A Streetcar Named Desire-Study Notes: Scene 1 - Scripted - On TES
A Streetcar Named Desire-Study Notes: Scene 1 - Scripted - On TES
A Streetcar Named Desire-Study Notes: Scene 1 - Scripted - On TES
_scripted_ on TES
● “Elysian fields… Setting: New Orleans ● “Elysian Fields”- Symbolism either ● Society and class- the
raffish charm… ● Elysian fields are connoting that New Orleans is Blanche’s setting develops the
white frame, contextually last stop before she spirals downwards idea that old world
weathered grey… significant; it is or it gives light to the fact that Blanche is values are disregarded
rickety… quaintly associated with Greek perhaps already dead, even before the in the animalistic and
ornamented mythology where play begins- her downfall is therefore brutal new world.
gables…” (1) heroes went to rest inevitable. Thus, the
after death. ● “Raffish… rickety”- Harsh consonance undercurrent of decay
derived from the alliteration of ‘r’ that permeates
● New Orleans was the suggests the brutality and animalistic alongside the
first place where nature of the new world, almost overpowering
homosexuality was disjointed from the old world. richness of society’s
tolerated, thus ● “White… weathered”- Alliteration of ‘w’ flexible views
Williams’ creates a contrasts with “raffish” to suggest the symbolises the conflict
welcoming nature broken down and perhaps simplistic between traditional
whilst failing to hide lives of Stanley and Stella. It also values and the
the decay of the old foreshadows how Blanche will also be aggressive
world; in this case, weathered down. Everything white in materialism of the
Blanche. the scene appears to be “faded” new.
suggesting how she herself cannot
survive. ● The fact that the play
● “Quaintly ornamented”- Word choice is set in New Orleans
itself evokes the idea of fantasy and represents the diverse
reality; the fact that the gables are community, wherein
“ornamented” reflects upon how Blanche many previously
also puts on a façade. The use of shunned aspects were
“quaintly” suggests the remains of the accepted.
old world, almost suggesting that
America can only move forward if people
like Blanche are terminated.
● “Faded white… Setting: New Orleans ● “Faded white… dim white”- Repetition of ● Society and class:
dim white… ● Setting acts as a white acts as a metaphor for Blanche, The references to the
atmosphere of microcosm for the suggesting that she too, will fade. setting further
decay.” (1) future of ● The semantic field around “faded” and emphasise that there
industrialised “dim” associated with “decay” suggests is no place for Blanche
America, to emphasise that the French Colonial past is worn out. in this society;
how Blanche can ● The nomenclature of Blanche refers to perhaps she is already
never fit into this white, symbolising her death. It seems dead and the remains
world. that her “white” illusion will be tainted are the “decay” that is
by Stanley’s actions to uncover and being referred to;
present her true nature in a raw and Stanley is therefore
primal way. the one to wipe
Blanche’s views out of
existence, by merely
getting rid of her
‘vessel’ (body)
● Mortality: New
Orleans seems
surrounded by “decay”
which links to
Blanche’s fear of
death/ Belle Rève’s
downfall.
● “Warm breath of Setting: New Orleans ● “Warm breath”- Personification of the ● Society and class:
A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1
_scripted_ on TES
the brown river… ● The liveliness and river almost creates a suffocating Williams’ is keen to
infatuated richness of the culture atmosphere, in which Blanche is suggest how attitudes
fluency of brown and changing attitudes suppressed. In this way, new America are changing, yet the
fingers… blue seems to overpower displays a sense of artful aggression, suffocating setting
piano expresses the accentuated deriving from simplistic survival instinct. also seems to suppress
the spirit of life.” poverty present, ● “Infatuated fluency of brown fingers”- the existence of the
(1) almost breaking away Fricative language with reference to old world, almost
from old societal alliteration of “f” symbolises the ease despising it; this is
views. with which people accept everyone; no reflective of
one is restricted by a hierarchy or their immigrant attitudes
upbringing, unlike Blanche. after the war.
● “Infatuated”- Links with Stella’s narcotic
addiction to the new world, especially ● Marriage and Sex:
Stanley and the physical aggression of The setting effectively
their relationship. explores the raw
● “Blue piano expresses the spirit of life”- nature of Stanley and
Symbolic to reflect upon the heightened Stella’s relationship. It
emotions experienced by the characters; could suggest that
the setting evokes an easy-going nature. Stella is perhaps
suffocated in a trance,
thus she is dependent
upon Stanley.
