A Streetcar Named Desire
Assessment objectives
1 - presentation of argument
2- quote analysis
3- context
Intro
‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a post World War 2 tragedy, in which Williams presents the downfall
of Blanche. Blanche’s hamartia is her inability to adapt to the new world and the sexual escapades
of her past.
What is the main point of A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire presents a sharp critique of the way the institutions and attitudes of
postwar America placed restrictions on women's lives. Williams uses Blanche's and Stella's
dependence on men to expose and critique the treatment of women during the transition from the
old to the new South.
Scene by scene summary
Scene 1 – Blanche arrives
Scene 2 – Blanche bathes, more talk of Belle reave, Stella is revealed to be pregnant
Scene 3- poker night
Scene 4- blanche and Stella talk as Stanley listens
Scene 5- she meets a young boy , domestic talk
Scene 6- Blanche and Mitch go on a date – can I uh kiss you, her dead husband and his dead wife
are revealed
Scene 7- blanches birthday, she receives the ticket back to Lorrel and finds out that Mitch has
abandoned her
Scene 8- Stanley and Stella talk about Blanche – I pulled you down off those columns… wasn’t it
great until she got here
Scene 9 – altercation with Mitch
Scene 10 – blanches rape
Scene 11- Blanche is taken away
Why is Streetcar Named Desire a tragedy?
Blanches tragic flaw is that she cannot adapt to the new world
+
She defies norms of femininity - her sexuality and promiscuity - she’s not a wife nor a mother
Broadly speaking, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' certainly fits the prescriptions of a modern tragedy, not
least as it contains several complex themes such as alienation, entrapment and the struggle between
fantasy and reality.
Title - A Streetcar Named Desire
Metaphorical - desire is like a vehicle that drives actions that eventually lead to a character's
downfall.
Setting
, Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The year is 1947—the same year in which the play
was written. All of the action of "A Streetcar Named Desire" takes place on the first floor of a
two-bedroom apartment.
Early May
Play Structure
One-Act, Eleven Scenes:
The play is composed of eleven scenes, each ending with a punchline or dramatic gesture, creating a
sense of individual playlets within the larger structure.
No Interval:
Unlike traditional three-act plays, "A Streetcar Named Desire" has no intermission, further
emphasising the continuous flow of events.
Timeframe:
The play spans a period of several months, with the first six scenes taking place in May, setting the
stage for the events that unfold in September.
Clustering of Events:
The dramatic events are clustered in two groups: the first six scenes in May, and then scenes seven to
ten, which all occur within one day in September.
Final Scene:
The final scene follows a few weeks after the events of scenes seven to ten, showing the outcome of
the events
Climax:
The climax of the play, which is the downfall of Blanche, occurs at the close of the last scene of the
second cluster (Scene Ten).
Themes:
Death
Desire
Family
Violence
Control
Gender
Marriage
Masculinity vs femininity
Alienation
Entrapment
The struggle between fantasy and reality.
Realism vs Expressionism – important
movements
Realism and Expressionism are distinct art movements with opposing approaches to depicting reality
Williams is influenced by realism and expressionism and combines theses movements in order to
demonstrate real life experience in a more penetrating and vivid way.
Realism
Is a style of theatre which attempts to portray reality as closely as possible. Realism has been popular
&-dominant in theatre since the end of the 19C.
Williams is influenced by this
,He explores the nitty gritty of life like abuse and relationships
Props
Acting style in most of the characters – however Blanche subverts this she is expressionistic and old
fashioned
Expressionism
Is an art movement dating from 1920's especially in drama and painting.
Expressionism strives for expression of the artist's subjective, emotional responses to objects and
events, rather than their objective representation.
Blanche is the only expressionistic speaker
Other aspects are the plastic theatre – lighting, blue piano, varsionia polka, Locomotive
Poetic realism
TW attaches great emphasis to the poetic quality of his drama and contributes to the development
of the dramatic form: poetic realism. He does this by injecting the elements and spirit of poetry into
every aspect of his drama such as characterisation language, theatrical devices and symbolism.
Poetic/ metaphorical language specifically in the stage directions which is uncommon
Plastic theatre
TWs particular version of expressionism & poetic realism is known as 'plastic theatre’. He coined this
phrase himself.
Context
Written and set in 1947
Post world war 2 tragedy
Domestic tragedy
It is evident that negative experiences fueled much of William's writing. All the above life events
and relationships are represented through the main characters in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Williams struggled with loneliness, alcoholism and depression, and depicted them in his work.
