin! for his dyin! mother.• ?itch makes Blanche feel safe. *e is touchin!ly !entle and sensitive. 8n his company, the

music fades away, and Blanche notices the difference. >he dares to hope that ?itch<s

entrance into her life is a touch of od helpin! her.



Scene 3 # S!no"sis• Late one afternoon, in mid@>eptember, >tella is preparin! for Blanche<s birthday

celebration. >tanley comes home with some disturbin! information.• Blanche is takin! a bath, and >tanley takes the opportunity to tell >tella the many rumors

he has collected about her.• As he unfolds the sordid details of Blanche<s last few years in Laurel, Blanche can be heard

offsta!e, sin!in! D8t<s %nly a 3aper ?oon.D• After Belle Ceve was lost, Blanche stayed at the Flamin!o *otel/ they eventually kicked her

out, on account of the endless strin! of male !uests she entertained. >he apparently was

involved with boys from the nearby military base.• >he lost her ob teachin! hi!h school En!lish because of an affair with a seventeen@year@

old student.• >tella is horrified and an!ry that >tanley believes the stories/ but apparently, >tanley has

checked the rumors with several sources.• 0hen Blanche calls for a towel, and >tella brin!s it, Blanche notices >tella<s upset

e1pression. But >tella tries to pretend everythin! is fine.• >tella defends Blanche, e1plainin! that Blanche was crushed by the death of her husband.

>tanley lets drop that ?itch won<t be comin! to the party toni!ht, as previously e1pected/ hetold ?itch about everythin!.• >tella is horrified/ she had hoped that ?itch would marry Blanche.• Blanche emer!es, feelin! cool and rested/ >tanley stomps past her into the bathroom to

use the toilet. Blanche notices that >tella is upset, but >tella tries to pretend that nothin!

has happened.



Scene 3 – Anal!sis• Blanche<s habit of always bathin! is symbolic/ when she emer!es, she always announces

that she feels like a new person. The baths are a cleansin! ritual, but the feelin! of

refreshment and renewed stren!th is not lon! lastin!. 0e have seen before how frail

Blanche is, and how &uickly she tires. 0e also will see that the past does not wash away

so easily.• Blanche<s son!, D8t<s %nly a 3aper ?oon,D was a popular son! of the 456N<s. The lyrics

speak of a make@believe world, which is phony but pleasurable if everybody plays. The

son! not@so@subtly parallels Blanche<s attitude toward illusion and fantasy. >he seems to

pay no attention to the fact that her lies, sooner or later, will be found out. The pleasure of

illusion is not primarily its power to keep people deceived/ Blanche deli!hts in the act of

creatin! these lies. The performance is part of the fun for her. As if life were a party atBelle Ceve, she hopes that everyone will stay constantly entertained. ?askin! the truth is

part of this entertainment.• >tella’s reaction to >tanley’s news about Blanche’s past may foreshadow her later

unwillin!ness to believe her sisters about the rape, which she chooses not to believe

>tanley has done.• There are two scenes !oin! on durin! >cene 7 " the li!ht hearted son! scene, which is

u1taposed with the tense atmosphere created by >tanley. ?usic is used at the end " the

distant piano !oes into a hectic breakdown’. This is to mimic the breakdown of the

cheerful atmosphere, the order of thin!s Blanche’s ‘charade’ and mental stability.• rama is created throu!h Blanche’s i!norance of the information bein! disclosed. *er

sin!in! makes this plain, and increases tension as it prolon!s the wait before we see the

elaboration on her past and how she will react. 8t also contrasts Blanche’s optimism and

hope for a life with ?itch, a hope that >tanley has ruined.



