Music Flashcards
How is music used in the play?
-Tennessee Williams uses music in A Streetcar Named Desire as a symbolic and psychological force, reinforcing themes of trauma, social change, and the tension between illusion and reality
-The Varsouviana polka, the blue piano, and the inhuman jungle cries function as auditory markers of Blanche’s deterioration and the cultural forces that shape her downfall
How is the Varsouviana polka polka presented?
-The Varsouviana polka, in particular, is inextricably linked to Blanche’s tragic past, first appearing in Scene One when she recalls her young husband, Allan Grey.
-The waltz, a remnant of aristocratic refinement, played at the moment of Allan’s suicide, and from then on, it haunts Blanche, returning whenever she is confronted with guilt or psychological distress. Williams ensures that the audience, like Blanche, is unable to escape the past, as the music grows louder and more distorted, particularly in Scene Nine when Mitch exposes her deception
-Her confession—“There now, the shot! It always stops after that”—reveals how deeply embedded trauma is in her psyche. The song encapsulates Blanche’s inability to move forward, reinforcing the Freudian concept of repetition compulsion, in which past trauma unconsciously dictates present behaviour
-The Varsouviana is not just a memory but an omnipresent force, representing the death drive (Thanatos) that propels Blanche towards self-destruction
-Her final descent into madness is marked by its return in Scene Eleven, showing that her tragic cycle is unbroken—she has lost all connection to reality, entirely consumed by the ghosts of her past.
How is the blue piano presented?
/In contrast to the polka, the blue piano represents the vibrant, industrialised world of New Orleans, a city that thrives on cultural fusion and survival
-Described as having “a spirit of life”, it is deeply connected to Elysian Fields, an area defined by its “raffish charm” and working-class dynamism
-Unlike the Varsouviana, which is a relic of the Old South, the blue piano belongs to the modern world, tied to jazz and the African American cultural landscape of New Orleans. Jazz, a genre rooted in Black resilience and self-expression, symbolises the energy of a society built on diversity and movement—a world where survival is earned rather than inherited
-The blue piano swells at moments of high tension, underscoring Blanche’s alienation. As she confesses her past to Mitch, the blue piano grows louder, serving as a cruel reminder that while the city moves forward, Blanche remains trapped in nostalgia
-Williams ensures that this musical contrast reflects the broader clash between past and present, with Blanche embodying a dying aristocracy and Stanley representing the modern, meritocratic America.
How does John Mcrae’s idea of the dead hand of the south link to music?
-John McRae argues that Streetcar is about “the dead hand of the Old South”, and the blue piano reinforces this, growing louder as Blanche loses her grip on reality. -Meanwhile, the inhuman jungle cries, which accompany the climactic rape scene, mark the total collapse of Blanche’s constructed self
-The shift from structured music to primal, chaotic sound mirrors the brutal triumph of reality over illusion. Williams, through this shift in sound, ensures that Blanche’s tragedy is not merely a personal downfall but the inevitable consequence of a world that prioritises strength over sentimentality, leaving no space for those who cannot adapt
How is the blue piano used in the final scene?
-The blue piano continues to play in the final scene, reinforcing that life in Elysian Fields moves forward, indifferent to Blanche’s suffering-Through his use of music, Williams underscores the play’s central conflict—not just between Blanche and Stanley but between two versions of America, one that is fading into memory and one that is ruthlessly forging ahead
How is the lyrics of the “paper moon” song Blanche sings ironic?
-In A Streetcar Named Desire, the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” plays a crucial role in illustrating Blanche’s psychological decline and her retreat into delusion
-As she bathes—one of the many moments where she seeks comfort in rituals that disconnect her from reality—she sings, “It wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me.” On the surface, the lyrics are romantic and whimsical, suggesting that fantasy can become reality if someone chooses to believe in it. -However, Williams uses this moment with deep irony: Blanche is not simply indulging in harmless fantasy but is entirely dependent on illusion to survive
-The song’s suggestion that belief can transform falsehood into truth mirrors Blanche’s desperate attempts to reinvent herself—to hide her age, her past in Laurel, and the trauma that haunts her. Yet the world around her refuses to play along. No one “believes in” her version of reality—not Mitch, not Stella, and certainly not Stanley. The irony is that the more she clings to fantasy, the more isolated and unstable she becomes.
