...Tennessee Williams was a revered playwright. This was because he used a lot of sneaky symbolism in his plays. His symbolism affects the audience by making it think. In A Streetcar Named Desire, one of the many symbols that occurs most frequently is the Varsouviana polka. The polka plays whenever Blanche is thinking about her husband or whenever she is about to panic or lose her grip on something. The first time we hear the Varsouviana tune is in scene one on page twenty eight, line six, when she is talking to Stanley about her husband who died when they were quite younger. Blanche has just arrived from Belle Reve in Laurel, Mississippi to the city of New Orleans to stay with Stella and her husband, Stanley. Stanley tries to make small talk with Blanche while Stella is in the bathroom as they have never met before. As the conversation goes on, Stanley asks Blanche about her previous marriage. As soon as he does, the polka starts to play. This instance of the Varsouviana polka gives more information about Blanche as before we did not know she was married. It adds to the story as before this instance of the polka, we did not know that Blanche was a widow and that she is still upset about her husband dying....
Words: 767 - Pages: 4
...Tennessee Williams and William Shakespeare are two writers of different times who experienced vastly different events in their lives. Tennessee Williams was born in 1911 and while he was in University, his sister, Rose, had begun suffering from a mental illness. She later underwent a prefrontal lobotomy. We can see that his play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ reflects this experience, perhaps through the character of Blanche who is very frantic and hysterical. William Shakespeare lived through the time of change - England was a proud nation and full of power. This reflects through the male, dominating characters and the way women are submissive such as Hero and Claudio. Beatrice and Benedick, however, contrasts the typical relationship of that time as Beatrice doesn’t necessarily conform to the way a woman should behave, signifying a time of change. In both of these plays, we can see that men dominate and females are usually submissive to them. However, there are exceptions which are clearly shown through Beatrice in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ who has little regard for what is considered proper and is very outspoken and witty and rarely conforms to what is expected of her. This is also shown in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through Blanche, who holds herself very high and thinks of herself above men. Both Blanche and Beatrice insult the men around them. It suggests that this is considered normal of both of these different times and as a result, men appear to hold higher power and importance...
Words: 1346 - Pages: 6
...Thomas Lanier Williams was born on March 26th, 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. Williams wrote fiction and motion picture screenplays but is recognized for his plays. Thomas was the first son and second child of Cornelius Coffin and Edwina Dakin Williams. He was named after his grandfather and he insisted on being called Tom by the age of ten. His siblings include an older sister named Rose and a younger brother named Dakin. Williams spent a great deal of time with his sister Rose because she was not very stable, emotionally or mentally. Daryl E. Haley once said that Rose "was emotionally disturbed and destined to spend most of her life in mental institutions." His mother raised Tom because his father was a traveling shoe salesman. Edwina Dakin Williams was the daughter of a minister and very over protective of Thomas. She began to be over protective after he caught Diphtheria when he was five years old. His mother was also an aggressive woman caught up in her fantasies of genteel southern living. Amanda Wingfield, a character in his play The Glass Menagerie, was modeled after Williams' mother. Cornelius Coffin Williams, Tom's father, spent most of his time on the road. Cornelius came from a very prestigious family that included Mississippi's very first governor and senator. Mr. Haley also states that Tom's father was "at turns distant and abusive," that is, when he was actually around. Toms father also repeatedly favored his younger brother Dakin over both of his older children...
Words: 1541 - Pages: 7
...woman to have a job and be financially independent. In addition, at this time, women had to keep their virginity to have a chance to get married. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is placed in the picturesque French Quarter in New Orleans. The play starts when Blanche DuBois comes in New Orleans to visit her sister Stella after she lost the family plantation Belle-Reve because of money problems. She then meets her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski, a World War II veteran. As soon as they meet each other, a mistrustful rivalry starts between them. A Streetcar Named Desire depicts the conflict between two opposing views as a poker game between Blanche and Stanley for control. From the beginning of the play, Williams starts distinguishing Stanley and Blanche by their mentalities. In fact, Blanche has the Old South mentality. She grew up in a plantation where she learnt how to behave as an aristocrat whereas her brother-in-law is an industrial and a Polish immigrant representing the New South. Blanche is described as delicate and fragile whereas Stanley is rude and violent. Blanche lives in a world of illusion. She acts as a queen and wants the men to treat her like it. Unlike Blanche, Stanley lives in a rude world, a world where if a person are strong enough physically and mentally, he or she can succeed. In addition, Williams opposes Stanley and Blanche by their description. First of all, he opposes their names. While Blanche means “white” in French and seems to represent...
