Abstract This paper discusses two of the main characters in the Tennessee William's drama "A Streetcar Named Desire". This paper also discusses some of the sources available reviewing this play. The sources used provide excellent insight into the study of "Streetcar Named Desire" and into the playwright himself. The paper also reviews some of William's other works.
From the Paper "'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams has an interesting title that first attracted me to his play. After reading the first few lines, I found myself interested because the description of the setting had details that captured my attention further. Williams uses words such as "raffish charm" (Williams 1797) and "quaintly ornamented gables" (Williams 1797) that paint a picture of the section of New Orleans where the action starts. The action of the characters led to questions in my mind after I finished reading the play. This play raised many questions about the human spirit and the ways that people deal with situations that they face. The two sisters in the play, Blanche and Stella, were raised in similar circumstances. Why did these two sisters deal with life in ways that are so different? The relationship between Stella and her husband also presents important questions."
Abstract Williams's play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," is the story of the final decay of Blanche DuBois, a woman who fell from grace until finally losing her mind. This paper focuses on Blanche's lies and how Williams symbolized them in several different ways, including the use of light. It shows how, throughout the entire play, Tennessee Williams uses light to symbolize Blanche's deceptions as they differentiate from the actual truth that is slowly revealed.
From the Paper "A Streetcar Named Desire is a great play, where Tennessee Williams uses many different types of symbols and metaphors for other things in the play, and his usage of light to show Blanche DuBois' artificial realism was incredible. The way that each event in the story where Blanche was involved directly with lighting led up to a later important event in the story keeps the reader interested. Blanche's lies were eventually her undoing, if she had gone to visit her sister and been able to stand in the open light and face the truth about her life, she may have been married to Mitch. However she was scared of what she would see if stayed in the light, and more scared of what other people would see in her, so she hid in the metaphorical shadows created by Tennessee Williams and tried, unsuccessfully, to live in her false reality."
Tags: american, desire, light, literature, named, streetcar, sybolism, tennesse, williams
Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of Tennessee Williams "A Streetcar Named Desire", focusing on the character Blanche and what she symbolizes.
From the Paper "In A Street Car Named Desire, Tennessee Williams displays the character Blanche having many issues. She tells fibs to protect herself from being looked upon disapprovingly. But her secrets are unveiled when Stanley, Blanche's brother-in-law, bumps into a couple of Blanche's acquaintances. Blanche symbolizes all beautiful women who are insecure because they have something they cannot let go or hide from."
Abstract The paper discusses how the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams depicts sexuality and class struggles in relation to American society in the 1940s. By understanding the polar extremes of both Kowalski and Blanche, the paper explains that there is an irreconcilable difference between the two that result in tragedy. In this manner, the paper discusses that the theme of sexuality and class struggle is central to the importance of this play as it relates the honest intensity of life in America.
From the Paper "In this dramatic study, the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams will be analyzed to reflect the importance of sexual freedom and societal barriers that are broken down in this masterpiece. By accessing parts of the play, as well as critical views on sexual liberation in William's perspective, this play was important and innovative in depicting male/female relationships in the atmosphere of the 1940s theater. The play "A Streetcar Named Desire" became the basis for modern playwrights to formulate new opinions about sexual behaviors and how men and women interact. The difficulties associated with other romantic plays of this time period, relate the overly dramatic and unrealistic views of life for working class people."
Abstract In this article the writer analyzes the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams and notes that bathing and drunkenness are two common threads exposing sexual tension in the play. The writer points out that even the title of the play suggests the sexual tension between the characters. Further, the writer looks at the connections between desire and death as portrayed in the play. The writer maintains that it is as if Williams is telling us that from too much desire only death can come. The writer notes that Stanley, the most dead of all three characters becomes numb to his reactive behavior. The writer concludes that Stanley is trapped in his uncontrollable animalistic sexual desire destined to live like an animal surviving purely by instinct.
From the Paper "Stanley is a man's man--full of animal instinct and desire. He cannot control himself in any regard. Stanley cannot control his temper so he beats his pregnant wife. He can't sequester his passion for Blanche so he rapes her. He can't bare losing Stella so he screams for her at the top of his lungs proclaiming his need and love for her. Stanley is all about sexual desire--it rules and runs his life.
"Drunkenness and bathing are the soothsayers for Blanche and Stanley when their desires become overwhelming. Blanche uses a bath to soothe her nerves and to try and wash away her sexually promiscuous path."
