A Streetcar Named Desire
The exam
Spend 70 minutes on this section (10 mins planning)
You will be given a choice of two questions
You must write about two other scenes in the play
The focus will be on conflict of some sort
Aim to write about 3 sides of A4
AO1 (10 marks) - Terminology patterns - stylistic approach
AO2 (10 marks) - Writer's craft - narrative techniques - voice - why?
AO3 (15 marks) - Contextual factors - theories - production & reception - Williams’
background
Planning and Writing
QUESTION
Highlight the question focus and any key words
What is happening in the extract?
A Streetcar Named Desire 1
, Look for patterns - stage directions, kinesics, semantics, dialogue structure
Think about two other scenes that link to the extract
What context is there to explore? - Communication theories, Southern
Gothic, production and reception
INTRO
What has led to the conflict in the given extract?
To what extent is the play about (insert essay theme) ?
Highlight the other scenes you have chosen to write about - how do they
link?
Include any brief and relevant context
THINK WILLIAMS’ CRAFT
Paragraphs
Use a bigger quote at the start of the paragraph to prove the pattern, then
pick out individual words
Talk about given extract in one paragraph
Do another two paragraphs, one for each of the other scenes
Remember - how is Williams consciously crafting the play?
KEEP MENTIONING WILLIAMS & TALK ABOUT THE PLAY AS A WHOLE
(E.G., FORESHADOWING ETC)
No conclusion 😅
What to l👀k for:
patterns of epithets
motifs
foreshadowing
dramatic irony
condescending remark towards...
adjectives out of context (foregrounded)
theories (Goffman, Grice, Lakoff...)
plastic theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire 2