street car named desire themes, motifs and symbols

Question 1

what are the 3 most significant themes?

Answer 1

fantasy’s inability to overcome reality
the relationship between sex and death
dependence on men

Question 2

what are the 2 different significant motifs

Answer 2

light and bathing

Question 3

what are the 2 different significant symbols

Answer 3

cires and varsouvlana polka

Question 4

what significance does the symbol ‘cries’ have

Answer 4

discordant noises and cries occur when Blanche begins to descend into madness. it is the only part of the play in which does conform to realism

Question 5

what significance does the symbol the varsouvlana polka have?

Answer 5

is the tune Blanche and her husband used to listen to, this plays when shes feeling remorse for Allens death

Question 6

what significance does the motifs light hold?

Answer 6

blanche avoids light in order to prevent men from seeing her fading beauty

Question 7

what significance does the motifs bathing hold?

Answer 7

these baths represent her efforts to cleanse herself of her odious history

Question 8

what does the theme fantasy’s inability to overcome reality relate to?

Answer 8

Blanche lies to herself and others to make life appear as it should rather than it is

Question 9

what does the theme the relationship between life and death relate to?

Answer 9

blanche fears death manifests itself in her fear of aging and loss of beauty. she appears to believe that asserting her sexuality will allow her to avoid death and return to the world of teenage boys

Question 10

what does the theme dependence on men relate to?

Answer 10

blanche and stelllas dependence on men is to expose the treatment of women during the transition from the old to the new south. blanche and stella see male companions as their only means to happiness, they depend on men for their substenance and self image