Streetcar Named Desire Ambiguity

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The play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by American Playwright Tennessee Williams presents moral ambiguity and contradiction between natures. The main protagonist, Blanche DuBois, a former school teacher from a wealthy family, is used by williams as a symbolic figure, a warning of death to his audience. Her constant struggle to desperately satisfy her retreat from reality and her overblown desires allow Williams to portray the message that unchecked desires lead to death. Set during the year of 1947 in the french quarter of New Orleans Blanche is introduced into a new world and is lost both geographically and temporally. As she arrives at Kowalski's street she speaks to Eunice, “They told me to take a street-car named desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at-Elysian Fields!” (Williams 6). Although at first glance, nothing may stand out about these names, they contain a deeper metaphorical value. Williams reflects Blanches life up to this instance to the audience through the use of this quote to emphasise his main …show more content…

I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I dont tell truth, i tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!- Don't turn the light on!” (William, 145). This is Blanches confession to her sin. She would rather live her life a constant dream, hidden in the darkness rather than expose herself in the light. One reason she begs Mitch to not turn on the light is because it will destroy her fantasy and expose her truth. Her true age, her fear of losing sexuality, the lies, her true nature and fragile existence. The Dialogue between them does a great job of developing the tension between the characters and revealing little by little the danger that Blanche is towards her surroundings and

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