Streetcar Context

Question 1

Southern Belle

Answer 1

A woman from the traditional south, who wore white clothes and was typically innocent.
Waited for a man to marry and was upperclass

Blanche is symbolic of being a southern belle due to her “old fashioned ideals” and the costume in which Williams describes her in.
She is also the opposite due to how she is promiscuous, using the image of a southern belle as a mask

Question 2

Williams’ life

Answer 2

He grew up with an abusive father, who would hit and verbally abuse his wife
His sister Rose was institutionalised for being schizophrenic and suffered a lobotomy which damaged her further.

Williams possibly reflects this through Blanche when she’s sent to an asylum

Question 3

North / South divide

Answer 3

The north south divide was something that came at the end of the American Civil war. The north began to prosper and the south began to decay as a result of the slave trade being abolished which was their main source of income.

Stanley is symbolic of the north and Blanche the south.

Question 4

Women

Answer 4

During the 1940s women still had very little power in comparison to their husbands despite all the movements for women.

Men were still the dominant sex in society and in a way Stella conforms to this, whereas Blanche subtly challenges it.