streetcar named desire Flashcards
scene 1
Summary:
Blanche DuBois arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and her husband, Stanley Kowalski. Blanche is shocked by their modest living conditions and tries to mask her fragile emotional state.
Quote:
“They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at — Elysian Fields!”
Significance:
The streetcar journey symbolizes Blanche’s life trajectory: desire leads to destruction (Cemeteries) and ultimately her fall (Elysian Fields, the resting place of souls).
scene 2
Summary:
Stanley becomes suspicious of Blanche’s sudden arrival and her claims about losing the family estate, Belle Reve. He begins to investigate her past.
Quote:
“Have you ever heard of the Napoleonic code?”
Significance:
Stanley’s reference to the Napoleonic Code underlines his obsession with control and entitlement, foreshadowing his later dominance over Blanche.
scene 3
Summary:
Stanley hosts a poker game, during which Blanche meets Mitch, a sensitive man different from the brutish Stanley. Stanley becomes drunk and violently lashes out at Stella.
Quote:
“STELL-LAHHHHH!”
Significance:
Stanley’s animalistic cry reflects the primal and destructive passion in his relationship with Stella. It also contrasts sharply with Blanche’s romantic ideals.
scene 4
Summary:
Blanche criticizes Stanley to Stella, calling him a primitive, animalistic man. Stella defends her love for him despite his abusive behavior.
Quote:
“He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!”
Significance:
Blanche’s description of Stanley as animalistic highlights the clash between her old-world values and Stanley’s raw, modern masculinity.
scene 5
Summary:
Blanche flirts with a young newspaper boy, revealing her inappropriate tendencies. She also continues to manipulate Mitch into believing she is pure and virtuous.
Quote:
“I’ve got to be good and keep my hands off children.”
Significance:
This line reveals Blanche’s inner conflict and guilt about her past, hinting at her affair with a young student that led to her downfall.
scene 6
Summary:
Blanche and Mitch go on a date. Blanche opens up about her tragic past, including the death of her young husband and the decline of Belle Reve.
Quote:
“Sometimes — there’s God — so quickly!”
Significance:
Blanche’s line reflects her desperation for hope and redemption, viewing Mitch as a potential savior who can restore her dignity.
scene 7
Summary:
Stanley uncovers the truth about Blanche’s scandalous past in Laurel, including her promiscuity and expulsion from her teaching job. He plans to tell Mitch.
Quote:
“Her future is mapped out for her.”
Significance:
Stanley’s cold declaration signals his intent to destroy Blanche’s illusions and take control of her fate.
scene 8
Summary:
During Blanche’s birthday dinner, Stanley confronts her with the truth about her past. Mitch doesn’t show up, and Stanley’s cruelty shatters Blanche’s remaining hopes.
Quote:
“But people like you abused her, and forced her to change.”
Significance:
This line emphasizes the societal pressures and betrayals that contributed to Blanche’s tragic downfall.
scene 9
Summary:
Mitch confronts Blanche about her lies. She tries to defend herself but ultimately confesses to her past. Mitch rejects her as unworthy of marriage.
Quote:
“I don’t want realism. I want magic!”
Significance:
Blanche’s desire for illusion over reality underscores her inability to cope with the harsh truths of her life.
scene 10
Summary:
Blanche, in a state of delusion, prepares to leave for an imagined vacation with a wealthy admirer. Stanley confronts her, leading to a brutal and symbolic act of dominance, (RAPE).
Quote:
“We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning.”
Significance:
Stanley’s line reflects the inevitability of their clash, with his brutal realism overpowering Blanche’s delicate illusions.
scene 11
Summary:
Blanche is institutionalized. Stella struggles with her decision to believe Stanley over her sister. Blanche leaves, clinging to her fantasy world.
Quote:
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
Significance:
Blanche’s final line encapsulates her vulnerability and tragic reliance on others for validation and support, leading to her ultimate demise to the psychatric hospital.
context
. POST -WAR AMERICA (1940s)
The play is set in 1947, shortly after World War II, during a time of significant social and cultural change in America.
The South, once associated with plantation wealth and aristocracy, was declining, and industrialization was transforming the country.
Stanley represents the rising working class and industrial America, while Blanche embodies the fading grandeur of the Southern aristocracy.
. Blanche is a classic Southern belle, clinging to outdated notions of class and refinement.
The South’s economic and cultural decline left many women like Blanche without the traditional privileges they once enjoyed.
Her fall from grace mirrors the collapse of old Southern ideals, making her a tragic symbol of a lost era.
. THE ROLE OF GENDER AND PATRIARCHY
The 1940s saw rigid gender roles, with men as providers and women as dependents.
Stella’s dependency on Stanley, despite his abusive behavior, reflects societal expectations of women to prioritize family and marriage over personal happiness.
Blanche’s inability to conform to these expectations isolates her further, highlighting the limited agency of women during this period.
. sexuality -Blanche’s sexual past and Stanley’s aggressive masculinity explore themes of desire and power.
Homosexuality, though taboo at the time, is subtly referenced in the story of Blanche’s first husband, whose suicide after being discovered as gay profoundly shaped her trajectory.
The play critiques the societal repression of non-normative sexualities and the damaging effects of stigma.
. New Orleans SETTING
New Orleans is portrayed as a vibrant, multicultural, and sensual city, representing modernity and diversity.
The setting contrasts with Blanche’s vision of the genteel Old South, emphasizing her alienation.
The music of New Orleans, including jazz and the “blue piano,” underscores the play’s emotional intensity and themes of desire.
. Tennessee Williams’ PERSONAL LIFE
Williams drew on his own experiences for the play, including his struggles with mental health, his closeted homosexuality, and his sister’s institutionalization due to mental illness.
Blanche’s fragility and descent into madness reflect Williams’ compassion for those who struggle to reconcile their inner lives with societal expectations.
RAEALISM AND EXPRESSIONISM in Theatre
Williams combines elements of realism (naturalistic characters and dialogue) with expressionism (symbolism and heightened emotions).
The use of lighting, sound effects (e.g., the “Varsouviana” polka), and stage directions conveys Blanche’s deteriorating mental state and emphasizes the play’s psychological depth.