Abstract A paper which examines the theme and structure of Tennessee Williams' influential play "A Streetcar Named Desire", and relates its development to the playwright's own history and to the times in which it was written. Its evolution from stage play to film was a singularly significant one, as by doing so it captured an enormous and highly receptive audience for Williams' message. It continues to be one of the most consistently revisited dramas of the twentieth century, on stage, remade as a film, as made-for-television movies, and even as opera. This paper explains both its historical significance and its seeming timelessness.
From the Paper "Williams drew heavily on his own experiences and his family;s problems as subject matter for his plays, while not specifically making the material autobiographical. He created original, distinctive characters, then placed them in a familiar setting: the South at a time when the antebellum aristocratic culture was fading and being replaced by a crude, vigorous, entrepreneurial society. His thematic structures were intrinsically tragic, and like Greek tragedy, the downfall of the protagonist is due to a tragic flaw, some form of hubris."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed look at "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams. The author of this paper takes us on a tour of the story and explains how each subsequent encounter between Stanley and Blanche leads to increased violence and antagonism.
Abstract This paper explains how, in Tennessee Williams's play, ?A Streetcar Named Desire?, Blanche Dubois gets what she deserves because she begins to believe the lies she told in order to uphold the illusion that she is still a pristine Southern belle. With a tarnished reputation, she arrives at her sister's apartment in New Orleans in the hopes that she will be able to escape the scandal she caused as a school teacher in Mississippi.
From the Paper "When Stella asks about Belle Reve, the plantation the Bubois family owned, Blanche decides to tell her that as more family members passed away, she claims she couldn't handle the financial depression. She had to let the Belle Reve go to pay for the funerals and processions that followed. However, she tells Stella's husband Stanley that it was her male ancestors that caused the lost of the plantation by stating, ?...our improvident grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornications--to put it plainly! The four-letter word deprived us of our plantation...?(Williams, 9)."
This paper looks at how the American Dream is represented in the opening scenes of Tennessee William's "A Streetcar Named Desire" through the content and initial impressions of the key characters.
953 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 0 sources, 2005, $ 33.95
Abstract This paper examines how in "A Streetcar Named Desire", the American Dream is contrastingly represented in two key characters: Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski, the latter holding Southern ideals and hoping for a life of privilege, comfort and protection; the former believing in a life characterised by toil, an impulsive and reckless sense of spontaneity, and eventual reward and success. It looks at how by adopting an intriguing setting in New Orleans, a series of crucial and symbolic minor characters, and a plot which slowly but meaningfully unravels itself, Tennessee Williams creates content for a screenplay which provides a fascinating interpretation of the American Dream.
From the Paper "Firstly, the characters of Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski provide a differing interpretation of the American Dream. Blanche was born and raised in the deep American South, into a world where her every need, wish and desire would be catered for. She would dwell in a lavish mansion with her family, receive a quality education, be waited upon by coloured servants, and, furthermore, would eventually marry an equally privileged young man who could provide for her the protection which she was accustomed to. This is not so much protection in a physical sense, but rather, the guardianship of her honour. This would involve preventing her from being exposed to cursing, abuse cruelty, and anything else that would seem improper in an upper class Southern society. "
Abstract This paper explains that, in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire", one of the most recurring images is the overpowering masculinity of the protagonist Stanley and how it pervades the atmosphere in Stella and Stanley's home, which is shown through dialogue, stage direction and description of the surroundings. The author points out that this masculinity serves to highlight the striking difference between Stanley and Blanche, a delicate remnant of the old ways of gentility and femininity and emphasizes not only the contrast between the primitive and the civilized, which is present throughout the play, but also the difference between the Old South and the New South, a difference that Blanche cannot accept. The paper relates that, in scene three, Stella and Stanley's relationship is without tenderness, only a raw feeling that manifests itself in anger or sex; their relationship is contrasted with Blanche and Mitch who calmly sit down to smoke on the steps, looking up at the night sky.
From the Paper "Scene three opens with a description of the surroundings during a poker night. The kitchen is bathed in a "lurid nocturnal brilliance, the raw colors of childhood's spectrum," (p. 2301). It is not an innocent child's scene, though; the amount of bright color in the room makes it look crude and garish. However, the mention of the colors as "childhood" colors could indicate the immaturity of the men, their childish way of acting during the night to come. The poker players are introduced, and they are described as wearing vividly colored shirts. These men are "at the peak of their physical manhood, as coarse and direct and powerful as the primary colors." These men are strong and powerful, and yet they have a childish aspect to them, in the ways they use this physical strength they possess. The hard alcohol, namely whisky, on the table also underlines the masculinity of these men."
