streetcar colour Flashcards
summary
The motif of colour relates to various themes in A Streetcar Named Desire. Firstly it is used to emphasise the theme of class struggle, as the lower class characters and settings are described as being bright, colourful and lively, which contrasts with Blanche’s appearance, at least initially, as she is dressed all in white; and absence of colour. This could show the decline in the upper class compared to the lower, working class, as the upper class is losing its vitality and its energy, while the lower class is growing much stronger.
Another theme the motif of colour relates to is that of pleasant dreams vs. ugly reality. This is because Blanche often uses colour to gloss over, to glamourise, the world, such as when she uses the coloured paper lanterns. However although this changes the appearance of objects, it is simply a superficial change and does not significantly improve whatever it is that has been romanticised by Blanche, in her futile attempt to improve the world.
“This ‘blue piano’ expresses the spirit of the life which goes on here”
The colour of the piano represents the vibrancy of the area, and epitomises the people who live there.
Vendor: “Red hot! Red hots!…Re-e-ed h-o-o-t!”
The description of the vendors goods, and the way in which the words are said again highlights the energetic nature of all the people in the area, that even the street vendors are bursting with energy.