Scene 4 – S!no"sis• Blanche<s birthday dinner. %ne of the places at the table is empty/ ?itch has stood Blanch

up.• >tella seems upset and embarrassed/ >tanley is sullen/ Blanche is makin! painful attempts

to seem happy.• To li!hten the mood, Blanche asks >tanley to tell a oke. 0hen he refuses, she tells one/ it

flops.• >tanley is eatin! like a pi!. >tella comments so, and asks him to clear the table.• 8nfuriated by her tone, he throws his plate on the floor. >tella be!ins to cry, and >tanley

!oes out on the porch to smoke. Blanche !oes to call ?itch/ he doesn<t come to the phone.• >tella !oes out to talk to >tanley/ she scolds him for tellin! ?itch. >tanley defends his

actions/ he lon!s for the day when he can have privacy with >tella, and they can make

noise a!ain without worryin! about disturbin! the !uest who sleeps in the ne1t room.• Back at the table, >tella li!hts the candle<s for Blanche<s birthday cake. Blanche is upset.

The phone rin!s, but it turns out to be for >tanley.• After the call, >tanley presents his present- a bus ticket back to Laurel. >he runs to the

bathroom, sick. >tella reproaches >tanley, askin! why he is bein! cruel.•

>tanley tells her, in rou!h, an!ry words, that Blanche has chan!ed everythin! betweenthem- >tella was happy enou!h with him before, but now she seems more and more

unsatisfied with him because he is Dcommon.D• >tella becomes distracted suddenly. >he tells him to take her to the hospital. The baby is

comin!.



Scene 4 – Anal!sis• 8t is evenin!Jsunset " movin! towards darknessJdark times. >ymbolises fadin! hope.• ‘Blanche has a li!ht artificial smile’, ‘>tanley looks sullen’, ‘>tella is embarrassed and

sad’ .Fourth place at the table vacant. All of this creates tension, and sadness in the

audience.• >tella calls him ‘?r owalski’ mockin!ly and refers to him as a ‘pi!’ causin! him to e1plode.

*e always does so when someone compares him to an animal.• >tanley needs to possess >tella completely. *e will not tolerate any kind of e&uality

between them. >he is not allowed to ask him for help with the chores. >he is not allowed to

criticie him.• There is a conflict of characters seen in this scene " >tanley is associated with ‘coloured

li!hts’ but Blanche is associated with ‘candles on the white cake’.•

>tanley yells at her, D*uey Lon! said ‘Every man is a in!K< And 8 am the kin! around here,so don<t for!et itKD. Blanche<s presence seems like a threat to his authority. *e feels that

>tella has become insubordinate since Blanche arrived. *is motivations are clear- he is

ealous of Blanche, he seeks to preserve his authority, and he deli!hts in the power of

hurtin! another.• >tanley re@establishes control of the scene after the phone call.• *e is absolutely merciless with Blanche. *e !ives her the bus ticket in the moment of her

hi!hest vulnerability, knowin! full well that she cannot return to Laurel. *e deli!hts in hurtin!her. *owever, there is an implication that he feels !uilty " he tries to ustify his actions, and

overdoes it. 3erhaps he is ustifyin! them to himself#• Blanche cannot stand up to this kind of attack. 3resented with the ticket, she falls ill. >he

has been humiliated by ?itch, and now she is bein! forced out of her sister<s home. >tanley

will not stop here.



Scene 5 – S!no"sis• Later that evenin!, Blanche is home alone. >he has been drinkin! @ hears the polka music. ?itch

enters, unkempt, in work clothes. *e, too, has been drinkin!. >he tries to brush aside his

standin! her up earlier/ he treats her coldly.• >he offers a drink, but he insists he doesn<t want any. Blanche hears the music of the polka

a!ain/ the music ends with the !unshot, as always. >he continues to offer ?itch a drink but herefuses, says that >tanley told him she<s lapped up his li&uor all summer. >he brushes aside the

accusation.• ?itch wants to turn on the li!ht. *e<s never seen in her in the li!ht. Blanche stalls. >he doesn<t

want realism- D8<ll tell you what 8 want. ?a!icK Ies, yes, ma!icK 8 try to !ive that to peopleD.• ?itch turns on the li!ht, and Blanche !asps. *e tells her he doesn<t mind her bein! older than he

thou!ht, but he does mind the act she put on all summer/ pretendin! to be old@fashioned,

devoted to old ideals of chastity. *e<s heard the stories from >tan, and confirmed them.• Blanche admits the truth. After Alan, she had intimacies with stran!ers, lookin! for protection/

until she became involved with a seventeen@year@old boy, and lost her ob. >he had nowhere to

