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Symbolism in a streetcar named desire
Symbolism in a streetcar named desire
Symbolism in a streetcar named desire
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The play “A Streetcar Named Desire” is about an emotionally unstable lady named Blanche. She moves in with her youngest sister and her husband because the landlord took the land away from Blanche because they could not pay for it anymore. After being their for a while Blanche starts remembering her horrible past which is something she was trying to do in the first place. The husband of Stella, Stanley Kowalski was also someone that made Blanche’s life miserable for complicating everything and harassing her in every possible way. Death is one of the most symbolic terms in this play.
Talking about Blanche Dubois in the streetcar named desire play, this is a tragedy figure in mid-20 century of Tennessee William. There were many things happen in her life which least to a sexual addicted, lost, conflict figure. At the young age, she had a quick love and got marriage with her first love Allan. I think she just want to have free life with love, no matter what, she can pay for her love. There was a miserable had changed after she found the truth about her husband.
Blanche is described as an emotional tragic figure trying to forget about her past. When Blanche was a young, innocent teenager, she fell in love with a boy named Allan Grey. Blanche says,” I didn't know anything except I loved him unendurable--”(103). In scene six, Blanche and Mitch starts talking about what being lonely feels like. Blanche admits to Mitch she is lonely by described as an emotional tragic figure trying to forget about her past.
Blanche expresses her emotions when she states, "Whoever you are—I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" (Williams 125). Blanche's feelings and knowledge of her dependence on strangers are conveyed through the author's distinctive writing style in this play, depicting a need for connection and an understanding of life's realities. Not only, but Williams' affinity to his character's emotional depths traces back to his struggles. Sources such as Myflorida indicate, "From his early childhood, Williams experienced the emotional turmoil of living in a dysfunctional family" (Qtd. in Myflorida). This connection resonates with Williams' battles with depression and hardships, which reflect Blanche's emotional journey.
Even if Blanche were to encourage the men, technically she is not in the right state of mind and therefore, I don't completely blame her for her actions as a character. Though I can understand why one would say that Blanche does victimize others; to changes the lives of the other characters in a negative way. By the end, Blanche is admitted to a Mental Institution because her family and friends either didn’t believe she was raped or being sane for she would only live in her own fantasy world. Blanche went through many hard times in her life from losing her job, her husband’s death and receiving a shameful reputation from it all. Due to these kinds of events from her past
Blanche represented hamartia in many ways which can include of her compulsive lying, creating a fantasy for herself and others, drinking antisocially, and her inability to be independent. Blanche 's dependence on men throughout the play was a main theme that Williams
It would be nice to keep you, but I've got to be good - and keep my hands off children. "(84) this portrays that Blanche's certainty of actuality is less to none, leading her to think that her inappropriate actions towards young men are acceptable.(B3) Due to the love of Blanche's late husband, Allen and the guilt she has accumulated over the years for his suicide Blanche relies on other men, specifically young to get the feeling she once had while with Allen because he died at a young age. (B4) Blanche is unable to manage the guiltiness she feels for her wrongdoings along with never forgiving herself for Allen's death and these events also lead to the loosening grip of Blanche's reality resulting in her mental state becoming even more fragile.
In the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the main characters, Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski, share a great dislike and distrust towards one another, ultimately becoming the basis for the story’s conflict. Their common contemption stems from their contrasting personalities and backgrounds, their incompatibility of being able to function under the same environment, and inability to adapt to the situations they find themselves in. Although Blanche detests Stanley and the manner in which he behaves in, she realises that he is a necessary part for Stella’s life in New Orleans, an environment that greatly differs from the southern aristocracy that Stella and Blanche once lived in. Blanche expresses this idea by stating, “Oh,
Both Blanche's family and Belle Reve represent her dream to indulge in a sophisticated, high class, and luxurious life. When all of Blanche’s family dies and Stella leaves, Blanche loses the first piece of her “beautiful dream.” She no longer has the money to support herself, since her educational career provides insufficient funds. After the tragic loss of her husband, Blanche loses Belle Reve and loses her job, symbolizing that her “beautiful dream” has been fully crushed and the only remnants of her dream are the lies she feeds herself. This fall of social class leads Blanche to carry a tone of classism.
Not only has Tennesse Williams portrayed Stella and Blanche to be seen as delicate and dependent, our own society has created this image but this not only affects how individuals see themselves but affects relationships immensely. Tennessee Williams reinforces the stereotype in which women are often the victims of unfortunate fate within the usage of the character Blanche. Throughout the whole play, we have witnessed Blanche being on the bitter end of life's miseries as she has encountered the tough loss of Belle Reve, dealing with her ex-husband's suicide and the loss of her relationship with Mitch. Arguably, the expectations and beliefs of women were either to be a housewife or a mother, whereas Blanche shows neither, as a result of automatically feeling out of place possibly leading to her downfall. Blanche was constantly fantasizing about the traditional values of a southern gentlemen, proving her dependence on this sex.
Her appearance is described as a “delicate beauty [that] must avoid a strong light” but is quickly contrasted with her comparison to “a moth” (5). Though Williams allows the audience to interpret her equitably, he also alludes to her conflicting character; moths are typically attracted to lights, yet Blanche’s beauty comes undone when “light” exposes her (5). The unbiased perspective quickly dissolves as Blanche begins to interact with other characters in the play and starts using her various facades to appear as appealing as possible. Blanche’s insistence of avoiding light stems from her fear of being exposed and seen for who she truly is. In her first verbal reaction to avoiding light, Blanche commands her baby sister, Stella, to “turn that over-light off,” insisting she wouldn’t “be looked at in this merciless glare” (11).
This is made clear through Stanley’s insecurities about inferiority to women and his prolonged struggle to defeat Blanche. Again, this is evident with Blanche and even Stella. Stella is perceived as a static character with no real individuality, and Blanche, who is seemingly more independent, is characterized mostly by her sexuality. Tennessee Williams demonstrates society’s need for the superiority of men to women through the interactions of Stanley and Blanche in the play, their struggles, and their ultimate
Blanche is crushed by the weight of society pressuring her to find a man. Stella is so consumed by her love for Stanley she is blind to the problems in her marriage. Each character represents a typical human desire, and Williams
and she is deeply affected by all the tragedies in her life. She is a tragic character, who is unable to exist in the world which surrounds her so she makes up a better world in her imagination. The world she wishes to live in. People can sympathize with Blanche because of all the tragedy in her life. Susan Henthorne writes in her essay A Streetcar Named Desire, Death and desire bring Blanche to this low point in her life.
Blanche’s desire for marriage stems from the happiness she felt from her first marriage when she was young. She was completely in love with her husband, and was utterly shocked to find out that he preferred men to the point where she had called him “disgusting”. In the end, he took his own life and Blanche had become widowed. Scarred by the death of her husband, she finds content in the arms of any stranger who admires her façade. Blanche’s dependence on a man is a clear representation of her desperation for a married life.
