Symbolic devices in A Streetcar named Desire

Universität Bayreuth
Fakultät für Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften

Sommersemester 2001
PS: American Drama Classics

Proseminararbeit zum Thema:

Symbolic Devices in A Streetcar named Desire

Kerstin Müller
2. Fachsemester
Bachelor Anglistik

Table of contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Symbolism 3

3. The names′ symbolic meaning 4
3.1. Blanche DuBois 4
3.2. Stella 5
3.3. Belle Reve 6
3.4. Desire, Cemeteries and Elysian Fields 7

4. The light as a symbol for truth and reality 8
4.1. Blanche′s aversion of light 9
4.2. Stanley′s affection for light 10

5. The use of color symbolism 10
5.1. Blanche′s symbolic colours 10
5.2. Stanley and his friends 11

6. Music as a symbol for emotions 12
6.1. The blue piano 12
6.2. The Varsouviana Polka 13

7. Animalistic images 14
7.1. Blanche′s connection to the moth 14
7.2. Stanley and his wild image 15

8. Conclusion 15

9. Works Cited 16



1. Introduction

A Streetcar named Desire was written in 1947 and was probably one of Tennessee Williams′ most successful plays. In all of his plays, he makes explicit use of symbols as a dramatic technique. He once said that symbolism is, "say(ing) a thing more directly and simply and beautifully than it could be said in words…sometimes it would take page after tedious page of exposition to put across and idea that can be said with an object or a gesture on the lighted page" (Jackson 26).
In this paper, some of the symbols used by Tennessee Williams shall be discussed. Since he makes excessive use of symbolism only the major ones shall be dealt with, but it shall be added that the distinction between major or minor importance lies in the perception of the author of this paper. The order of the symbols in this paper is not identical with the order of appearance in the play.

2. Symbolism

In literature, symbols are widely used by authors as a means of emphasising certain atmospheres and characteristic features of people and places.
A symbol is something that is itself and also stands for something else. All language is symbolic considering that letters form words which stand for particular objective realities. In a literary sense, a symbol combines a literal and sensuous quality with an abstract or suggestive aspect. A symbol is an image that evokes an objective, concrete reality and prompts that reality to suggest another level of meaning.
There are two broad types of symbols:
The first one includes those embodying universal suggestions of meaning, and the second one acquires its suggestiveness not from qualities inherent in itself but from the way in which it is used in a given work.
Symbols can therefore be regarded as visual complexes with two levels of meaning. The first level of meaning of a certain image is the pictura. The second level of meaning of a certain image is the subscriptio, which describes the reflection of the complex image of the pictura onto another complex image (Link 168).

3. The names′ symbolic meaning

3.1. Blanche DuBois

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