A Streetcar Named Desire Quote Bank
Structure of the play:
It is chronological with a short time frame:
There are 11 scenes that occur in chronological order which is fairly unconventional
It is episodic:
The play is episodic as it shows the different episodes in Blanche's life and downfall and the episodes of
Blanche's and Stanley's increasingly tense relationship. The relationship therefore mirrors the destruction
of Blanche
However, there are no acts, only scenes. This means that there is a lack of closure between different
moments, making the play more continuous, and adding to the theme of claustrophobia; there is no pause
in Blanche's mental decline or the rapidly advancing and changing social order in New Orleans
It roughly follows the three unities:
There are also no subplots; It focuses on the central protagonists- it starts and ends with Blanches arrival
and departure showing how quickly the toxic environment of the Kowalski household could damage her
It is all set within the apartment, making it claustrophobic, mimicking Blanche's unavoidable and
inevitable mental downfall
It doesn’t take place within 24 hours; however, the scenes are short and it does take place only over a
matter of months, making it an unconventionally short time frame for a play, showing the rapid escalation of
Blanche's mental downfall and violence
Step by step structure:
The introduction- scene one. Introduces New Orleans, the music, the shouting. Blanche is incongruous. Introduces
Blanche the protagonist, and Stella and Stanley as having a sexually centred relationship
The rising action/ complication- set in motion by an exciting force, could be Blanche moving in and disrupting Stella
and Stanley's way of life
Turning point/ climax/ crisis- this is the turning point, where opposing forces that create conflict interlock, and the
plot turns. Blanche's fate is almost seen as inevitable and unavoidable, as from the outset she is presented as frantic,
chaotic and instable. However, a turning point is definitely the polka scene; it is the only one that is named, and from
this point Blanche's downfall increasingly worsens. Although she is fatally flawed, this is a pinnacle moment where
the violence heightens. A turning point is also when the paper lantern is ripped away; as it is a moment of exposure
for Blanche which is what she has been avoiding for the entirety of the play. This triggers her downfall. Another
breaking point is when Stanley exposes Blanche in terms of her past, as there was perhaps some hope that she
would have been happy with Mitch, which Stanley then ruins as he exposes her truth.
Falling action/ catastases- the rape scene, the pinnacle of violence and the point from which there is no return for
Blanche
Catastrophe/ denouement- means 'to untie a knot', the pinnacle is when Blanche gets taken away; she has become
fully undone
Structure of the play:
It is chronological with a short time frame:
There are 11 scenes that occur in chronological order which is fairly unconventional
It is episodic:
The play is episodic as it shows the different episodes in Blanche's life and downfall and the episodes of
Blanche's and Stanley's increasingly tense relationship. The relationship therefore mirrors the destruction
of Blanche
However, there are no acts, only scenes. This means that there is a lack of closure between different
moments, making the play more continuous, and adding to the theme of claustrophobia; there is no pause
in Blanche's mental decline or the rapidly advancing and changing social order in New Orleans
It roughly follows the three unities:
There are also no subplots; It focuses on the central protagonists- it starts and ends with Blanches arrival
and departure showing how quickly the toxic environment of the Kowalski household could damage her
It is all set within the apartment, making it claustrophobic, mimicking Blanche's unavoidable and
inevitable mental downfall
It doesn’t take place within 24 hours; however, the scenes are short and it does take place only over a
matter of months, making it an unconventionally short time frame for a play, showing the rapid escalation of
Blanche's mental downfall and violence
Step by step structure:
The introduction- scene one. Introduces New Orleans, the music, the shouting. Blanche is incongruous. Introduces
Blanche the protagonist, and Stella and Stanley as having a sexually centred relationship
The rising action/ complication- set in motion by an exciting force, could be Blanche moving in and disrupting Stella
and Stanley's way of life
Turning point/ climax/ crisis- this is the turning point, where opposing forces that create conflict interlock, and the
plot turns. Blanche's fate is almost seen as inevitable and unavoidable, as from the outset she is presented as frantic,
chaotic and instable. However, a turning point is definitely the polka scene; it is the only one that is named, and from
this point Blanche's downfall increasingly worsens. Although she is fatally flawed, this is a pinnacle moment where
the violence heightens. A turning point is also when the paper lantern is ripped away; as it is a moment of exposure
for Blanche which is what she has been avoiding for the entirety of the play. This triggers her downfall. Another
breaking point is when Stanley exposes Blanche in terms of her past, as there was perhaps some hope that she
would have been happy with Mitch, which Stanley then ruins as he exposes her truth.
Falling action/ catastases- the rape scene, the pinnacle of violence and the point from which there is no return for
Blanche
Catastrophe/ denouement- means 'to untie a knot', the pinnacle is when Blanche gets taken away; she has become
fully undone
