A Streetcar Named Desire

1. A Streetcar Named Desire Theme Tracker - Fantasy vs Reality

2. Some Key Points Belle Reve: ‘Beautiful Dream’ Motif of drink: Blanche’s escape from her bleak reality (pg 5-6) Motif of bathing: This shows Blanche’s desire to retire into her own fantasy world Motif of light: Blanche avoids being seen in direct/bright light ie. Reality. For example, Blanche covers the Kowalski’s exposed light bulb with a paper lantern. “I like the dark. The dark is comforting to me” (Blanche, Scene 9) Work with a partner to find examples of the theme fantasy/reality in the scene you have been given

3. Scene One • Blanche is immediately described as “incongruous to this (New Orleans) setting” as she is “daintily dressed in a white suit…looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district” (pg.3). Direct contrast to the “weathered” and “rickety” setting with an “atmosphere of decay”. • The dramatic technique of Blanche pouring of half a tumbler of whisky shows her using drink to escape bleak reality. Blanche does this in secret, showing her lacking the realisation that she has a drinking problem “I’m not accustomed to having more than one drink” (Scene 3). • Blanche makes constant references to appearance. Eg “I bought some nice clothes to meet all your lovely friends in” (pg.9)

4. Scene Two • First we hear of Blanche she is “soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves” (pg. 16). This is a running motif in the play. Blanche is seen to be cleansing and washing away her past in a futile effort to escape her reality and immerse herself in her fantasy.

5. Scene Four • (Page 41) After the Stanley’s act of violence in scene three Stella tries to gloss over the incident. She describes how, on their wedding night, Stanley “snatched off one of my slippers and rushed about the place smashing light bulbs with it”. Just as Blanche associates darkness with fantasy, so Stanley extinguishes the light of reality in Stella’s life, with regards to his brutish nature. This is why we see Stella turn a blind eye to the abuse she suffers from her husband, as she will with Blanche’s rape. • It is ironic that Blanche replies to Stella with “Pull yourself together and face the facts” (page 42). • Shep Huntleigh first mentioned – associated with delusion/fantasy. He is part of the idealistic past that Blanche desperately clings to. (Page 43)

6. Scene Five • Stanley’s taunting of Blanche over her sexual past (Pages 51-52) show how he is constantly trying to force Blanche into her sordid reality whereas Blanche desperately tries to cling on to her fantasy life: “The Hotel Flamingo is not the sort of establishment I would dare to be seen in!” • Stanley acts as a direct contrast to Blanche. He is practical, firmly grounded in reality and consistently trying to unravel Blanche’s lies and reveal her for her true self.

7. Scene Six • The opening stage direction states: “The utter exhaustion which only a neurasthenic personality can know is evident in Blanche’s voice and manner” (page 59). The condition mentioned reflects Blanche’s detachment with reality as she suffers a nervous breakdown • Blanche explains the death of her husband to Mitch, from which stems her desire to remain in the darkness rather than face reality. Williams shows the intrusion of reality as “The headlight of a locomotive glares into the room as it thunders past” (page 67).

8. Scene Seven • Again Blanche is bathing – cleansing herself of her sinful past and retiring into her own world of illusion. • Blanche sings “It’s only a paper moon” showing her world of fantasy and ‘make believe’. This also shows her desperation for support: “It wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me!” • The scene ends with “The distant piano goes into a hectic breakdown”. Blanche’s past and sordid reality start to catch up with her.

9. Scene Eight • Stanley describes how he “pulled you [Stella] down off them columns and how [she] loved it, having them coloured lights going!”. This refers to the difference in social backgrounds between Stanley and Stella. Once again, light refers to reality. As these lights are ‘coloured’ Stanley is referring to how Stella has chosen to live an artificial life, denying reality herself. This makes their relationship seem like an illusion too.

10. Scene Nine • Mitch comments “I don’t think I ever seen you in the light before”. Blanche hasn’t been truly ‘revealed’. The light can expose her reality and in turn expose her past and her lies. • Blanche replies with the short utterance “I don’t like realism”. (Page 86) • Blanche’s desperation to cling on to her fantasy is shown: “Don’t turn the light on!”

11. Scene Ten • In this rape scene we see Stanley assert his authority over Blanche. He claims ownership of the bathroom here, the place of Blanche’s world of fantasy. • Blanche is left outside in a world of reality where she sees… • A drunkard attacking a prostitute • A thief stealing a prostitute’s purse • …all of which represent aspects of Blanche’s character which she is now forced to face. • Blanche desperately tries to defend herself by smashing a bottle in Stanley’s face. Stanley throws this bottle aside and the shattered glass can be seen to reflect Blanche’s broken reality.

12. Scene Eleven • In this scene Blanche is led away by the Doctor and Matron. When Blanche says, in a panic, that she has forgotten something, Stanley cruelly and aggressively “crosses to the dressing-table and seizes the paper lantern, tearing it off the light bulb…[Blanche] cries out as if the lantern was herself” (page 105) • Blanche is now left in a room with a naked light bulb. Stanley and this light bulb reinforce the vulgarity of reality.