Critical Reception

Question 1

Positive Reviews

Answer 1

The play previewed to favourable reviews in Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia, and successfully opened to New York in late 1947.

‘[in reference to Williams] An oncoming playwright of power, imagination and an almost morbid turn of mind and emotion’ (Richard Watts Jr, 1947)

‘[in reference to the play’s impacts] especially strong because it is virtually unique as a stage piece that is both personal and social’ (Harold Clurman, 1948)

The play has seen numerous global revivals over time, and has become a staple of American popular culture.

Question 2

Negative Reviews

Answer 2

‘Not a play for the squeamish’ (Ward Morehouse, 1947)

‘An almost desperately morbid turn of mind’ (Ward Morehouse, 1947)

‘The play could stand more discipline… There is sometimes and absence of form. And it could stand in more variety; only the clash between Blanche and Stanley gets real emotion and drama into the play’. (Time, 1947)

‘A squalid anecdote of a nymphomaniac’s decay in a New Orleans slum’ (Thus Trewin)

Although the play also opened to positive reviews in the UK, many were initially shocked by the role of sexual desire and sexual intercourse in the play.

Question 3

Why A Streetcar Named Desire was groundbreaking

Answer 3

The play was successful because it is groundbreaking in its presentation of realism and lyricism. The psyche of the characters is realistic, and their motives and actions seem credible, but as the play moves towards its climax in Scene 10, everyday reality evolves into tragedy. The setting also mirrors this change: at the beginning, the apartment is seemingly an average apartment in New Orleans, but by the end of the play, the walls dissolve and lurid shapes appear, as jungle noises can be heard.

The characters and settings seem more unpredictable as the play moves along, which heightens dramatic tension, which exploits the mystery of human nature, which is a staple of Williams. It can be argued that the main impact on the audience on the play is terrifying mystery, the unpredictability of human nature, and the unpredictability of fate.