Setting
New Orlean – relaxed, melting pot, port, cosmopolitan, contrasts plantation culture
Plantation culture
Blanche is stuck in the past plantation culture has crumbled and so will she
Civil war
80 years after the civil war – the shadow still remains
Stanley represents the north
Blanche is the old south – it declined because the north had more technological
advancements in the civil war
Tennessee William’s background
Working class
Lobotomised sister
Father issues – he represents Stanley
Gay
Personal connections to the civil war
Grew up around women - Many of his female characters reflects his psyche
, Masculinity and femininity
Feminist was frowned upon in the 1950s this influenced misogyny and the isolation/ conflict
felt by the characters
Stage Craft
Plastic Theatre Plastic theatre utilises props, sound, stage direction, and costume to
present poetic truths through symbolism. It is not intended to be
realistic, but symbolic - convey a character's perception of the world
Plastic theatre was used to achieve what?
To achieve the portrayal of psychological reality, which was desired by
1940s audiences after they had lived through the psychological traumas
of the Great Depression in the 1930s and the Second World War.
Williams criticised those who show ‘a lack of respect for the extra-
verbal or non-literary elements of the theatre, the various plastic
elements, the purely visual things such as light and movement and
colour and design, which play, for example, such a tremendously
important part in theatre… and which are as much a native part of
drama as words and ideas are.’
Lighting
Paper lantern Paper lantern demonstrates Blanche's attempt to mask her past and present
and moon appearance
Only a temporary solution, that can be ripped off at any moment.
"I don't want realism, I only want magic!"
“I just realised I’ve never had a proper look at you”
“Is this what you’re forgetting?” *rips off paper lantern*
Paper world cloaking reality appears in the song paper moon
Light Light represented the truth and reality.
Blanche preferred the dark and covered light with lanterns to dim them
Light is also a motif. Blanche always appear in a dim light: she puts a paper
lantern over the naked light bulb in the kitchen, and when she sees Mitch she
only lights on a candle. What does this show?
Light is almost aggressive to Blanche's fragile beauty, and we learn that
darkness is "comforting" to her - she can protect herself behind the screen of
darkness.
“put a paper lantern over the light..."
Sound
Blue piano - 'the spirit of life' in the setting.
Assessment objectives
1 - presentation of argument
2- quote analysis
3- context
Intro
‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a post World War 2 tragedy, in which Williams presents the downfall
of Blanche. Blanche’s hamartia is her inability to adapt to the new world and the sexual escapades
of her past.
What is the main point of A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire presents a sharp critique of the way the institutions and attitudes of
postwar America placed restrictions on women's lives. Williams uses Blanche's and Stella's
dependence on men to expose and critique the treatment of women during the transition from the
old to the new South.
Scene by scene summary
Scene 1 – Blanche arrives
Scene 2 – Blanche bathes, more talk of Belle reave, Stella is revealed to be pregnant
Scene 3- poker night
Scene 4- blanche and Stella talk as Stanley listens
Scene 5- she meets a young boy , domestic talk
Scene 6- Blanche and Mitch go on a date – can I uh kiss you, her dead husband and his dead wife
are revealed
Scene 7- blanches birthday, she receives the ticket back to Lorrel and finds out that Mitch has
abandoned her
Scene 8- Stanley and Stella talk about Blanche – I pulled you down off those columns… wasn’t it
great until she got here
Scene 9 – altercation with Mitch
Scene 10 – blanches rape
Scene 11- Blanche is taken away
Why is Streetcar Named Desire a tragedy?
Blanches tragic flaw is that she cannot adapt to the new world
+
She defies norms of femininity - her sexuality and promiscuity - she’s not a wife nor a mother
Broadly speaking, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' certainly fits the prescriptions of a modern tragedy, not
least as it contains several complex themes such as alienation, entrapment and the struggle between
fantasy and reality.
Title - A Streetcar Named Desire
Metaphorical - desire is like a vehicle that drives actions that eventually lead to a character's
downfall.
Setting
, Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The year is 1947—the same year in which the play
was written. All of the action of "A Streetcar Named Desire" takes place on the first floor of a
two-bedroom apartment.
Early May
Play Structure
One-Act, Eleven Scenes:
The play is composed of eleven scenes, each ending with a punchline or dramatic gesture, creating a
sense of individual playlets within the larger structure.
No Interval:
Unlike traditional three-act plays, "A Streetcar Named Desire" has no intermission, further
emphasising the continuous flow of events.