● “Re-e-ed h-o-o- Stanley and primal behaviour: ● “Red hot”- Repetition forewarns the ● Masculinity: Stanley’s
t!” ● Stanley’s clothes and danger that is to come. The permeating primal behaviour and
his actions emanate a voice suggests a suffocating nature. The power over both Stella
● Two men… sense of physical semantic field of “red” is associated with and the remaining
roughly dressed… aggression and power. the meat imagery, to present the raw and characters dominate
blue denim work His actions seem primal nature present. his physical attributes.
clothes… red primal, almost ● “Roughly dressed”- Word choice
stained instinctive; everything suggests gruffness. ● Marriage and sex:
package.” derives from the ● “Denim work clothes”- Phallic imagery of Stella is clearly
principles of survival. “denim” suggests a rough nature infatuated by Stanley’s
● “Gentle young surrounding Mitch and Stanley, which sexual prowess; it is
women… ● His short dialogue they perhaps obtained when they fought revealed that Stella is
background expresses an in war. The fact that both wear the same dependent upon
obviously quite uncivilised and clothes suggests Stanley’s power in Stanley within the
different…” simplistic nature, society. relationship.
which he prides ● “Red stained”- Word choice links to
● “Heaves the himself in. Stanley’s vulgar character; double
package… cries entendre suggests that the meat is also ● Society and class:
out in protest… ● We can immediately representative of sexual desire. Despite Stella’s
manages to note the conflict ● “Roughly” and “Gentle”- Juxtaposition of dependence upon
catch it.” (2) between Blanche and men/women suggests the power within Stanley, her
Stanley. gender. mannerisms set her
● “Heaves”- Animalistic behaviour apart, detaching her
suggests his physical prowess; the fact from the new world.
that she manages to catch the package
confirms Stella’s sexual dependence and ● Gender roles: Stella
infatuation upon Stanley. almost seems
subservient to Stanley
when she accepts the
meat; sexual imagery
displays her
infatuation with
Stanley.
● “Blanche… Blanche’s incongruity: ● “Shocked disbelief”- Word choice ● Fantasy and reality:
expression is one ● Blanche’s character highlights her opposing class/views She has lost track of
of shocked opposes the setting, upon the new world. The double herself as she has
disbelief… almost foreshadowing descriptions emphasise upon her fear, as changed to please the
appearance is that she has no place New Orleans acts as a confirmation of men in her life; now
incongruous… in this society. the death of Belle Rève. she can only survive
looking as if she ● “Incongruous”- Word choice detaches by living in her
were arriving at ● Stanley opposes her her immediately, almost making her fantasy; once this is
a summer tea… delicate nature; the seem otherworldly. Thus, the lexis broken, she has no
A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1
_scripted_ on TES
delicate beauty order of descriptions suggesting that she is perhaps dead place in this world.
must avoid a establishes that before the play begins is apparent.
strong light…” Stanley has the power ● “Delicate beauty must avoid a strong ● Society and class:
in the new world. light”- Phrase stresses upon her Blanche is an
● “Uncertain fragmented nature. Also, the fact that she embodiment of the old
manner… her ● The fact that she is must “avoid” light suggests a sense of views challenging and
white clothes… structurally secrecy; irony is evoked as she tries to threatening the
that suggests a introduced after the ‘feign innocence’ yet this only reveals her progression of the
moth.” (3) other characters corruption. new. Even her mere
suggests how she will ● “Suggest a moth”- Metaphor to represent presence in this
be the only one left her self-destruction. Although she must setting is disjointed to
behind in her fantasy. “avoid” a strong light, moths tend to seek suggest the power that
out the light, suggesting her innocence her prejudices hold,
and need for protection. already forewarning
● “Moths”- Symbolic of animals that mimic her fate. Thus, the
or undergo metamorphosis, akin to reader cannot blame
Blanche who lies and puts on a façade to Blanche for her
present herself in a better light. downfall; more so, her
upbringing.
● “Looking for… Blanche’s past: ● “Stella DuBois- Mrs Stanley Kowalski”- ● Society and class:
Stella Dubois. I ● Blanche’s past Word order of Stella before referring to Descriptions of the
mean- Mrs connects her to the her sister as belonging to Stanley, plantation further
Stanley ‘aristocracy’ and establishes the struggle for power connect to the slave
Kowalski.” (4) hierarchy, suggesting between S+B. It seems that status comes trade, thus Blanche’s
her conflicting views. before Stella being associated as prejudices
● “Your home- Stanley’s wife. immediately make the
place, the ● All that Blanche does ● “-Mrs Stanley Kowalski”- Blanche’s reader view her in a
plantation… and says further traditional views itself seem to suggest negative light, which is
/Belle Rève?/ A defines her as an that men hold power within a ironic as she struggles
great big place outcast in this evolved relationship as she omits Stella’s name to maintain a façade.
