Annotated Bibliography Henthorne, Susan. "A Streetcar Named Desire." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-4. Literary Reference Center. Web 2 Dec. 2013. William Portrays in this play the reality of people's lives. It has a frank presentation of sexual issues. It was not meant to foresee the autobiographical elements of his life, but to show the reality of people's everyday lives. Dramatic devices are often used in this play to refine meaning. As when Blanche DuBois pointed herself out “ Like an
Though the “primitive,” rituals described in Schechner’s article diverge from the realism found in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, the same “reactualization” process exists in his work. Williams’ Streetcar focuses on the “mock battle” or complete contest between the generational cultures symbolized by Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski’s characters. Blanche, representative of the fallen southern aristocracy, searches for sensitivity and kindness in the new world of Stanley Kowalski
“a street car named desire” by having themes that are contemporary, and allowing readers to see the different perspectives of these themes. The themes throughout this play include desire leading to death, alcoholism and gender roles which are all strongly present in the world today and Williams encourages discussion about these topics through the text To be called good literature books and texts need to deal with issues that are relevant to the audiences. ‘A streetcar named desire” deals with the
duction A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennesse Williams (1947), is often characterized as the most extraordinary play that portrays the authentic South American life in the late 40`s and reflects the psychological interactions between the realistic inhabitants of the crowded Elysian Street, a home for the working labor class. Also, the narrative discourse of the play, in a sensitive manner, reveals more profound psychological characterizations of the main protagonists and the background topics
sister I’d get ideas about you!” and Blanche’s “Yes, I was flirting with your husband” (source). As George Jean Nathan states in his review of A Streetcar Named Desire, the penultimate scene of the play commands the readers interest as everything rushes at once and then comes to an abrupt stop to give the reader time to understand the destination that the streetcar has been hurdling towards this whole time. After understanding the implications of this scene, the reader is able to piece together the moments
The play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is an intriguing play about a clash between two class groups. Blanche Dubois portrays herself as a high economic citizen where her sister and her husband are contrasted as lower class. Class is significant throughout the play because it provokes negative relationships and negative feelings amongst the main characters. The clash of the different classes causes immediate biases and heated argument between each pair of characters throughout the
The play A Streetcar Named Desire relies heavily on the use of sound for things that would normally be constrained to literary devices. The building of suspense isn’t conveyed by a shift in dialogue, but by the gradual quieting of the orchestra. Switching from a solemn event to a flash of excitement is emphasized by the key snapping from minor to major. To draw focus from the background to the foreground, laying the foundation for a shocking moment, the music is qued to stop altogether. The manipulation
Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire is a pessimistic work that is the “culmination of a view of life in which evil, or at least undiminished insensitivity, conquers throughout no matter what the protagonistic forces do”(Szeliski 69). In other words, sensitive individuals all meet a similar fate-crushed under the heels of those who lack sensitivity. This play is about Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main themes of the drama concern her directly. In Blanche is seen the
A Streetcar Named Desire is a brillant play which expresses America as a corrupted and desolate world. Through the eyes of Blanche DuBois, an incongruous figure in the play, she constantly lies to escape the harsh reality of her past and present. However, Stanley Kowalski, an animal breathing brute, tears down her vision and destroys her every last bit of hope of her dreams. Tennessee Williams intends to reveal the ruthless state that America has now become. He wants to illustrate that the people’s
Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire contains more within it's characters, situations, and story than appears on its surface. Joseph Krutch, author of Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire wrote, “The authors perceptions remain subtle and delicate… The final impression left is, surprisingly enough not of sensationalism but of subtlety” (38.) As in many of Williams's plays deeper meanings are understood only through close examination
A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams is about a women named Blanche who goes to live with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley. Blanche has begun to mentally deteriorate due to all the stress, sadness and disappointment she has dealt with throughout her life. Blanche had lost her husband, lost Bella Reave which was a place the family had owned since they were young girls and has lost in a sense self-respect for herself. Tennessee Williams was born in Columbus, Mississippi in
‘They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields.’, which is effective as it encourages the audience to realise the importance of these different locations. Blanches desire is what she has followed which has led to a kind of death within herself. This is suggested in the name ‘Cemeteries’. The noun ‘Desire’ is used here to refer to Blanche’s past, both with Allan and in Laurel. The desire that she experienced
The play A Streetcar Named Desire revolves around Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main theme of the drama concerns her directly. In Blanche is seen the tragedy of an individual caught between two worlds-the world of the past and the world of the present-unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with the present. The final result is her destruction. This process began long before her clash with Stanley Kowalski. It started with the death of her
A Streetcar Named Desire was written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and it is a play that takes place after the second World War in the South of the United States; New Orleans, Louisiana. The play ultimately explores on the conflict amongst Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski as they both have a connection to Stella Dubois. Blanche being her sister, and Stanley being her partner. This play is considered to be a tragedy. Twelfth Night was written by the World renowned William Shakespeare and it explores
Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire was written to explain a selection of the symbolic devices used in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams. The criticism details the significance of numerous symbols observed in the play, including the main characters: Blanche, Stanley, and Stella, as well as the expressionism of the characters, such as allusions, the relevance of light, color, and music in the play, and also animalistic images Williams uses. A Streetcar Named Desire is set
himself suffered a mental breakdown, following his recuperation he moved to New Orleans and changed his name to Tennessee, this move invigorated his lifestyle and provided him with a new source of inspiration. For instance, take the intent of a streetcar, it serves the purpose of transporting people from one place to another, much like Blanche traveled from Mississippi to New Orleans, incidentally, Tennessee Williams was also born in Mississippi and traveled to New Orleans. In the same manner, the
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
A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams, is a social realism play that takes place during the 1940’s in New Orleans. Williams uses this play to directly question inherent ideologies of human nature. He uses plot, narrative techniques, motifs, and contrasting values to directly challenge the reader’s perspective. Illusion’s purpose is questioned in this fact-based world we call reality. Blanche, Stella’s sister, is used to represent illusion. Her whole life, from her diamond tiara
A Streetcar Named Desire: Contextualising Tennessee Williams uses ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ to relate to his own personal life, echoes of his own life are present in the plot and sub-plot of the play. The play is set during the era in which it was written therefore it must have been easy for Williams to relate characters to real life people. Also because this play is meant to be as real to life as possible within the confines of the story means that everyone who goes to watch the play will
family. Back then, it was very seldom that women held their own jobs nor were they were financially dependent. In The Awakening and A Streetcar Named Desire we will compare and contrast how the main, female characters in each novel differentiated from each other and how the authors uses symbolism in order to represent a deeper meaning. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois is introduced as a Southern belle who loses her fortune, including the family home, Belle Reve and is grieving from the