Diploma Prep- A streetcar Named Desire Flashcards
Who is the screenwriter?
Tennessee Williams
What is the title?
A Streetcar Named Desire
What are the themes?
Manipulation
Deception
Truth/Illusion
Light/Dark
Classism
The importance of wealth. Status and social status.
Honesty/truth
Beauty
The appearance of wealth.
Facade
Idealism
Interior vs exterior
Who are the characters?
Blanche, Stella, Stanley, Mitch, Eunice, Steve
Who is Blanche? What are her characteristics?
Stella’s sister. Delusional, dishonest, drinks a lot, manipulative, materialistic, southern belle, acts younger than she is. “just a girl trying to make it in the big city”, runs away from her problems, liar, hides her true identity, avoid confrontation, flirts her way out of conflict, has an affair with a teenage student, past trauma, etc
Who is Stella?
Blanches sister. Stable but naive. Aware of her husband’s brute behaviour but adores him and is weak to his desire. Is submissive and conflicted.
Who is Stanley?
Stella’s husband. Brute, rapist, sexist, manipulative, abusive, protective, controlling.
Who is Mitch?
Stanley’s friend, kind, gentleman, falls for Blanche. Has a sick mother.
Who are Eunice and Steve?
Husband and wife who live upstairs, saves Stella from Stanley’s abuse near the end of the story. They are a mirrored version of Stella and Stanley. But S&S never see it as such.
What is the symbolism of light?
- Truth, Blanche hides from the light to avoid being exposed.
- Blanche puts a paper lantern over the light–> shows her need to hide the bad things shes done.
- Blanche can’t stand in the light naked–> she cant handle the raw emotions, vulnerability, doesn’t want to be seen as old.
What is the symbolism of moths?
Represents Blanche doesn’t want to be seen in the light but is still drawn to it, (she calls herself this) wants to be a butterfly but can’t be. Blanches attraction to the light suggest her attraction to things that may har, her and expose her.
What is the symbolism of music/piano/color blue?
Suppose to symbolize the theme of the show. Moody, dark, sad, depressive. Sets the tone.
Changes/sets the mood, sad overtones “the blues”,
What is the symbolism of the streetcar (named desire)?
Blanche took the streetcar in, took her away.
What did Stella do in her past?
She was a highschool teacher and had an affair with one of her students. She was then asked to leave when the boys parents found out.
