A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 1
How Williams depicts ‘tender blue…invests the scene with a kind of lyricism…[which]
the nature of New attenuates the atmosphere of decay’-, Williams almost
romanticises the neighbourhood with this affectionate
Orleans with his
description- although poor, it is an area of culture with an ‘easy
detailed stage intermingling of races’.
directions. Context: why ‘the music of Negro entertainers’, ‘blue piano’- signs of the
did he choose to live culture of the period, vibrant- giving setting an almost dreamy
there in 1938? quality.
The scene begins with two minor female characters chatting-
one black and the other white. This interaction demonstrates
the casual acceptance of diversity in New Orleans.
In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields are the final resting place
of the heroic and virtuous. The street name is both a literal
street in New Orleans and a symbolic resting place. This is
perhaps ironic perhaps because by the end of the play, Stanley
wins the battle between him and Blanche, almost taking
dominance over Elysian fields, banishing Blanche away. Instead
of being a 'resting place', it will lead to the downfall of her
character. Williams traces her progression in the play from
desire to destruction and death.
Williams chose to move to New Orleans due to its diversity and
liberal/tolerant attitude towards sexuality/race etc.
Ways in which Stanley’s ‘he heaves the package at her’ and exclamation ‘Meat!’-
swaggering vitality is symbolic of Stanley’s masculinity and sexuality- metaphorical for
the way he is sexually dominant, hurling himself at Stella and she
suggested.
accepts this: ‘she laughs breathlessly’. Also his entrance with a
pack of meat demonstrated his more primitive nature - almost
as if he is returning from a hunt. His masculinity and sexuality is
perhaps metaphorical for his sexually dominant nature,
demonstrated through his interactions with Stella. Stanley yells
'catch' as he tosses the package, and the other characters there
see something sexual and scandalous in this action of him
tossing the meat to the breathlessly delighted Stella.
Stanley is ready to assert his manhood now he has returned
from fighting in the war, meaning that he is bestial and brutish -
descriptions which an audience would be able to see from his
physical movements.
Stella describes the impact which his overbearing masculine
nature has on her- when he’s away she goes ‘wild’ (which
maybe links back to these ideas of his animalistic aggression)
and when he returns, she cries ‘on his lap like a baby’- we
understand her dependence upon him from the beginning
(linking to submissive role of women at this time, both Stella and
Blanche encapsulate this idea). This description really
demonstrates the power dynamic between the couple.
‘STANLEY (bellowing): Hey, there! Stella, Baby!’ — the
‘bellowing’ suggests an almost boisterous tone to Stanley, and
with this tone directed towards his wife portrays him to be quite
brutal and offers a harsher view of him as a man controlled by
almost natural instincts.
, ‘…with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird’, ‘…
bears his emblem of the gaudy seed-bearer’ and ‘he sizes
women up in a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images
flashing into his mind’. These all present his sexual and
masculine dominance over not only females but other males
too. These descriptions link Stanley to that of a brute with
aggressive and animalistic force, as well as portraying
masculinity to be based on carnal lust as he objectifies women
with a sense of self importance.
Stanley’s brute strength is emphasised throughout the first
scene, and he often asserts dominance aggressively through
loud actions and violence, e.g ‘Stanley throws the screen door
of the kitchen open’ to which Blanche draws ‘involuntarily
back’.
Stanley is shown to assert his masculinity physically as well as
psychologically — physically, he bellows at Stella and is
continuously loud, and emotionally interferes with Blanche, e.g.
towards the end of the first scene he picks at Blanche’s past
which causes her to feel ill and the atmosphere to feel more
tense at his questioning with the music now ‘faint in the
distance’.
Stanley finds every opportunity to assert his physical dominance
and masculinity- ‘he starts to remove his shirt.’
Williams make his swaggering vitality known through the stage
directions, which highlight how ‘since earliest manhood the
centre of his life has been pleasure with women…with the
power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens.’
How Williams Blanche arrives at New Orleans on the streetcar named desire-
establishes the her journey is both literal and allegorical. She has ridden Desire
to the end of the line and has hit rock bottom before arriving
character of Blanche on
here.
her first appearance on ‘incongruous’ to her environment- does not fit in with the
stage. Comment on the society of New Orleans- represents different values and
name Blanche DuBois considers herself to be above her surroundings. lives she was
and its possible also shocked when she realised her sister lived in such a poor
significance. area compared to where the grew up in the Belle Reve.
‘a moth’- delicate/fragile, but drawn to danger, perhaps this
image also links to how she is a pest especially upon Stanley and
is unwanted in New Orleans. A moth also seeks light and
warmth and even gets burned in the process- just as a moth is
scorched by contact with a bulb, her illusions are destroyed in
the bright light of truth that Stanley and Mitch force her into.
‘her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light.’- it is as if she
hides in the shadows, perhaps avoiding others revealing her true
nature. We later find this is because she lies about her age.
Blanche appears in "her white clothes" -symbolises innocence
and purity.