!o/ her youth, beauty and innocence were !one.• ?itch repeats simply, DIou lied to me, Blanche.D >he tells him she never lied in her heart.• %utside, a ?e1ican woman comes by, sellin! flowers for the dead. As the vendor cries outside,

Blanche remembers the terrible days carin! for her dyin! relatives. 2han!in! the blood@stained

sheets, when in her youth servants had waited on her. Lonely, abandoned by her sister. $earBelle Ceve, there was a trainin! camp for youn! soldiers/ weekends, they would !et drunk in

town. %n their way back, they would come back to the lawn of the mansion and call for Blanche.

The only relative left was an old deaf woman, who suspected nothin!. >ometimes, she slipped

out of the house and went to the boys.• ?itch comes to her, wantin! Dwhat 8<ve been missin! all summer.D Blanche asks him to marry her.

*e tells her that she<s not clean enou!h to be in the same house as his mother. Blanche tells him

to !et out, or she<ll scream. 0hen he doesn<t comply, she starts to scream. *e leaves &uickly.



Scene 5 – Anal!sis• Blanche has a difficult time relin&uishin! illusion. 2haotic colors and the polka music show her

chaotic mental state. Even as ?itch be!ins to confront her with the truth, she seeks to brush

aside anythin! that is bothersome. >he wants to pretend everythin! is fine.• 0hen ?itch arrives, the polka music she has been hearin! stops " it snaps her back to reality,

but could also be that he is still her hope for the future, her rescue.• >he is not a malicious liar/ she lies from weakness, from immaturity, from a fear of reality. >he

tells ?itch that she speaks of the world as it ou!ht to be, and as people would prefer it to be. >he

lies because she has a taste for a fantasy life better than her reality.• Blanche tries to recreate the old routine, desperate to find some form of conversation. 3ainfully

awkward ‘how is your mother#’.• But ?itch continues to insist on the truth, and when Blanche finally !ives up her lies, the effect is

like a dam breakin!. *e tears down the paper lantern that represented the start of theirrelationship, and protected Blanche’s need to hide in the illusion that she is youn!.

• 0e hear, in chillin! and lurid detail, about her escapades in Laurel. The description of the

soldiers callin! out her name from the lawn of Belle Ceve is 0illiams at his lurid best. The story

shows the depths of Blanche<s loneliness and depravity/ she sou!ht comfort and protection in

impossible places, with men who were only interested in one thin!.• >he mi!ht as well have been alone at Belle Ceve, and in all the beds she fre&uented. Blanche is

terrifyin!ly isolated. 8n her loneliness, her desires became more and more difficult to control, andmore and more unhealthy. The 3olka music is takin! over by this point in time.

• Throu!hout this whole scene, the theme of death and oblivion is underscored (none too subtly)

by the vendor sellin! flowers for the dead. The flowers recall the deaths of the elderly ubois

family members, and foreshadow Blanche<s destruction.• Blanche puts herself at ?itch<s mercy. >he asks him to save her, and he refuses. 0hen he

leaves, so does Blanche<s last hope at salvation. >he is hearin! the polka music a!ain and

a!ain, and she is no shape for the comin! confrontation with >tanley.



Scene 6 – S!no"sis• >everal hours later, that same ni!ht. Blanche has been drinkin! since ?itch left. >tanley

comes home. The baby won<t come until mornin!, so he has been sent home for some

sleep. *e asks why she<s all dressed up/ she tells him that while he was away a millionaire

admirer called and invited her on vacation. >tanley plays alon! wryly.• >tanley takes out the paamas he wore on his weddin! ni!ht. *e wears them on special

occasions. *e wants to be wearin! them when the hospital calls to tell him he has a new

son. They continue to talk about the millionaire, and Blanche speaks of how this millionaire

respects her. >he has Dbeauty of the mind and richness of the spirit and tenderness of the