with white society. It is ironic that from the title. The hyphenation is
columns.” (5) she insults ‘un- suggestive of her detachment and ● Gender roles: There
evolved’ Stanley when disapproval of Stella’s marriage. seems to be minimal
she is the one who has ● “Your home-place, the plantation”- The progress in gender
failed to adapt to new comma within the sentence represents roles in both Blanche’s
world ideals. that Belle Rève could never be seen as a and Stella’s world. The
home/sanctuary. It was merely a place to idea of male
suggest status and power. dominance permeates
● “Plantation- Word choice links to the and Blanche’s
American civil war, further conveying challenging nature
her prejudiced views. towards the idea of
● “Great big place”- Word choice brings masculinity also fuels
down the importance of social status. her downfall.
Eunice and the new world disregard
hierarchy and opt for equality in the
social sense.
● “White columns”- The structure refers to
French and Roman architecture and also
links to Blanche’s name. It emphasises
the extent of damage done to Blanche’s
status.
Blanche’s mind-set: ● “Stiffly… shoulder slightly”- Alliteration ● Fantasy and Reality:
● “Sits… stiffly… ● Blanche is presented of ‘s’ permeates, creating a sinister and Blanche is constantly
shoulders slightly as mentally unstable snake-like atmosphere, almost echoing reminded of her past
hunched… legs from the outset, that Blanche has walked into a trap- the by the sound effects
pressed close… though we only notice final destination before her downfall. present in the setting
hands tightly fragments of this Stanley’s name also echoes this. she is now in, thus the
clutching her aspect to start with. ● “Hunched… tightly… clutching”- stage directions also
purse…” Semantic field surrounding her uptight contribute to sussing
● Her alcoholism gives nature highlights how she is out the truth and
● “Cat screeches… way to her troubled directionless in this world. The phrases breaking her illusions;
She springs up… past and suggests she also act as a metaphor to reflect upon Stanley merely fuels
removes a whisky is keeping her how she clutches to Belle Rève, which is this by revealing what
bottle… carefully situation clandestine. now merely a skeleton. she truly cannot face
A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1
_scripted_ on TES
● “Messy child... Blanche: ● “Messy… spilt”- Lexis suggests the ● Society and class:
you’ve spilt ● The fact that Blanche importance Blanche places on maintain Blanche’s concern
something on looks down on her a pure image, akin to many rich figures over her image
that pretty white own sister lays the of the time. reflects upon the high
lace collar!” (8) groundwork for ● “Pretty white lace collar!” Symbolises society of the time;
Blanche’s own how both Stella and Stanley contribute the rich used their
destruction as Stanley to Blanche’s downfall, thus status to hide their
rises to her threats. foreshadowing that Blanche must soon corruption, yet the
face her reality. new world uncovers
● The idea of feigned the truth.
innocence surrounds
Blanche; her paranoia
in how others view
her is accentuated.
● “Polacks?” / Stanley and Stella vs. Blanche: ● “Polacks”- The fact that Blanche ● Gender roles: Women
“They’re a mixed ● Blanche seems out of categorises everyone based on image are considered
lot, Blanche.” (9) place in a setting reveals how she was brought up living in dependent upon men,
where Stanley and an illusion; thus, the reader questions both in the old and
● “Try not to- well- Stella are united, thus how she can ever escape her fantasy. new society; Blanche
compare him the struggle for power ● “Mixed lot”- Word choice highlights that epitomises the
with men… at is established. upon Blanche’s influence, Stella’s past is destruction of women
home.” also triggered as she begins to refer to when abandoned by
● Blanche’s racist views people by race, but manages to escape it. her “forefathers”
● “I can hardly upon immigrants ● “Hardly stand it when he’s away for a whereas Stella
stand it when further develop the night”- Stella’s sexual dependence upon represents her sexual
he’s away for a tension/conflict that is Stanley reassures the reader that Stanley dependence on
night… I nearly to come. will maintain power, regardless of Stanley, which is
go wild.” (10) Blanche’s threats. The dialogue regarded an
however, degrades women, suggesting infatuation.
● Stella’s sexual and their lack of importance outside the
financial dependence domestic world. ● Society and class:
upon Stanley is ● “Nearly go wild”- Develops upon how The continual
apparent to establish Stanley’s primal nature has influenced segregations between
that Blanche is Stella. races is somewhat
fighting a battle she redundant in the new
cannot win, world, who symbolise
forewarning her a sense of acceptance.
downfall.
