streetcar named desire key scene essay

A Streetcar Named Desire

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A Streetcar Named Desire: Introduction

A streetcar named desire: plot summary, a streetcar named desire: detailed summary & analysis, a streetcar named desire: themes, a streetcar named desire: quotes, a streetcar named desire: characters, a streetcar named desire: symbols, a streetcar named desire: theme wheel, brief biography of tennessee williams.

Historical Context of A Streetcar Named Desire

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• Full Title: A Streetcar Named Desire
• When Written: 1946-7
• Where Written: New York, Los Angeles, and New Orleans
• When Published: Broadway premiere December 3, 1947
• Literary Period: Dramatic naturalism
• Genre: Psychological drama
• Setting: New Orleans, LA
• Climax: Stanley’s rape of Blanche at the end of Scene Ten
• Antagonist: Stanley Kowalski

Extra Credit for A Streetcar Named Desire

That Rattle-trap Streetcar Named Desire. The Desire streetcar line operated in New Orleans from 1920 to 1948, going through the French Quarter to its final stop on Desire Street.

Streetcar on the silver screen. The original 1947 Broadway production of Streetcar shot Marlon Brando, who played Stanley Kowalski, to stardom. Brando’s legendary performance cemented the actor’s status as a sex symbol of the stage and screen. Elia Kazan, who directed both the original Broadway production and the 1951 film adaptation, used the Stanislavski method-acting system, which focuses on realism and natural characters instead of melodrama. The Stanislavski system asks actors to use their memories to help give the characters real emotions. Brando based his depiction of Stanley on the boxer Rocky Graziano, going to his gym to study his movements and mannerisms. Largely due to Brando’s Stanley and Vivian Leigh’s iconic Blanche, Kazan’s film has become a cultural touchstone, particularly Brando’s famous bellowing of “STELL-LAHHHHH!”

Oh, Streetcar! In an episode of The Simpsons , the characters stage a musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire called Oh, Streetcar! Mild-mannered Ned Flanders as Stanley gives the famous “STELLA” yell, singing, “Can’t you hear me yell-a? You’re putting me through hell-a!”

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A Level Study Notes and Revision Guides

A streetcar named desire: a level york notes, tennessee williams, examiner's notes, you assessed this answer as a high . hover over the highlighted text to read the examiner’s comments. these are linked to the assessment objectives, which are listed in the side panel..

The importance of desire in the play, and the playwright’s mixed attitude towards it, is highlighted by the title. This is explained in the opening scene: Blanche travels on a New Orleans streetcar ‘named Desire’, then changes to one called Cemeteries, to reach her sister’s home. This implies that desire leads to death. Making the symbolism more obvious, Blanche tells Stella in Scene Four that the ‘streetcar’ of desire has led her to the Kowalski apartment: ‘Where I’m not wanted and where I’m ashamed to be’.

For Blanche, desire does prove to be both dangerous and destructive. Her husband’s homosexual desire led to his suicide, from which Blanche has never recovered: missing him and still feeling guilty, she hallucinates the polka music that was playing when she told him ‘You disgust me’, and the gunshot that followed. These are also heard by the audience. Ironically, her judgemental reaction to finding Allan with another man indirectly led her to a lifestyle for which she is also judged: her liaisons with strangers at a ‘second-class’ hotel, where, as Stanley ironically puts it, ‘even the management of the Flamingo was impressed by Dame Blanche’.

It is also desire that has led to Blanche losing her teaching job for having sex with a student: she is called ‘unfit for her position’. From a psychoanalytical viewpoint, she is perhaps trying to relive her relationship with Allan. We see this, too, in her kissing the young man in Scene Five. She knows she is meant to keep her ‘hands off children’, but she cannot resist.

Mitch is fascinated by Blanche’s personality, but beneath this is simple desire for her. When he discovers her past, he is disillusioned. When she is led away, he is very upset but does nothing to prevent it. Desire is often mixed up with other feelings. Mitch is fascinated by Blanche’s lively personality and imagination, but he also desires her sexually. He is, however, deeply disillusioned when he hears about her promiscuity. He no longer wants to marry her, even though he still wants sex with her.

