"A Streetcar Named Desire" is a play that was written by famous American playwright Tennessee Williams in 1947. The play received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama the next year after it was written. The play opened on December 3, 1947 on Broadway and was closed on December 17, 1949 in the Ethel Barrymore Theater. The Broadway production stares Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden and Jessica Tandy and was directed by Elia Kazan.
The story was set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the years that followed World War II. It is a story of Blanche DuBois who is a fragile and disturbed lady who is on a desperate search for a place to call her own. After being exiles from her hometown in Mississippi for seducing a teenage boy at school where she was an English teacher, she appears on the doorstep of her sister’s home in New Orleans to live with her and her husband Stanley.
At the beginning of the play, Williams introduces three terms in which do not reveal their symbolic meaning directly but along the play, the audience will come to realize in their own sense the importance of these terms. In the first scene Blanche describes to her friend Eunice her journey of how she came to her sister’s place. as quoted in the play, Blanche said, “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields” (Williams, 2000, pg. 117).
The “streetcar” refers to her journey to New Orleans and it represents her own life. Still struggling with the loss of her husband, “desire” would be her first step in a new life. She is in desperate need of love, but she ended up leading a life where she would have sex with random men who never cared about her. This promiscuous lifestyle of hers will lead her to trouble and thus “cemeteries” will represent death.
Table of Contents
- A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche DuBois' Downfall
- The Story
- Blanche's Character
- Blanche's Downfall
- Symbolism in the Play
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This play explores the tragic downfall of Blanche DuBois, a fragile and disturbed woman seeking refuge in her sister's home in New Orleans. The play delves into themes of delusion, self-destruction, and the clash between past and present.
- The destructive nature of denial and delusion
- The impact of trauma and loss on mental health
- The conflict between individual desires and societal expectations
- The power of societal forces and external pressures
- The complexities of human relationships and the fragility of love
Chapter Summaries
- A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche DuBois' Downfall: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the play, introducing the main character, Blanche DuBois, and outlining the play's central themes. It also provides historical context, highlighting the play's setting in the French Quarter of New Orleans following World War II.
- The Story: This chapter delves into the narrative of the play, focusing on Blanche's journey to New Orleans and her interactions with her sister, Stella, and her husband, Stanley. It explores Blanche's past traumas and her attempts to escape her painful reality through delusion and fantasy.
- Blanche's Character: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of Blanche's character, highlighting her complexities, vulnerabilities, and her struggles with mental health. It examines her past experiences, her coping mechanisms, and the factors that contribute to her downfall.
- Blanche's Downfall: This chapter focuses on the events that lead to Blanche's tragic demise, including her troubled relationships with Allan Gray and Stanley Kowalski. It explores the role of external forces and internal conflicts in her psychological breakdown.
- Symbolism in the Play: This chapter examines the various symbols employed in the play to enhance the audience's understanding of Blanche's character and the play's themes. It analyzes the significance of the play's title, the streetcar, the lantern, and the shadows.
Keywords
The play explores themes of delusion, self-destruction, and the clash between past and present. It examines the impact of trauma and loss on mental health, the destructive nature of denial and delusion, and the complexities of human relationships. Key concepts include the characters of Blanche DuBois, Stanley Kowalski, and Stella Kowalski, and the play's symbolic elements, such as the streetcar, the lantern, and the shadows.
- Quote paper
- Jelan Alano (Author), 2015, Essay on Literature into Film. "A Streetcar Named Desire" from Tennessee Williams, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/302517
