A Streetcar Named Desire: Contextualising

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 be able to relate to the

characters depicted in some way or other. This would attract the

audience because they would have something in common and would be

interested to see how they would react and be able to comprehend their

actions and what they are experiencing. At the time of writing the

play the Second World War had recently ended, this had affected almost

everybody in the speaking world and everybody could relate to it, at

this time there was a lot of concern for family and friends as they

realised how easy it is to lose your loved ones, this may be the

reason the Williams past and family are evident in the play and other

works of his during the time.

The time at which the play was written was very successful for

Williams’ career, he had won many awards for his work and he had

received a large number of good reviews for his works at the time.

This may explain Williams new found confidence and how he is now

comfortable revealing some of his past in the play. This is a very

brave thing to do as it is obvious that Williams is still

uncomfortable about these issues yet he still feels comfortable

revealing them on such a large scale.

A parallel to Williams’s life is the relationship between Stella and

Blanche,...

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...d to create a new attitude within some people

because they realised how easily life comes and goes and therefore

took the ideal to live life to the full as it may not be their one

day. Stella and Stanley’s relationship reflects this very unconcerned

attitude, this is highlighted the most in the final scene when Blanche

has been taken away and Stella is aggrieved, Stanley, instead of

comforting her, puts his hand up her blouse. Mitch on the other hand,

like Blanche, conforms more to the old fashion and conservative

ideals. Williams is trying to highlight the social divide that was

evident in America at that time.

The rape scene represents the battle between the old conservative ways

in Blanche and the new careless ways of Stanley, new beats old in the

end. Stanley represents the whole of new America showing its dominance

and victory over the old America.