Blanche DuBois is a French name translating to "white woods"-
again white symbolising purity and innocence which is ironic and
contrasting to her character. "woods" could potentially link to
the idea of getting lost. Blanche's character is partly based on
Williams' sister who suffered with schizophrenia and in the
How Williams depicts ‘tender blue…invests the scene with a kind of lyricism…[which]
the nature of New attenuates the atmosphere of decay’-, Williams almost
romanticises the neighbourhood with this affectionate
Orleans with his
description- although poor, it is an area of culture with an ‘easy
detailed stage intermingling of races’.
directions. Context: why ‘the music of Negro entertainers’, ‘blue piano’- signs of the
did he choose to live culture of the period, vibrant- giving setting an almost dreamy
there in 1938? quality.
The scene begins with two minor female characters chatting-
one black and the other white. This interaction demonstrates
the casual acceptance of diversity in New Orleans.
In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields are the final resting place
of the heroic and virtuous. The street name is both a literal
street in New Orleans and a symbolic resting place. This is
perhaps ironic perhaps because by the end of the play, Stanley
wins the battle between him and Blanche, almost taking
dominance over Elysian fields, banishing Blanche away. Instead
of being a 'resting place', it will lead to the downfall of her
character. Williams traces her progression in the play from
desire to destruction and death.
Williams chose to move to New Orleans due to its diversity and
liberal/tolerant attitude towards sexuality/race etc.
Ways in which Stanley’s ‘he heaves the package at her’ and exclamation ‘Meat!’-
swaggering vitality is symbolic of Stanley’s masculinity and sexuality- metaphorical for
the way he is sexually dominant, hurling himself at Stella and she
suggested.
accepts this: ‘she laughs breathlessly’. Also his entrance with a
pack of meat demonstrated his more primitive nature - almost
as if he is returning from a hunt. His masculinity and sexuality is
perhaps metaphorical for his sexually dominant nature,
demonstrated through his interactions with Stella. Stanley yells
'catch' as he tosses the package, and the other characters there
see something sexual and scandalous in this action of him
tossing the meat to the breathlessly delighted Stella.
Stanley is ready to assert his manhood now he has returned
from fighting in the war, meaning that he is bestial and brutish -
descriptions which an audience would be able to see from his
physical movements.
Stella describes the impact which his overbearing masculine
nature has on her- when he’s away she goes ‘wild’ (which
maybe links back to these ideas of his animalistic aggression)
and when he returns, she cries ‘on his lap like a baby’- we
understand her dependence upon him from the beginning
(linking to submissive role of women at this time, both Stella and
Blanche encapsulate this idea). This description really
demonstrates the power dynamic between the couple.
‘STANLEY (bellowing): Hey, there! Stella, Baby!’ — the
‘bellowing’ suggests an almost boisterous tone to Stanley, and
with this tone directed towards his wife portrays him to be quite
brutal and offers a harsher view of him as a man controlled by
almost natural instincts.
, ‘…with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird’, ‘…
bears his emblem of the gaudy seed-bearer’ and ‘he sizes
women up in a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images
flashing into his mind’. These all present his sexual and
masculine dominance over not only females but other males
too. These descriptions link Stanley to that of a brute with
aggressive and animalistic force, as well as portraying
masculinity to be based on carnal lust as he objectifies women
with a sense of self importance.
Stanley’s brute strength is emphasised throughout the first
scene, and he often asserts dominance aggressively through
loud actions and violence, e.g ‘Stanley throws the screen door
of the kitchen open’ to which Blanche draws ‘involuntarily
back’.
Stanley is shown to assert his masculinity physically as well as
psychologically — physically, he bellows at Stella and is
continuously loud, and emotionally interferes with Blanche, e.g.
towards the end of the first scene he picks at Blanche’s past
which causes her to feel ill and the atmosphere to feel more
tense at his questioning with the music now ‘faint in the
distance’.
Stanley finds every opportunity to assert his physical dominance
and masculinity- ‘he starts to remove his shirt.’
Williams make his swaggering vitality known through the stage
directions, which highlight how ‘since earliest manhood the
centre of his life has been pleasure with women…with the
power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens.’
How Williams Blanche arrives at New Orleans on the streetcar named desire-
establishes the her journey is both literal and allegorical. She has ridden Desire
to the end of the line and has hit rock bottom before arriving
character of Blanche on
here.
her first appearance on ‘incongruous’ to her environment- does not fit in with the
stage. Comment on the society of New Orleans- represents different values and
name Blanche DuBois considers herself to be above her surroundings. lives she was
and its possible also shocked when she realised her sister lived in such a poor
significance. area compared to where the grew up in the Belle Reve.
‘a moth’- delicate/fragile, but drawn to danger, perhaps this
image also links to how she is a pest especially upon Stanley and
is unwanted in New Orleans. A moth also seeks light and
warmth and even gets burned in the process- just as a moth is
scorched by contact with a bulb, her illusions are destroyed in
the bright light of truth that Stanley and Mitch force her into.
‘her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light.’- it is as if she
hides in the shadows, perhaps avoiding others revealing her true
nature. We later find this is because she lies about her age.
Blanche appears in "her white clothes" -symbolises innocence
and purity.
Blanche DuBois is a French name translating to "white woods"-
again white symbolising purity and innocence which is ironic and
contrasting to her character. "woods" could potentially link to
the idea of getting lost. Blanche's character is partly based on
Williams' sister who suffered with schizophrenia and in the