As Mitch is a simple man of his time and class, and strongly influenced by Stanley, it is hardly surprising that he joins Stanley in condemning Blanche’s behaviour, saying that she is ‘not clean enough’ to have in the house with his mother. So Blanche is the victim of the male chauvinist double standards of the USA in 1947, and of men either idealising women or condemning them.

Williams portrays desire more positively in Stella. She loves Stanley passionately, confiding in Blanche that, when he comes home after being away, she cries ‘in his lap like a baby’. Moreover, desire leads to her becoming a mother. She has lowered her standards by falling in love with Stanley, but she seems content – even after he smashes the radio and hits her at the end of the poker night (Scene Three). She becomes cold and tight-lipped when listening to Blanche’s comments about Stanley and his fellow ‘apes’, and about how Stella has settled for this ‘sub-human’ existence and abandoned all hope of higher things such as ‘poetry and music’. When Stanley returns, she makes a point of embracing him in view of Blanche.

For Stanley, too, desire is mostly positive, linked with the ‘coloured lights’ that he associates with loving Stella. However, it is negative when he double betrays his wife by raping her sister. Stanley does seem to love Stella, and for him, sexual desire is bound up with that. He tells her that everything will be all right again when they can ‘get those coloured lights going’ and ‘make noise again’, after Blanche has gone. This is a big reason for his resenting Blanche – it interferes with his sex life. For Stanley, sexual desire is tied up with domination and ownership, like when he slaps Stella’s thigh at his poker night, like he owns her body. More destructively, we see this when he takes the opportunity to rape Blanche, asserting his final victory over her in the way that comes most naturally to him. It could be argued that Blanche allows this to happen, or that his dramatic line at the end of Scene Ten, ‘We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!’, is an attempt to justify the rape by making it seem fated.

The most positive outcome of desire in the play is the baby – even though, oddly, there is little focus on it. Desire is also seen as positive in that for Stella and Stanley, and for Eunice and Steve, it leads to reconciliation after conflict. In this play, then, desire is a fact of life that leads to new life. It is the glue that holds marriages together, but it also drives people apart and even leads to death. Ultimately, it is both destructive and creative in equal measure.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Plays — A Streetcar Named Desire

Essays on A Streetcar Named Desire

Choosing the right essay topic is crucial for your success in college. Your creativity and personal interests play a significant role in the selection process. This webpage aims to provide you with a variety of A Streetcar Named Desire essay topics to inspire your writing and help you excel in your academic pursuits.

Essay Types and Topics

Argumentative.

• The role of gender in A Streetcar Named Desire
• The impact of societal norms on the characters' behaviors

Paragraph Example:

In Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, the portrayal of gender dynamics is a central theme that sheds light on the power struggles and societal expectations faced by the characters. This essay aims to explore the significance of gender in the play and its influence on the characters' decisions and relationships.

Through a close examination of the gender dynamics in A Streetcar Named Desire, this essay has highlighted the complexities of societal norms and their impact on individual lives. The characters' struggles serve as a reflection of the broader societal challenges, prompting us to reconsider our perceptions of gender roles and expectations.

Compare and Contrast

• The parallels between Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski
• The contrasting symbols of light and darkness in the play

Descriptive

• The vivid imagery of New Orleans in the play
• The sensory experiences portrayed in A Streetcar Named Desire
• An argument for Blanche's mental state and its impact on her actions
• The case for the significance of the play's setting in shaping the characters
• Reimagining a key scene from a different character's perspective
• A personal reflection on the themes of illusion and reality in the play

Engagement and Creativity

As you explore these essay topics, remember to engage your critical thinking skills and bring your unique perspective to your writing. A Streetcar Named Desire offers a rich tapestry of themes and characters, providing ample opportunities for creative exploration in your essays.

Educational Value

Each essay type presents a valuable opportunity for you to develop different skills. Argumentative essays can refine your analytical thinking, while descriptive essays can enhance your ability to paint vivid pictures with words. Persuasive essays help you hone your persuasive writing skills, and narrative essays allow you to practice storytelling and narrative techniques.