heart.D >he says that she does not consider herself a poor woman/ as she speaks, she

fi!hts hard to stifle her sobs.•

>he says that she has cast her pearls before ‘swine’, not only with >tanley, but with ?itch.>he says that ?itch came and repeated the stories he had heard and that she told him to

leave, and reected him when he came back be!!in! for for!iveness and bearin! !ifts. >he

is tryin! to build her e!o back up a!ain, desperately tryin! to rebuild her self esteem. The

only unfor!ivable crime, she says, is deliberate cruelty.• >tanley is merciless. *e tears down her illusions one by one, Blanche only able to cry out

as he does it. >he tries to wire >hep, the millionaire, with a desperate messa!e be!!in! for

help. >he never finishes- >tanley emer!es from the bathroom, wearin! his silk paamas.• ‘>he breaks a bottle, tryin! to use it as a weapon, but she<s no match for >tanley, who can

resist a confrontation. *e wrests the bottle out of her hands. *e says to her, D0e<ve had this

date with each other from the be!innin!D.



Scene 6 – Anal!sis• >he is dressed in a ‘soiled and crumpled white evenin! !own’ " represents her purity, vir!inity#• >purtin! se1ual ima!e from the bottle of beer of beer " like eaculation. >tanley has won.• 0hen Blanche describes how ?itch be!!ed for for!iveness, she is tryin! to build her e!o back up

a!ain, desperately tryin! to rebuild her self esteem.• Blanche<s illusions are not with the intent to hurt. 0hen she speaks of the only unfor!ivable crime

bein! deliberate cruelty, she<s not bein! hypocritical. As she says, it is a crime of which she has never

been !uilty. And here, at the end of her rope, she spins out another series of illusions.• =nlike before, these lies are not even remotely credible. >he does not seek necessarily to be credible-

she only seeks the comfort of fantasy, even if the fantasy is ridiculous. Blanche is drunk, reected, and

about to become a va!abond/ all she asks is to be indul!ed.• >tanley refuses. *e is on the brink of his !reat triumph. *is child is about to be born/ this birth,

coincidin! with Blanche<s birthday and destruction, is a symbol of the new order comin! into bein! as

the old passes away. Blanche will have no descendents. The >outh she represents, ineffectual andfrail and ultimately sterile, is dyin!.

• ‘>wine’ the turnin! point here " callin! >tanley an animal always sets him off.• 8n the clima1, the themes of desire and loneliness come into focus. Blanch has lon!ed for some kind of

contact/ she needs company, and protection. >he is not a stran!er to desire.• But finally, the man she hoped for reects her, and the man she despises takes her by force. >he is not

stron! enou!h to offer any resistance/ and at the same time, >tanley is ri!ht when he says that they<ve

had this encounter comin! since the be!innin!.• 3art of her does lon! for >tanley/ in her loneliness, she is desperate for contact. *er previous

comments indicate that some part of her is fascinated by >tanley<s animal nature. The animal side of

desire is emphasied by the un!le sound effects outside the apartment.• ‘Lurid reflections appear on the walls around Blanche’ ‘inhuman un!le noises rise up ‘.• >ta!e directions show a prostitute " parallel to Blanche# The real world is shown to offset the unreality

of everythin! that happens in Blanche’s mind. *er attempt to telephone to real world fails " this shows

that she has completely lost touch with reality.•

*e defeats her illusions, and therefore, rips her ability to cope from her.

S S i



Scene – S!no"sis• >everal weeks later @ men are playin! poker. >tella is upset ?itch ill at ease. Eunice, helpin! >tella,

complains that men are unfeelin!/ it becomes clear that it is the day the doctors come to take Blanche

away @ has not been well since the rape.• >tella tells Eunice that Blanche<s story is too wild to believe/ >tella couldn<t believe it and continue livin!

with >tanley. Eunice tells her not to believe it, no matter what, because life has to !o on.•

Blanche comes out fresh from her bath. The polka music plays in the back!round. >he is unhin!ed,thou!h cheerful. The women are in the bedroom, while the men play poker in the kitchen. >tella and

