Belle Reve

very distinct characteristics that truly encapsulates their society. Blanche and Stella are sisters who have grown up in an aristocratic background, however after some mishaps in the family, the younger of the two, Stella left their hometown of Belle Reve. The play battles the social indifferences between the roaring and ever hungry working class against the ignorant upper class. The play focuses on the power struggle between the…

We, as humans, can only endure so many hardships and pain throughout our lifetime before we reach our breaking point. When someone reaches this climax in their life, they can try to be optimistic and strive to live the rest of their life as the best person that they can be, or they can create an imaginary world to get lost in in an attempt to forget reality. Some do this by turning to substance abuse, and some have such vivid imaginations that their mind can take them places they would have…

The setting of the play is limited to the Kowalskis’ apartment and the street directly outside. Williams' play certainly has unity of place; the entire drama takes place in the French Quarter in New Orleans. This unity of place helps to create the conflict between Stanley and Blanche as a fight for territorial dominance because she is an intruder in his home, bringing values and ideas that he hates. The setting is significant as it helps the audience to realize the conflict between Blanche and…

sex, and background in the city. The idea of tolerance is played with especially in the opening scenes. One piece of information to remember when considering the interactions between some characters is that Blanche and Stella DuBois both grew up Belle Reve, on a plantation in the South. The history of most plantations is widely known and studied, which doesn’t need to be repeated but the general message is that white and black people have had a difficult time relating, which still goes on in…

has been smothered by the deaths of those she loves and the coming death of Mitch’s mother is an obvious motivation for his actions. Blanche first voices the theme of death in the very first scene whilst discussing the fate that has befallen Belle Reve. She passionately raves at length about the horrible deaths and her experience of loved ones dying…

The idealistic view of pure true love that Blanche harbours is in stark contrast to Stella’s animalistic urges of desire and this underlying theme of love in conflict with desire is present throughout the play. ‘Haven’t you ever ridden that streetcar?’ Stella is freely admitting to being driven purely by desire and such a confession brings to light her dependency on these sexual urges and Stanley in a very unhealthy way. This is portrayed through her amusement and dismissal of Stanley’s violent…

Throughout his life, Tennessee Williams, had many encounters with mental illness in his family. In his play A Streetcar Named Desire, he projected many of these disorders he encountered in his life onto his characters that he created in the play. The play implies that these characters could have some of these mental illnesses, particularly the main character of the play, Blanche DuBois. Signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are shown in her…

No matter one’s age or state, all people have dreams, or illusions. A balance between fantasy and reality can lead to a healthy lifestyle, but too much of one can be chaotic. This is demonstrated in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams by several characters. Blanche Dubois has lost the family home in Laurel Mississippi, and comes to live with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski. Blanche likes to present herself as an elegant and classy lady, but those are just her…

1. In terms of casting for Stella Kowalski, the actress would have to be young and gentle looking. She would also most likely be of average beauty. In the play Stella is described as, “…a gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her husband” (1778). This meaning that her husband is rough looking while Stella is delicate and small. Another example of Stella being slightly delicate is how Blanche refers to her. Blanche calls her a “precious lamb”…

A Streetcar Named Classism An analysis of classism present in A Streetcar Named Desire Classism: noun, a social construct meant to prejudice people belonging to a particular social class, normally by economic bracket, into groups of varying worth and dispensability. Those who place themselves on top through classism thrive while those under them suffer for it. A Streetcar Named Desire, a play by playwright Tennessee Williams holds a great example of how dangerous and hurtful classism can be. A…