Reality Versus Illusion in The Streetcar Named Desire

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How Blanche and Stella Rely on Self-delusion in a Streetcar Named Desire

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An Examination of The Character of Blanche in a Streetcar Named Desire

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The Concealed Homosexuality in a Streetcar Named Desire

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December 3, 1947, Tennessee Williams

Play; Southern Gothic

The French Quarter and Downtown New Orleans

Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski, Harold "Mitch" Mitchell

1. Vlasopolos, A. (1986). Authorizing History: Victimization in" A Streetcar Named Desire". Theatre Journal, 38(3), 322-338. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3208047) 2. Corrigan, M. A. (1976). Realism and Theatricalism in A Streetcar Named Desire. Modern Drama, 19(4), 385-396. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/50/article/497088/summary) 3. Quirino, L. (1983). The Cards Indicate a Voyage on'A Streetcar Named Desire'. Contemporary Literary Criticism, 30. (https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1100001571&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00913421&p=LitRC&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E8abc495e) 4. Corrigan, M. A. (2019). Realism and Theatricalism in A Streetcar Named Desire. In Essays on Modern American Drama (pp. 27-38). University of Toronto Press. (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.3138/9781487577803-004/html?lang=de) 5. Van Duyvenbode, R. (2001). Darkness Made Visible: Miscegenation, Masquerade and the Signified Racial Other in Tennessee Williams' Baby Doll and A Streetcar Named Desire. Journal of American Studies, 35(2), 203-215. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-american-studies/article/abs/darkness-made-visible-miscegenation-masquerade-and-the-signified-racial-other-in-tennessee-williams-baby-doll-and-a-streetcar-named-desire/B73C386D2422793FB8DC00E0B79B7331) 6. Cahir, L. C. (1994). The Artful Rerouting of A Streetcar Named Desire. Literature/Film Quarterly, 22(2), 72. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/7040761d75f7fd8f9bf37a2f719a28a4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=5938) 7. Silvio, J. R. (2002). A Streetcar Named Desire—Psychoanalytic Perspectives. Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry, 30(1), 135-144. (https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jaap.30.1.135.21985) 8. Griffies, W. S. (2007). A streetcar named desire and tennessee Williams' object‐relational conflicts. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 4(2), 110-127. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aps.127) 9. Shackelford, D. (2000). Is There a Gay Man in This Text?: Subverting the Closet in A Streetcar Named Desire. In Literature and Homosexuality (pp. 135-159). Brill. (https://brill.com/display/book/9789004483460/B9789004483460_s010.xml)

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A Streetcar Named Desire: Context: The American South

‘a streetcar named desire’: context: the american south.

Historical Context :

• ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is set in the period shortly after World War II , with societal changes and instability echoed in the play’s themes of disillusionment and despair.

Geographical Setting :

• The play takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, representing the modern, industrialised, diverse, and raw reality of the urban American South, in stark contrast with the romanticised, genteel, and archaic past of the rural South.

Sociocultural Transformation :

• The shift from the ‘Old South’, characterised by plantations, nobility, and traditions, to the ‘New South’, identified by industry, immigration, and commercial growth, is a central theme in the play.

Class Disparity :

• The contrast between Blanche’s ostentatious aristocratic past and Stanley’s brutish working-class present underscores the tussle between the fading upper classes and the emerging lower classes that defined the American South during this era.

Racial Context :

• Issues of racism and xenophobia surface indirectly through Stanley’s disdain for Blanche’s old-world gentility and bigotry towards him due to his Polish immigrant roots.

Gender Roles :

• The play explores traditional and transitioning gender roles and dynamics in the post-war South . Stanley embodies masculine dominance and physicality, Stella submissive femininity, and Blanche a combination of traditional Southern belle expectations with a desperate need for independence and survival.

Psychological Considerations :

• The South was still grappling with the aftermath of the Civil War and the difficult transition towards industrialisation, leading to collective societal tension and individual psychological crises , as exemplified by Blanche’s mental breakdown.

Apply these insights to comprehend the historical, geographical, sociocultural, and psychological aspects of the American South context in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, and how it influences the plot, characters, and themes.