Words: 2039 - Pages: 9
...and brutal forces of society.” Compare and contrast how masculinity is explored in two texts you have studied in light of this comment. In A Streetcar Named Desire, the men are seen as cruel and bitter due to their harsh use of force to achieve what they want. Whereas in All New People, the men are perceived as the victims of society rather than its actual driving force. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley fulfils the duty of carrying the traditional patriarchal role of the breadwinner in the society of the 1950’s era. He is represented as masculine through the use of his dominance in the household, control over Stella and being the prime influence in his social group of friends, as they see him as someone they want to be. However, this is contrasted in the modern day text of All New People, as Charlie conforms to the image of the ‘new man’ by emphasising the different types of masculine forms in society and how they are widely accepted. He expresses this through the use of showing emotion and being more considerate of other people’s feelings, while being aware of his own. Tennessee Williams makes it prominent that in 1950’s post war America, men and women each had specific gender roles that they had to attain and carry out. Stanley’s physical sovereignty is embedded throughout the play due to way he behaves and his innermost desire to control everyone around him. “Well, you can hear me and I said to hush up!” “[yelling]: Sit down!” Stanley demonstrates his supremacy in the...
Words: 2374 - Pages: 10
...Janet Ng Professor Faunce WRT 102 7 March 2012 Textual Analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire Based on Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Elia Kazan creates an award winning movie that helps readers visualize Stanley’s primal masculinity, the inner torments of the Kowalski women and the clash of the other characters’ problems which create a chaotic mess. Using stage directions in the play, William hints that Blanche is not who she appears to be while the movie subtly sheds light on Blanche’s strange little habits that suggests a bigger issue. The movie also censors many of the main themes in Williams’ play but makes up for it by having its actors flawlessly portray the characters’ emotions, allowing the readers to see the conflict at its full magnitude. Both the movie and the play sympathize with the powerless women by underlining the important theme of women’s dependence on men. Blanche is an insecure, miserable older woman who masks herself as a rich, upper class lady. She continues to shy from reality and seduce men as she cannot comprehend that her reliance on men will ultimately lead to her downfall. “Now run along, now, quickly! It would be nice to keep you, but I’ve got to be good-and keep my hands off children.” (Williams, pg 99) This isn’t the first time that Blanche has put moves on a kid as made evident when she states “I’ve got to be good and keep my hands off children.” She clearly hasn’t learned her lesson after losing her job. The scene is even more...
Words: 1838 - Pages: 8
...How does Tennessee Williams present the character of Blanche in Scene 1 of the play? In scene 1 of the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Tennessee Williams presents Blanche as a dependent character who relies on the company of others but attempts to keep this insecurity hidden. Although Blanche may appear to be dominant and outspoken, she secretly fears to be alone. The command ‘You hear me? I said stand up!’ establishes Blanche’s authority and gives the impression of dominance however this highly contrasts with Blanche’s statement ‘I want to be near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone!’ The contrast of these two statements highlights the dynamics of their relationship as it suggests Blanche is more reliant on Stella than she makes out to be. Williams has done this in order to reveal Blanche’s true character to the audience by illustrating her fears of being ‘alone’ which clearly establishes how dependant she is on her sister. Tennessee Williams depicts Blanche’s jealousy of her sister’s marriage and appearance which illustrates her as an envious and insecure character. This is evident after Blanche confesses the loss of Belle Reve and how she was forced t o deal with the unfortunate situation alone. Blanche questions Stella ‘Where were you! In bed with your – Polack!’ to defend herself and place blame on Stella. This illustrates Blanche’s jealousy over how Stella was able to escape and start off a new life in New Orleans and find security in a marriage while she has...
Words: 702 - Pages: 3
...Hop On the Superego Express “Ok class, raise your hand if you want to meet Barney in person right now!” says the high school teacher. “I love Barney! But I can’t raise my hand in front of everybody. They will think it is strange to like Barney if you are in high school.” thinks the student to himself. Have you ever made decisions, or not made decisions, based on the pressures of society? A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is a story about a woman named Blanche, who is an extreme example of the people in this world that live their lives the way society dictates. She has a young, predetermined wedding, feels pressured to take over responsibility for a farm, and develops personal/mental problems in the process and is ostracized from her hometown. She desperately goes to her sister for help far from home, but things are not much different for her there, as most people here also judge and live based on society or “peer pressure.” She begins to find hope in a newfound relationship with her sister, a chance for love with her new boyfriend, and a chance for happiness to start over; however, all these dreams are quickly crushed by the menacing forces of people’s fear of not fitting in and doing what’s accepted, as well as Stanley, the main person who is opposite of all this. In this world, most of the characters, mainly Blanche, made the mistake of living and making decisions the way society would expect them to, meaning Freud’s third part of the subconscious, the element...
Words: 1218 - Pages: 5
...Censorship in A Streetcar Named Desire Author of A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams - stated that his plays are “Pleas for the understanding of delicate people”. A Streetcar Named Desire explores dysfunctional relationships and conflicts that arise in the breakdown. The 1930’s production code forced Kazan - director of A Streetcar Named Desire - to change the original text. The censors of the Breen Office forced Kazan to omit the film’s raw and candid portrayal of human behavior and relationships. Because the Breen Office controlled of the film industry, it definitely took away the audience’s understanding of the characters and their relationships especially in Stella’s descending of the staircase, dialogue between Blanche and Stella,...