Eunice compliment her, and Blanche continues to make stran!e, un!rounded comments.• ?itch is completely unnerved by Blanche<s madness. >tanley tries to !et ?itch to snap out of it/ the

sound of >tanley<s voice fri!htens Blanche. >he demands to know what<s !oin! on. The women assure

her that everythin! is fine. They tell her that she is !oin! to !o on vacation. Blanche speaks dreamily

about the sea, and livin! by the ocean until she dies.• The doctor and nurse arrive. Blanche !oes out to !reet them, thinkin! that it<s >hep arrived to pick her

up. >he sees the doctor and nurse and retreats back into the apartment, sayin! she<s for!ottensomethin!. The polka music plays in the back!round, alon! with the animal noises that played durin!

the end of >cene 4N. 0eird shadows dance around the walls. >he !rabs a chair in defense. The nurse

!oes in to capture her.• >tella cannot bear to watch the stru!!le. Eunice comforts >tella, tellin! her not to !o inside. The men

call for the doctor as Blanche continues to fi!ht the nurse.• ?itch is furious/ he tells >tanley that this tra!edy is all due to his interferin!. ?itch hits >tanley, but the

other men rush to restrain him/ he breaks down into sobs. The $urse has succeeded in pinnin!Blanche.

• The doctor enters, and at Blanche<s plea, he commands the $urse to release her. Blanche delivers her

famous line- D0hoever you are 8 have always depended on the kindness of stran!ersD. As she is led out

like a blind woman, >tella cries out her name, sobbin!.• Blanche walks by her and says nothin!. Eunice !ives >tella her baby, and >tella continues to sob.

>tanley comes out onto the porch to comfort her. 8n the kitchen, the men have silently resumed their

places at the card table. >teve deals a new hand.

S A l i



Scene – Anal!sis• Althou!h Blanche is the character most dependent on illusion throu!hout the play, it would be too

simple to describe >tanley and >tella as representin! Dtruth.D >tella is able to stay with >tanley

only after an act of self@deception.• >tella tells Eunice that she wouldn<t be able to stay with >tanley if she believed Blanche<s story.

Eunice<s tells Blanche not to believe it, but does not seem interested in tryin! to see if the story is

true. Eunice advises dismissin! the accusation outri!ht, and doin! whatever it takes to !o onlivin!.

• %n some level, it seems likely that >tella knows she has betrayed her sister. As they nurse

wrestles Blanche to submission, >tella cries out, D0hat have 8 done to my sister#D As she leaves,

Blanche pays no heed to >tella<s cries. Even in the midst of her dementia, Blanche is aware that

>tella has betrayed her.• >tanley<s comfortin! of >tella is an act of hypocrisy. Blanche<s madness is lar!ely his doin!, as

?itch correctly ascertains. But >tanley comforts >tella lovin!ly, Dvoluptuously,D and plays the roleof tender caretaker. Their relationship will now be based on a series of lies.

• Blanche<s famous line is full of terrible irony. Blanche has often depended on the kindness of

stran!ers, but all of them have abused and abandoned her. 8n the end, even her own sister has

betrayed her. *er fra!ility, her inability to fend for herself, and her self@deception have brou!ht

her to madness. >he speaks the line with hope/ in her madness, she clin!s to a belief in chivalry.

But we see no chivalry in this play. The representative of the new man, >tanley, is more ape than

kni!ht. Blanche<s line is earnest in that it shows her terrible loneliness. For so lon!, she hasknown only stran!ers/ youn! !irl in a house of the dyin!, and a woman seekin! protection from

callous men.• *er tra!edy will for the most part be for!otten. >tella is cryin!, but she has decided to stay with

>tanley. >he will have to busy herself with carin! for the baby. The other men have chosen to !o

on with their poker !ame on this day, denyin! Blanche the di!nity of bein! taken away in private.

The %ld >outh dies, and the $ew >outh does not mourn her passin!. Everyone is !oin! to move

on- as the play ends, >teve is dealin! a new hand.

