Desire

since the beginning of America’s initial civilization. Since the discovery of the New World, this concept has not faded--rather, it has grown with an overwhelming sense of power supporting it. Throughout Tennessee Williams’ hit play, A Streetcar Named Desire, the marginalization of women, homosexuals, and the mentally unstable is a strong motif within the text. Individually, the characters of Stella Kowalski, Allan Grey, and Blanche DuBois represent these three marginalized social groups,…

In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and in A Streetcar Named Desire, Edward Albee and Tennessee Williams use fear and anxiety to present social criticism. Through symbolism, subtext and stage direction, high emotional tension becomes a focal point which allows audiences to question the morality of both the characters’ choices and their own. Symbolism in both plays demonstrate fear of reality. In A Streetcar Named Desire, “delicate beauty” (1. 5) Blanche DuBois uses darkness as a method of…

In A Streetcar Named Desire, two of the main characters are Blanche Dubois and Stella Kowalski, whom are sisters. Blanche is older than Stella, but refers to Stella has her older sister, because Blanche is obsessed with the idea of staying young. Although, the sisters had grew up in the same household together, their personalities differ completely from each other. Blanche is romantic, and idealistic. Stella is simple, humble, and realistic. Their personality differences is the reason the two…

Gender Roles in a Streetcar Named Desire Tennesssee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story of Blanche Dubois as she arrives in New Orleans to visit her sister. Throughout the play, we see her sanity diminish until her departure. In this play, the theme of gender roles is explored through the representation of the male and female characters and through the symbol of the poker night. Williams shows the theme of gender roles through the characters and how they react to the different…

Bathing and the Role of the Bathroom in A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire focuses on the mysterious and thought-provoking personality and state of mind of Blanche DuBois. Throughout the play the most prominent characteristic we learn about her is her desire to be fresh and to look young. In connection with her wish of eternal beauty comes the important symbol of the bath which appears several times during the play, to help not only Blanche to rest and find…

How does Williams present the female characters’ dependence on men throughout “A Streetcar Named Desire”? In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Tennessee Williams utilises a range of characters to expose and critique the way that institutions and attitudes of post-war America placed restrictions on women’s lives. The female characters, Stella Kowalski and Blanche DuBois, play a prominent role in this portrayal of the treatment of women, as while both females demonstrate two different types…

Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire shows the life of Blanche Dubois while she has a long-term stay with her sister and her brother-in-law. The play was put on stage during the late 1940’s and set in the suburban part of New Orleans, Louisiana. During this time many were rejoicing over the end of the Great Depression and wasting their new wealth on worthless goods. Only 2 years after the end of World War II and life slowly but surely transitioned back into the social norms. Men were…

We, as human beings, all have insecurities, but trying to hide or pretend they are nonexistent only makes you more insecure. Females tend to feel more insecure than males, which is why they crave attention from males. In a Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche struggles with her inner beauty and her change in lifestyle. In the shower she sings “Say, it’s only a paper moon (Fitzgerald 1960),” a moon symbolizes beauty, but a paper moon symbolizes fake beauty. Possibly, Blanche sees herself in this song…

Tennessee Williamses use of Blanche in his play A Streetcar Named Desire as a symbolic image which represents many different motifs and themes throughout the play, this is achieved by the overall development of her complex character. The importance of Blanches role in the play is shown by one of the plays original names, ´The Moth´ which is a direct reference to blanche – in scene one she is said to have the ´manner… that suggests a moth´. It is argued by many critics, such as Biljana Oklopčić,…

Though Stanley has a rough exterior and acts tough, he has been enslaved with deep issues, insecurities, and fears. One of Stanley’s fears is not being in control. This is shown multiple times throughout scenes 1-6. The first time is when Stanley says “Since when do you give me orders (I.ii).” after Stella told him to go outside while Blanche got dressed. Another example is when Mitch was trying to leave the poker game to get home to his sick mom and Stanley kept telling him “sit down” “deal the…