Streetcar: Genre, structure, language

Question 1

Genre?

Answer 1

The play is, loosely speaking, a tragedy, with Blanche as its heroine, although she does not actually die at the end.

• Part of what makes the play a tragedy is the sense of its action unfolding in a way that comes to seem inevitable.
• The play could be said to be in the genre of Southern
  Gothic, focusing on death, violence, madness and decay.
• In some ways the play is a melodrama, because of its exaggerated passions and sensational plot and action.

Question 2

Structure?

Answer 2

• The play observes the ‘unity of space’ in that all the action takes place in the Kowalski apartment.
• The ‘inciting incident’ that ‘triggers’ the action of the play could be seen as Blanche being fired from her job, or as her husband’s suicide.
• The play’s ‘crisis’ point could be seen as the moment in Scene Eight when Stanley gives Blanche the bus ticket.
• The ‘climax’ of the play is the fight between Stanley and Blanche, ending in the rape – while Stella is giving birth.

Question 3

Imagery?

Answer 3

• Stanley uses imagery destructively, as in ‘Take a look at yourself in that worn-out Mardi Gras outfit, rented for fifty cents from some rag-picker!’ (Scene Ten, p. 94).
• Stanley uses simple imagery, ironically and critically: ‘What do you two think you are? A pair of queens?’ (Scene Eight, p. 77).
• Blanche’s imagery often idealises: ‘I hope that his eyes are going to be like candles, like two blue candles lighted in a white cake!’ (Scene Eight, p. 79).
• Blanche’s imagery can be darkly gothic: ‘The Tarantula Arms! … Yes, a big spider! That’s where I brought my victims’ (Scene Nine, p. 87).

Question 4

Slang and colloquialism?

Answer 4

Stanley uses sexist language: ‘You hens cut out that conversation in there!’ (Scene Three, p. 31).

• Stanley uses colloquial tough-guy expressions: ‘Don’t play so dumb’; ‘Don’t pull that stuff’ (Scene Two, pp. 22, 23).
• Mitch is polite to Blanche at first, but uses slang when he is disillusioned: ‘Are you boxed out of your mind?’ (Scene Nine, p. 85).
• Stanley uses casually racist slang: ‘Put it in English, greaseball’ (Scene Eleven, p. 98).

Question 5

Formal language?

Answer 5

• Blanche is polite, even when being rude: ‘If you will excuse me, I’m just about to drop’ (Scene One, p. 5).
• Blanche sometimes exaggerates the formality of her language for effect: ‘You may release me now’ (Scene Six, p. 63).
• Blanche quotes the stern formal terms in which she was condemned: ‘This woman is morally unfit for her position!’ (Scene Nine, p. 87).
• The doctor speaks respectfully to Blanche, saying ‘How do you do?’ and ‘Miss DuBois’, which helps to win her trust (Scene Eleven, pp. 103, 106).