0hen Blanche arrives at Elysian FieldsBlanche’s constant bathin! a!ain



esire

y

she is wearin! white " white suit, !loves,

bodice and pearl necklace and earrin!s.

This represents her desire to be

someone else. >he wants to be

perceived as a lady, coverin! the tainted

past which is unknown at the start. >he

constantly associated herself with white,

and is ‘moth@like’ "they are drawn to

li!ht, but it kills them, ust as Blanche is

drawn to somethin! that destroys her.

Blanche s constant bathin! a!ain

represents her desire to cover up

the past and be perceived as

somebody else.

Blanche

speaks of

her death

in a

solilo&uy

describin!how she

wants to

die " at

the end,

she lon!s

for death.

>e1ual esire " when the sisters speak about

se1ual desire in >cene 6M

>tella- *aven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar

Blanche- 8t brou!ht me here " where 8’m not

wanted and where 8’m ashamed to be.

?usic "

The blue piano and polka music represent Blanche

and >tanley’s constant need to be in control.

Throu!hout the play, the prominence of both

chan!es. >cene O " blue piano plays as >tanley

arrives, and !rows louder durin! the confrontation.

The spilt coke on Blanche’s skirt in

>cene : is representin! her stainedreputation " Blanche’s desire to be

clean is unobtainable, she is soiled,

ust as her skirt is. Also a

se1ual ima!e " coke

frothin! over.

The colour red "

Blanche often wears a red robe and the lantern she

han!s is red. This is the colour of desire, but also

blood and hate " linked to death. An allusion to her

as a scarlet woman#

Title "

The theme

that

dominates the play is

contained within the title. Two

streetcars " ‘esire’,

‘2emeteries’ " sums up

Blanche’s life " desire willlead to death.

Elysian Fields " paradise for

heroes after

death. 8s a

fresh start for

Blanche, and

could find this

here# But also

linked todeath.

>ettin!JLocation "

0ords describin! the settin! of the

play (contained within sta!e

irections) reflect Blanche " ‘faded white

stains’, ‘weathered’, and ‘decay’.

Li!htin! "

8n scene ;, despite her dislike of li!htin!,

Blanche uses it to her advanta!e

because she desires ?itch. >he

produces a coloured paper lantern and

asks ?itch to put it up. This represents

her desire for a fresh start, to recapture

her innocence and love.

Scene 6 " Blanche is Scene 4 " >tanley !ives Scene " Loss of Belle Ceve, where Blanche



so desperate to !o back

in time her supposedly

perfect relationship with

Alan that she looses it,

and starts dressin! up.

>tanley mocks her and

rapes her. >he can nottake refu!e in the past

anymore.

Scene 4 >tanley !ives

Blanche a bus ticket back to

Laurel " the one place she

can not !o, but there is no

place for her in >tanley and

>tella’s future.

Scene 5 " Blanche isdrinkin! alone " that is her

future. >he can not live in the

past anymore. ?itch is not

her ‘kni!ht’ anymore.

Scene Loss of Belle Ceve, where Blanche

and >tella !rew up. Their past has been taken

away. Blanche finds it hard to let !o because

>tella has >tanley (her future) whereas Blanche

has no real future. 3ast and present clash when

>tanley and Blanche meet.

Scene - ", >tanley wants money for the future ofhis unborn child from the loss of Belle Ceve " ‘A

man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairsM

especially when she is about to have a baby.’

>tella is movin! on from Belle Ceve, and leavin!

Blanche behind. There is a challen!e between

>tanley and Blanche " new and old.

Scene " 3oker $i!ht. >tanley resents ?itch’s

interest in Blanche. >he sees the potential inhim, and asks him to put up the lantern, creatin!

soft romantic li!htin! to make her appear

youn!er. >he is clin!in! to the past. >tanley and

>tella’s relationship is more modern than

Blanche’s need to a chevalier blanc .

Scene / " Blanche is left out a!ain, doesn’t

understand >tanley and >tella’s relationship.>tella to Blanche " ‘you are makin! too much

fuss about this.’ Blanche " ‘8 don’t understand

your indifference.