Abstract This paper presents an exploration of the play, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams. The paper examines the play and its characters. The paper argues that one of the strongest themes of the play is loneliness, as can be seen in the actions of the character Blanche.
Outline:
Introduction
Overview
Conclusion
From the Paper "When she has one last chance at happiness, in Mitch she regales in the possibility(Williams pp). He needs her desperately and she needs to be needed. She longs to have somebody care if she is alive or dead and she needs someone to take care of as she believes it is her place to take care of a man. Everything comes crashing down for her however, when her past comes back to haunt her. She is left without Mitch's embrace or adoration and she knows it was the last chance she had to once again dance the loneliness away. She takes the final steps to insanity and gives up any hope of having a grasp on reality. "
A comparison of patriarchal behaviors in the historical period after World War II with those in modern times, as portrayed within the play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," by Tennessee Williams.
Abstract This paper analyzes the sexism of patriarchal behaviors that were present in the historical period after World War II. It then compares this how they have changed in modern times, as portrayed within the play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," written by Tennessee Williams. The paper analyzes the roles of both men and women in the play in order to examine patriarchal dominance.
From the Paper "A modern woman in the feminist perspective would certainly be offended at Stanley's 'lordly' patriarchal values, which would have the woman only be a servant to his domestic needs. The contrast in this scene with modernity in the roles between men and women would be defined through a feminist construct, enabling women to defy commands and overtly sexist demands that Stanley makes to Stella. In this manner, Stanley becomes the patriarchal figure that would not be tolerated in the 21st century, but within the context of the post World War II era, he is able to incite sexism and machismo in the cultural context of the returning soldiers and their behaviors toward women as objects for their servitude in the home. In this manner, the greatly contrasting choices that feminism brought in the 1970s until modern times has changed the way that women react toward sexist men, providing them with a choice to follow or reject these patriarchal behaviors that Stanley epitomizes in the play."
Abstract The paper discusses the self-destructive behaviors and illusions that lead to the downfall of Blanche Dubois, the main character in Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire". The paper then discusses how Blanche chose insanity so she would not have to deal with the harsh and brutal reality of her life. The paper conveys how she is a tragic character in a tragic story and she represents women who can never face the realities of their lives.
From the Paper "Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire" is filled with various symbols, literary elements, and techniques that carry special meaning and touch the reader's innermost thoughts. It places the reader in a particular historic time when society and a people used to coexist in different ways compared to today's attitudes. One of the most complex characters in the play, Blanche Dubois, experiences numerous incidents and has certain dynamics that solidify her tragic elements, such as leaving Belle Reve, losing her family house, losing a young husband to suicide, deaths of her family members, and these develop into dependence, desperation, superiority, and poverty."
Abstract The paper discusses how the greatest debate among critics of "A Streetcar Named Desire" may be about who the hero of the play is, Stanley or Blanche. The writer proposes that both are heroes and that the play is a classical tragedy. The paper explores how both Blanche and Stanley fit the pattern for a classical tragic hero. They both have goals, which they themselves compromise because of a tragic flaw. The writer argues that what is unique to "A Streetcar Named Desire" is that there are two heroes, rather than one. The paper examines how their two tragic flaws have to combine in order to create the downfall of each of the heroes.
From the Paper "Stanley conforms almost exactly to the idea of a tragic hero. Not only does he have a clearly defined goal, but that goal mirrors the goals of the heroes that have come before him. Stanley's goal is the preservation of his kingdom and protecting it from outside threats. Of course, Stanley's kingdom is somewhat smaller than other heroes in literature; rather than an empire, Stanley's kingdom is a two room walk-up apartment in New Orleans. In addition, rather than ruling over thousands of subjects, Stanley rules over Stella. Therefore, Blanche's threats to Stanley's kingdom take on an almost petty cast; she drinks his liquor and takes up too much space in his small apartment."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the relationships between Blanche, Stanley and Stella in "A Streetcar Named Desire". It shows that none of the relationships in the play were normal or healthy. In order, it examines the relationship between Blanche and Stella, the relationship between Blanche and Stanley, and the relationship between Stella and Stanley.
From the Paper "Blanche and Stella Dubois came from a well-to-do family. The sisters grew up on a plantation called Belle Reve. Stella had always been very self-absorbed and one day, she left the plantation behind and found her way to the city. She left Blanche to take care of the remaining family. All was well on the plantation until the depression hit and money was scarce, even for the rich. Blanche had to take care of an ailing family while she worked as a schoolteacher to make ends meet. She saw most of her family die and she resents Stella for not being there to help take care of everyone. She is angry with Stella for leaving her with all the responsibilities."
