A Streetcar Named Desire: Themes of Death and Desire
Summary:
Analyzes the Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire. Explores the themes of death and desire contained in the American classic and examines Williams's use of narrative devices to facilitate character development.
Williams uses many forms of expression such as light, sexual undertones, setting and actions to display the characters of the play and their personalities. Elysian Fields is a poor, jaunty suburb in New Orleans yet the perfect setting for this play. It is full of diversity, culture and is very vibrant. It embellishes the view of Blanche on Stella situation and the laid back style of Stanley's generation as well as the characters themselves.
When this play begins, Blanche is already viewed as a fallen woman in society's eyes. Her family is gone, as well as her estate and fortune. She aspires for people to see herself as gentile and a proper lady and she tries to cover up her past and drinking habits but this is done without care and they leak through. She also lives in panic of her beauty fading and wants to be seen as youthful and attractive. This is demonstrated through her fear of direct, bright light and she covers the exposed light globe in the Kowalski household with a Chinese lantern to hide her fading beauty. Blanches drinking suggests her attempts to escape reality and she becomes hysterical and unlike herself while under the influence of alcohol. One of these escapes enables her to take a flight if imagination, in this case plotting a getaway involving Shep Huntley. Blanche is a very complex character with many things to hide and who the real Blanche is hidden beneath layers of the Blanche she wants to become.
Stanley possesses an animalistic drive that is evident through out the first four scenes. Williams first introduces him into the play with him throwing a package of meat at Stella. This signifies the hunter coming back from the kill with meat but also contains sexual innuendo behind this gesture. Stanley is stating the sexual ownership he has over her, Stella catching the meat shows her return of sexual infatuation with Stanley. Stanley is usually wearing or associated with gaudy colours, linked with passion and vitality. He is a man with a love of life and a passion for his wife. He is seen as bold, assertive and is arrogant but this also leads to his destructive behaviour, as seen in scene three when he hits Stella. He also lacks the ability to express his emotions other than through violence and passion for Stella as also seen in scene three. Stanley has mixed attitudes towards Blanche and sees her as a liar, but is proven wrong, contributing to is arrogance and ignorance. He also senses that Blanche is infatuated with him, and is correct. She displays flirty characteristics in scene two when she playfully sprays Stanley with perfume. But Stanley is devoted to his wife and tries not to get 'ideas' about Blanche, showing his loyalty and passion towards Stella.
Williams describes Stella as 'a gentle young woman" and that is exactly what she is. Stella is displayed as the loving, caring passionate wife as well as very conservative and from a different upbringing than Stanley. She shows this through her displays of passion towards Stanley and her quick forgiveness of his outbursts but also has underlying sophistication but views everyone as equal. "He was good as a lamb when he cam back and he's really very ashamed of himself." This shows Stella's devoted love for her husband. Stella is a quiet gentile woman who is helplessly devoted to her husband.
All of the characters and their views, emotions and personalties are displayed through Williams use of setting and various other themes, contributing to a greater understanding of the play.
This is the complete article, containing 596 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
