'A Streetcar Named Desire'- Context Flashcards
1
Q
Dates of the American Civil War
A
1861- 13th May 1865, where it ended with a Confederate surrender
2
Q
Working titles for the play
A
- The Moth - fragility and fear of light
- The Poker Night - changed it after he completed the play in 1946
- The Primary Colours - vitality of Stanley
- Blanche’s Chair on the Moon - waiting for a lover who never comes
3
Q
Significance of red robe and “blind are leading the blind”
A
- suggestion of scarlet women (prostitute) in the Bible (revelations 17)
- References Bible (Matthew 15:14), Jesus says ‘And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in a ditch’ => hints at impending disaster
4
Q
Significance of the Civil War
A
- signified the end of the South’s old-fashioned ideals
- however, the air of decaying grandeur added to the romantic appeal
5
Q
When was homosexuality legalised in America
A
2003
6
Q
What did Elia Kazan say about Tennessee Williams
A
“Tennessee Williams equals Blanche…Blanche is torn between a desire to preserve her tradition, which is her entity, her being, and her attraction to what is going to destroy her tradition”
7
Q
When did Rose have a prefrontal lobotomy
A
1943
8
Q
Explain the Napoleonic Code
A
- set of laws devised by the French
- inheritance law whereby any property belonging to a spouse prior to marriage becomes the property of both spouses once they are married
- highlights male dominance in society of that day
- however, such a code was probably unenforceable
9
Q
Explain the Cavalier Thesis
A
- romanticised ideal/myth of the Old South, where pre-war South was the golden age of chivalry and romance
- Men had a sense of pride and honour like King Arthur’s knights
- women were Southern Belles to be treated with gallantry, respect and awareness of their delicacy
- Southerners saw themselves as infinitely superior to the commoners of the North who invaded their paradise and replaced high ideals and old fashioned values with materialism, pragmatism and poor taste - How Blanche perceives Stanley