Words: 729 - Pages: 3
...Orlando Davies-Vannelli Tennessee Williams maintained that he couldn't write any story unless, "there is at least one character in it for whom I have a physical dewire." In the light of this comment, discuss the role of desire in the play. There are many moments in the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' where Blanche DuBois and desire are inextricably linked. Indeed, she arrives in Elysian Fields after taking a streetcar named desire. One critic has said that the journey which Blanche takes to get to her sisters apartment on a streetcar named Desire and and then changing to a streetcar named Cemetries reflects her overall journey through life. For example, in her youth she rode on her desires and during as well as after the play takes place, she changes to a morbid route, described as "Cemetries". In some sense, her quest for desire was as short lived as her tram ride. Another moment where the idea of desire is evident is when Stanley tells Stella that "I (he) am the king around here, so don't forget it." which reflecs his desire to have power and control over everyone in his 'domain'. This is one moment in the play where Stanley's true controlling ideas are shown to the audience. Through Stanley, Williams presents us with the idea that he is one who has achieved his desrie of being unnapposed in his society. An example of this is at the end of the play where Stanley isn't held accountable for a crime he has committed (the rape of Blanche) and his life goes back to how it was...
Words: 786 - Pages: 4
...Many plays and books have been adapted into a movie. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, is one of the plays who have been made into a movie. It takes place in the 1940s in New Orleans. The main character in the movie is Blanche DuBois, a women with a questionable behavior. In A streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois is described in detail through symbolism by drunkenness, light, and music. Drunkenness is one of the most obvious symbolisms in the movie. It represents escape for Blanche when things go wrong or she feels uncomfortable. When she firsts arrives to New Orleans, she finds herself at a bowling alley, and orders drinks so she can explain where she believes she has been. The same thing occurred when Mitch confronts Blanche...
Words: 427 - Pages: 2
...A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is about a woman named Blanche, who is fading, fragile and desperate woman. Completely destitute, Blanche travels to New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella, and her sister’s husband, Stanley. Although she is very unhappy there, Blanche stays with her family despite the unusual and abusive relationship between Stella and Stanley. When Stanley discovers Blanche’s secret of having lost the family estate and then later providing many men with sexual favors, he attempts to send her back to where she came from. Stella goes into labor soon after, forcing other issues aside. When Stanley comes back from the hospital, but before Stella has the baby, he and a very drunk Blanche are left alone at the...
Words: 833 - Pages: 4
...Fiction Vs. Reality: Tennessee Williams’s Influences “There is a fine line between a fictionalized autobiography or memoir and autobiographical fiction. In both cases, the author uses tidbits about his or her life. The difference is to what extent” (Houston par. 1).Tennessee Williams was a man who had many stories to share of his experiences and all of the different influences he has had throughout his life. In both Tennessee Williams’s Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, he bases his characters off of his own mother, sister, and homosexuality. Tennessee Williams grew up with his mother and grandparents being his biggest influences of people to look toward because his father was a traveling businessman and not around much. His...
Words: 1602 - Pages: 7
...will leave you blind to the things around you. The play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams creates a situation where A Streetcar Named Desire is driven by the fantasy of Blanche, Stanley, Stella and Mitch. In the play the characters hide from their reality by acting as if the events they went through didn’t happen or were not important. The idea of reality vs. illusion seems to bring on the idea that these characters want to escape their world or they want to act blind they don’t have to face reality. One of the main characters that brings the idea of reality vs. illusion and escapism is Blanche. Blanche came from a wealthy background and lived in city named Laurel. When Blanche’s husband died and her family members began to die, she spent her money on their funerals and she ended up losing her home. Blanche losing her home can be compared to a princess losing her castle and money but in this story she didn’t have a handsome prince rescue her. She gained a bad yet truthful reputation for sleeping around with different men. She wanted to escape this so she went to visit her sister Stella. When she came to Stella’s house she acted as if everything in Laurel didn’t actually happen. This is when her fantasy began, in Stella’s town she acted as an old-fashioned woman who was proper and modest, this was not true. Her past revealed that she is not what she claimed to be. While in Stella’s town Blanche met a man named Mitch who is a friend of Stella’s husband. Blanche and Mitch’s...
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...do not delve beyond the surface, focusing only on prominent characteristics and dominant traits throughout the book. However, it is possible to find the deception behind each personality within a book if one analyzes the character's beyond their superficial facade. Since the beginning of time, humans have always stumbled on a boarder between appearance and reality, using deception to mask weaknesses and obscure the harsh eye of society. By examining A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and The Unabridged Journals Of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath the deception humans use in order to appear stronger in society are revealed. In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, there is a dominant theme of deception portrayed by the three main characters in the play. Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski, and Blanche DuBois all have simple personalities that are extremely skewed by the end of the book. Stella states "I'm not in anything I want to get out of," (Williams, 74). This gives Blanche a huge reality check, because someone she adores has accepted such an average life, and has given up in her pursue for perfection, even if most of it is imaginary. This deception also plays a huge role in Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare, through a continuos series of twists throughout the book and hidden motifs, that cannot be seen by the reader until the characters themselves accept the truth or the meaning behind it. The character...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
