Explore the ways Williams portrays the rise of a new social order in A Streetcar
Named Desire
Possible arguments:
• incongruities between Blanche and her surroundings in the opening scene
• dramatic presentation of the confrontations between Blanche and Stanley
• Blanche as the faded Southern Belle
• Stanley as a representation of the American Dream
• significance and symbolism of Belle Reve
• symbolism of the birth of Stella’s baby
• significance of the setting in diverse New Orleans
• significance of setting in socially turbulent post-war period.
Into:
In A Streetcar Named Desire Williams centres the play in New Orleans – a “melting
pot” of culture and ethnicities in a time of social transition. The fall of the old south
and the rise of the new America that took place after the Second World War.
Adopting the view of a social drama makes it clear that Blanche symbolises the
outdated south and Stanley represents the bold but merciless new America.
Para 1:
Tennessee presents the old south as having no place in a post-war society through
Blanches entrance.
“incongruous”
“white suit” vs “warm (…) brown river with their faint redolence of banana and coffee”
Personification = life into New Orleans
olfactory imagery aids this creation of a working-class scene = audience to feel more
connected to the setting
“white” = pure + innocence = characteristics of sourthen belle
Named Desire
Possible arguments:
• incongruities between Blanche and her surroundings in the opening scene
• dramatic presentation of the confrontations between Blanche and Stanley
• Blanche as the faded Southern Belle
• Stanley as a representation of the American Dream
• significance and symbolism of Belle Reve
• symbolism of the birth of Stella’s baby
• significance of the setting in diverse New Orleans
• significance of setting in socially turbulent post-war period.
Into:
In A Streetcar Named Desire Williams centres the play in New Orleans – a “melting
pot” of culture and ethnicities in a time of social transition. The fall of the old south
and the rise of the new America that took place after the Second World War.
Adopting the view of a social drama makes it clear that Blanche symbolises the
outdated south and Stanley represents the bold but merciless new America.
Para 1:
Tennessee presents the old south as having no place in a post-war society through
Blanches entrance.
“incongruous”
“white suit” vs “warm (…) brown river with their faint redolence of banana and coffee”
Personification = life into New Orleans
olfactory imagery aids this creation of a working-class scene = audience to feel more
connected to the setting
“white” = pure + innocence = characteristics of sourthen belle