Scene 1 Blanche’s past catches up with her.

>tanley finds out about the Flamin!o " scares

Blanche. Blanche’s nature is that of a hopeless

romantic, not self sufficient. >he tries to seducea boy " attemptin! to recapture her lost youth.

Scene " >tella packs

Blanche’s ba!s. 3oker

ni!ht a!ain " the

presents still carries on.

Blanche thinks she is

!oin! on a cruise, still

stuck in a romantic

dream. As Blanche

leaves, >tanley comforts

>tella with se1 to show

that the past has not

affected them and

without Blanche, life will!o on.

Scene 2 – ?itch and

Blanche’s evenin! fails

because Blanche has to

direct him. The only thin!

they have in common is

death. *er romantic ideals

are not workin! out. Blancheopens up about her pastM

Scene 3 " Blanche’s birthday

dinner " she’s !ettin! older.

?itch finds out about her

past and it finally catches up

with her when >tanley winstheir latest battle.

7'sic " ‘blue piano’ "

>tanley " future.

‘varsouviana polka’ "

Blanche " past.

,rans"ort " Train "

>tanley " FutureTram " Blanche " past.

Past and

Present

,he $ight %etween $antas! and 8ealit!

Other characters deceiving themselves



Fant

asy

andReality

• The contrast between fantasy and reality is shown

throu!h the contrast between the main characters,

>tanley and Blanche.

• >tanley " modern man, blue piano, ' Blanche "

southern belle, varsouviana.

• The play culminates with >tanley !ainin! total control

over Blanche. Ceality ultimately triumphs over reality.

• The lantern is a representation of Blanche’s reliance on

fantasy to sustain herself. 8n >cene 88, when >tanley

rips off the lantern (another triumph for reality), Blanche

cries out ‘as if the lantern was herself ’.

• Abortive telephone calls also show Blanche’s reliance

on a fantasy " they are her ways of callin! to the

outside for help, and they dra! her into reality.

8easons %lanche deceives herself

• *er e1periences " the death of Alan,

loneliness as she cared for dyin!

relatives, loss of Belle Ceve.

• A!eJinsecurity ‘my looks are slippin!’.

• Loss of chivalric code " men no lon!er

respect her. ‘?en don’t " don’t even

admit your e1istence unless they are

makin! love to you " loneliness, and a

need for human contact.

Signs that %lanche deceives herself

• ‘?y ‘Cosenkavalier’ " creatin! a fantasy that

?itch is her white kni!ht.

• 3aper lantern @ ‘8 can’t stand a naked bulb’ "

her looks are fadin!, and so she can not see

herself in harsh li!ht.

• *er plan to escape, formed with ‘kleene1 and

an eyebrow pencil’ " she deceives herself

into believin! it is more than a superficial

fantasy.

• *er clothes " ‘not diamonds, but rhinestones

" ne1t door to !lass’.

• Bathin! " tryin! to make herself feel pure

a!ain, bathin! helps with this, but it is a

• >tella deceives herself. >he chooses not to

believe her sister "’8 couldn’t believe her and !o

on livin! with >tanleyM’

• >he reads ‘coloured comics’ " a childish

re!ression into a black and white fantasy world.

• >tanley deceives himself when he says ‘it’s

!onna be alri!ht a!ain between you and me, the

way that it wasM’ Thin!s can never !o back to

the way they were before.

• ?itch lets himself be deceived by Blanche about

his appearance and their connection’.

Signs tat %lanche deceives others

• Blanche wants ‘ma!ic’ and tells ‘what

ou!ht to be the truth’.

• ives ?itch the impression that she is

pure, but is really a cheap seductress

(promiscuous past) " e.!.. she ‘moves

indolently‘ ‘into the streak of li!ht’ so

that the men at >tanley’s poker ni!htmay see her chan!e clothes.

• Lies about >hep *untlei!h

• *er clothes are a deception " looks

fine, but are cheap rhinestone and fo1

fur, nothin! lu1urious.

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