Then & Now Style A Streetcar Named Desire Although A Streetcar Named Desire is considered modern American literature, the world was a very different place in How was it different??? 1947 The Soviet Union seizes Hungary. Anti-Communist sentiment builds in the U.S. The Truman Doctrine announces plans to aid Greece and Turkey and proposes economic aid to countries threatened by Communist takeover. Congress authorizes the CIA to thwart Soviet efforts to establish local Communist parties in Western Europe. Today Communism has all but broken down since the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Revolutions in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and East Germany, as well as the break-up of the Soviet Union have eliminated many of the barriers between East and West. Eastern European countries are now undergoing a slow and difficult transformation to a market economy. 1947 New technology: the first commercial microwave oven is introduced by the Raytheon Co. of Waltham, Massachusetts. Tubeless automobile tires, which seal themselves when punctured, are introduced by B.F. Goodrich. Howard Hughes' new seaplane, the Spruce Goose, the largest plane ever built, takes off for a one-mile flight across Long Beach Harbor before it is retired for good. Today Most American homes have a microwave, as well as toasters, coffee makers, freezers, and numerous other examples of electrical gadgetry. Cars are commonplace but their emissions, along with those from airplanes and heavy industry, contribute to the global problem of pollution. 1947 New consumable goods appear as America begins to recover from the effects of the Second World War. Frozen orange juice concentrate sales in the U.S. reach seven million cans. Redi-Whip introduces whipped cream in aerosol cans. Sugar rationing ends. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is marketed for the first time, and butylated hydroxyamsole (BHA) is introduced commercially to retard spoilage in foods. Today Annual sales of convenience food reach new heights every year. Processed and "fast" food is readily available to Americans; consumers who maintain unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles significantly increase their risk of contracting heart disease and cancer. Additives are common in food and new developments, such as genetically engineered foods, continue to make headlines. STYLE in Streetcar Scenes Motifs Music Scenes Division into scenes rather than acts is the most striking structural element. Each of the eleven scenes that make up the play ends in a dramatic climax. The audience focuses on the emotions and actions of Blanchethe only character to appear in every scene. Since we know Blanches inner thoughts and motivations, we are sympathetic to herwe pity her. Note the dramatic irony that only the audience knows how much alcohol she is drinking. Our sense of tragedy is heightened by the organization of the scenes. We can see Blanches destruction coming. Her destruction is inevitable, and we await her final breakdown. This structure may be an indication of Williams growing interest in film. Using cinematography, it is possible to combine several visually dramatic incidents into a coherent experience using camera angle, composition, continuity and close-up. Motifs Williams repeats dramatic motifs and details of the setting during the play to signal changes in mood and tone and highlight the themes. This connects the separate incidents of Blanches story. The streetcar is a motif that signifies the growth of the suburbs, the urbanization of the play, and the unrelenting and unforgiving continuation of life itself. To arrive at Stella's apartment in New Orleans, Blanche must transfer from a streetcar called Desire to one called Cemeteries in order to get to the slum known as Elysian Fields. Their careful combination introduces the themes of death and desire that resonate through the play. An element of the play which is always heard rather than seen, the streetcar nonetheless adds much to the mood of the play and is a continual but subtle reminder of the play's setting. Music Music is an important part of the stagecraft of the play. Music is an important part of the stagecraft of the play. Two kinds of music dominate: the blue piano and the polka called the Varsouviana. Two kinds of music dominate: the blue piano and the polka called the Varsouviana. The blue piano denotes the blues that developed into the signature music of New Orleans' bars and night clubs. The blue piano denotes the blues that developed into the signature music of New Orleans' bars and night clubs. It suggests unrestrained physical pleasure, animal strength and vitality. It suggests unrestrained physical pleasure, animal strength and vitality. It is used during significant emotional moments such as when Blanche tells of the loss of Belle Reve and when she hears about Stella's pregnancy. It is used during significant emotional moments such as when Blanche tells of the loss of Belle Reve and when she hears about Stella's pregnancy. It is also heard during moments of leisure, when people are drinking and having fun. The complexity and depth of the blues, however, allows it to be used during darker moments of the play too. Blue piano is used during the rape scene to signify animal desires. It is also used at the end of the play when Stanley is consoling Stella to help her forget about Blanche. In contrast to blue piano, the polka known as the Varsouviana is heard throughout the playbut only by Blanche. It signals crucial moments in the development of the plot. The audience can anticipate imminent disaster once we realize that the Varsouviana reminds Blanche of the scene in the ballroom when she denounced her husband. This polka also accompanies moments of cruelty, like Stanley's gift to Blanche of a bus- ticket back home. Both kinds of music represent the situation being played out on stage. The music is used to represent the past lives of the characters and the present cultural context of New Orleans. Sources NOPSI Transfers & Photos. Digital image. Google Images. LIFE. Web. 1 Feb enotes.com. A Streetcar Named Desire. Summary and Study Guide, enotes.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Jan The Byelorussian Soviet Republic: Digital image. Google Images. The Infomercantile.com. Web. 1 Feb Nordic Winter Trac. Digital image. Google Images Harts Picks. Web. 1 Feb Nostalgic Dessert: Homemade Creamsicles. Digital image. Google Images. Yumsugar.com. Web. 1 Feb Singing the Blues. Digital image. Google Images. Around the Edges. Web. 1 Feb Varsouviana. Digital image. Google Images. BandCamp. Web. 1 Feb Gentlemen, May the Force Be with You. Digital image. Google Images. The Chief. Web. 1 Feb New Orleans Put on Your Walking Shoes. Digital image. Google Images. IgoUgo. Web. 1 Feb Music Symbol. Digital image. Google Images. Dreamstime.com. Web. 1 Feb