Timeframe:
The play spans a period of several months, with the first six scenes taking place in May, setting the
stage for the events that unfold in September.
Clustering of Events:
The dramatic events are clustered in two groups: the first six scenes in May, and then scenes seven to
ten, which all occur within one day in September.
Final Scene:
The final scene follows a few weeks after the events of scenes seven to ten, showing the outcome of
the events
Climax:
The climax of the play, which is the downfall of Blanche, occurs at the close of the last scene of the
second cluster (Scene Ten).
Themes:
Death
Desire
Family
Violence
Control
Gender
Marriage
Masculinity vs femininity
Alienation
Entrapment
The struggle between fantasy and reality.
Realism vs Expressionism – important
movements
Realism and Expressionism are distinct art movements with opposing approaches to depicting reality
Williams is influenced by realism and expressionism and combines theses movements in order to
demonstrate real life experience in a more penetrating and vivid way.
Realism
Is a style of theatre which attempts to portray reality as closely as possible. Realism has been popular
&-dominant in theatre since the end of the 19C.
Williams is influenced by this
,He explores the nitty gritty of life like abuse and relationships
Props
Acting style in most of the characters – however Blanche subverts this she is expressionistic and old
fashioned
Expressionism
Is an art movement dating from 1920's especially in drama and painting.
Expressionism strives for expression of the artist's subjective, emotional responses to objects and
events, rather than their objective representation.
Blanche is the only expressionistic speaker
Other aspects are the plastic theatre – lighting, blue piano, varsionia polka, Locomotive
Poetic realism
TW attaches great emphasis to the poetic quality of his drama and contributes to the development
of the dramatic form: poetic realism. He does this by injecting the elements and spirit of poetry into
every aspect of his drama such as characterisation language, theatrical devices and symbolism.
Poetic/ metaphorical language specifically in the stage directions which is uncommon
Plastic theatre
TWs particular version of expressionism & poetic realism is known as 'plastic theatre’. He coined this
phrase himself.
Context
Written and set in 1947
Post world war 2 tragedy
Domestic tragedy
It is evident that negative experiences fueled much of William's writing. All the above life events
and relationships are represented through the main characters in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Williams struggled with loneliness, alcoholism and depression, and depicted them in his work.
Setting
New Orlean – relaxed, melting pot, port, cosmopolitan, contrasts plantation culture
Plantation culture
Blanche is stuck in the past plantation culture has crumbled and so will she
Civil war
80 years after the civil war – the shadow still remains
Stanley represents the north
Blanche is the old south – it declined because the north had more technological
advancements in the civil war
Tennessee William’s background
Working class
Lobotomised sister
Father issues – he represents Stanley
Gay
Personal connections to the civil war
Grew up around women - Many of his female characters reflects his psyche
, Masculinity and femininity
Feminist was frowned upon in the 1950s this influenced misogyny and the isolation/ conflict
felt by the characters
Stage Craft
Plastic Theatre Plastic theatre utilises props, sound, stage direction, and costume to
present poetic truths through symbolism. It is not intended to be
realistic, but symbolic - convey a character's perception of the world
Plastic theatre was used to achieve what?
To achieve the portrayal of psychological reality, which was desired by
1940s audiences after they had lived through the psychological traumas
of the Great Depression in the 1930s and the Second World War.
Williams criticised those who show ‘a lack of respect for the extra-
verbal or non-literary elements of the theatre, the various plastic
elements, the purely visual things such as light and movement and
colour and design, which play, for example, such a tremendously
important part in theatre… and which are as much a native part of
drama as words and ideas are.’
Lighting
Paper lantern Paper lantern demonstrates Blanche's attempt to mask her past and present
and moon appearance
Only a temporary solution, that can be ripped off at any moment.
"I don't want realism, I only want magic!"
“I just realised I’ve never had a proper look at you”
“Is this what you’re forgetting?” *rips off paper lantern*
Paper world cloaking reality appears in the song paper moon
Light Light represented the truth and reality.
Blanche preferred the dark and covered light with lanterns to dim them
Light is also a motif. Blanche always appear in a dim light: she puts a paper
lantern over the naked light bulb in the kitchen, and when she sees Mitch she
only lights on a candle. What does this show?
Light is almost aggressive to Blanche's fragile beauty, and we learn that
darkness is "comforting" to her - she can protect herself behind the screen of
darkness.
“put a paper lantern over the light..."
Sound
Blue piano - 'the spirit of life' in the setting.
