A Streetcar Named A Streetcar Named DesireDesire

Tennessee WilliamsTennessee Williams

SummarySummary

Blanche DuBoisBlanche DuBois: A former beauty and member of : A former beauty and member of an elite social set. She has not, and cannot, an elite social set. She has not, and cannot, adjust to her loss of standing and wealth adjust to her loss of standing and wealth

Stanley KowalskiStanley Kowalski: former soldier and current : former soldier and current salesman. He is masculine, forceful and has a salesman. He is masculine, forceful and has a bestial sense of lifebestial sense of life

Stella KowalskiStella Kowalski: caught in the middle. Chooses : caught in the middle. Chooses husband over sister.husband over sister.

MitchMitch: yearns for love and has gentle nature.: yearns for love and has gentle nature. MAJOR THEMES: perception and reality, loyalty, MAJOR THEMES: perception and reality, loyalty,

honesty and choicehonesty and choice SETTING: New Orleans after WW11 (1948)SETTING: New Orleans after WW11 (1948)

Blanche DuBoisBlanche DuBois

FrightenedFrightened Unable to adjust to her changing situationUnable to adjust to her changing situation Guilt ridden Guilt ridden Uses her sexuality to gain protection/loveUses her sexuality to gain protection/love Faded Southern beautyFaded Southern beauty Symbol of the old SouthSymbol of the old South Pretends to be what she is notPretends to be what she is not Moth-likeMoth-like Borders on madness/driven to itBorders on madness/driven to it YearningYearning

Stanley KowalskiStanley Kowalski

BrutalBrutal EnergeticEnergetic Brash/loudBrash/loud ModernModern SexistSexist Uses sexuality as symbol of powerUses sexuality as symbol of power Resentful of anyone who thinks they are better Resentful of anyone who thinks they are better

than he isthan he is OverbearingOverbearing CrassCrass PhysicalPhysical

Stella KowalskiStella Kowalski

Symbol of transition between old and new worldsSymbol of transition between old and new worlds GentleGentle Excited by StanleyExcited by Stanley’’s physicalitys physicality Torn between loyalty to her husband and her Torn between loyalty to her husband and her

sistersister SensitiveSensitive WeakWeak PacifistPacifist UnderstandingUnderstanding PracticalPractical

MitchMitch

LonelyLonelyLoyalLoyalWeakWeakSensitiveSensitiveGentleGentlePatientPatientGood-naturedGood-natured

Fantasy and RealityFantasy and Reality

Blanche creates a façade of illusion Blanche creates a façade of illusion in order to cope with her past in order to cope with her past (shattered and harsh).(shattered and harsh).

She tells what She tells what ‘‘ought to be the truthought to be the truth’’When she finally retreats into her When she finally retreats into her

fantasy, she is hauled off as insane fantasy, she is hauled off as insane but is in fact, happier there than in but is in fact, happier there than in her realityher reality

Fantasy and RealityFantasy and Reality

Stanley refuses BlancheStanley refuses Blanche’’s description of s description of him as a him as a ‘‘brutebrute’’ and and ‘‘apeape’’ when they are in when they are in fact, accurate.fact, accurate.

His illusion is that he is in control, yet he is His illusion is that he is in control, yet he is merely a bully, using physical forcemerely a bully, using physical force

There is no superiority in him despite his There is no superiority in him despite his claims that he is claims that he is ‘‘King around hereKing around here’’

He is cruel and cunning and deludes He is cruel and cunning and deludes others into seeing that cruelty as others into seeing that cruelty as honourablehonourable

Fantasy and RealityFantasy and Reality

Stella makes a clear choice between Stella makes a clear choice between reality and fantasy because she reality and fantasy because she ‘‘couldncouldn’’t believe her story and go on t believe her story and go on living with Stanleyliving with Stanley’’

This echoes her willingness to This echoes her willingness to overlook Stanleyoverlook Stanley’’s physical abuses physical abuse

Desire and DeathDesire and Death

The play suggests that the blind pursuit of desire The play suggests that the blind pursuit of desire leads to death itself – the Streetcar named Desire leads to death itself – the Streetcar named Desire leads to the Cemeteries which lands you in Elysian leads to the Cemeteries which lands you in Elysian Fields where residents are doomed to repeat the Fields where residents are doomed to repeat the same errors in lifesame errors in life

Blanche uses sexual desire to fill the emotional void – Blanche uses sexual desire to fill the emotional void – the kindness of strangersthe kindness of strangers

Her desire to reconnect with her sister leads to her Her desire to reconnect with her sister leads to her mental devastationmental devastation

Sexual desire between Stella and Stanley pulls her Sexual desire between Stella and Stanley pulls her from her columns and ends her gentilityfrom her columns and ends her gentility

The sexual act is used to connect the characters but The sexual act is used to connect the characters but in using it this way, they lose something of in using it this way, they lose something of themselves.themselves.

Power and VulnerabilityPower and Vulnerability

All of the characters are vulnerable in All of the characters are vulnerable in the play and they each use all the the play and they each use all the power at their disposal to avoid power at their disposal to avoid exposing this.exposing this.

Stanley – physical and verbal power Stanley – physical and verbal power prevents criticismprevents criticism

Stella – sexuality and submission to Stella – sexuality and submission to keep Stanley from using his powerkeep Stanley from using his power

Blanche – sexuality and powers of Blanche – sexuality and powers of illusion to protect her from damageillusion to protect her from damage

Whose Reality?Whose Reality?

How do the various elements of the How do the various elements of the play explore the issue of play explore the issue of whose whose reality?reality?

The SAC – Creating and The SAC – Creating and PresentingPresenting

Prompt: there is no such thing as an Prompt: there is no such thing as an absolute realityabsolute reality

ExpositoryExpositoryPersuasivePersuasive ImaginativeImaginative