● “I stayed in Belle Blanche and Belle Rève: ● “I stayed”- Repetition of the personal ● Society and class: It
Rève and tried to ● Blanche initially pronoun “I” is suggestive of her seems that Blanche’s
hold it together… seems attached to possessive nature over the past. She society only fends for
all the burden Belle Rève but when cannot seem to escape Belle Rève and itself by evolving
descended on we peel away this the old world. along with changing
my shoulders…” illusion, we can note ● “Hold it together”- The phrasing is ironic attitudes and fails to
that it is Belle Rève, a as by trying to maintain her social protect the people that
● “I stayed and haunting skeleton of power, Blanche deteriorates mentally, are still stuck in the
fought for it, bled the previous hierarchy thus suggesting that society regards traditional mind-set.
for it, almost that seems to have a Blanche as a pawn, used to maintain Rather than creating
died for it!” (11) hold on her. order. order, society seems
● “Burden descended on my shoulders”- to deteriorate those
● Her faith in family, in the rest of the words overcrowd the who cannot survive its
particular men, is personal pronoun of “my”, and in terms change.
lacking, suggesting her of sentence structure, this suggests how
fragmented nature. Belle Rève has mentally destroyed ● Fantasy and reality
Blanche, and her physical nature is the
only illusion capable of hiding her mental ● Masculinity: Williams
instability. mocks the idea of a
● “Fought for it, bled for it, almost died for patriarchy, when it
it!”- The triple emphasises the extent of cannot even protect
Blanche’s fragmented nature, however the women living
the repetition of “it” brings don the within it, which is
importance of Belle Rève, deeming it a ironic as Stanley’s
mere skeleton; a sense of pathos is world faces a new
A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1
_scripted_ on TES
● “Liquor goes fast Stanley vs. Blanche: ● “Hot”- Pathetic fallacy of the heat ● Fantasy and reality:
in hot weather… ● Stanley is intuitive permeates through this scene, to suggest Societal pressures
Some people whereas Blanche is how Blanche is almost placed in a seem to fuel the use of
rarely touch it poetic; where Blanche suffocating situation, which eventually an illusion for many
(liquor) but it considers education as forces her to face her reality; thus, she is characters. In
touches them superior, Stanley is the cause of her own destruction. Blanche’s case,
often.” (14) able to possess the ● “Rarely touch… touches them often”- traditional views
features need to Stanley’s use of an aphorism forewarns restrict her from being
● “Cat screeches…” survive evolving how he will shatter Blanche’s illusions able to face her
society. (Society fails through his intuition and destructive alcoholism and mental
Blanche) nature needed to survive in the new instability.
● “I’ll strike you as world.
the unrefined ● Blanche’s reality is ● “Strike… unrefined”- Word choice of ● Masculinity: The
type… You were what kills her; Stanley “strike” holds a harsh and raw social pressures of
married once, only catalyses her consonance, which aims to mirror his men of the time are
weren’t you?” downfall by animalistic nature. It also connotes a expressed; men like
(15) presenting her with predatory nature on Stanley’s part. The Stanley are
this information. use of “unrefined” acts as a litotes; immediately
Stanley purposefully degrades his social threatened by
status, perhaps to create an illusion to challenging women,
● Stanley is the fool Blanche. Although she regards him and Stanley fails to see
antithesis of Blanche. as “sub-human, he ends up surviving. the reason why
● “Married once…?”- Rhetorical question Blanche behaves the
almost hangs in the still atmosphere, way she does.
lingering and threatening to shatter
Blanche’s illusion.
Blanche’s past: ● “Polka rises up, faint in the distance”- ● Mortality/ Fantasy
● “Music of the ● It is evident that Juxtaposition defined by the use of a and Reality: Blanche
polka rises up, Blanche’s past haunts comma suggests how in reality, the seems to fear death, as
faint in the her, thus she is driven music seems to overpower Blanche due a result of its
distance.” to create an alternate to her guilt, yet in her fantasy, she pushes permeating presence
past, in order to her husband’s death to the farthest part throughout her life; to
● “The boy- the prevent breaking of her mind. her mind-set, fantasy
boy died. (She down. ● The word choice of “faint” is symbolic of is a much better
sinks back down) ● The fact that she is how she tries to numb the pain by option compared to
I’m afraid I’m- aware of her own drinking and bathing. the decaying reality
going to be sick! mistakes contradicts ● “Boy”- Repetition grieves the loss of her her body is living in.
(…Head falls on the way she treats youth.
her arms). (15) those around her, thus ● “Sinks back down”- Stage directions are
evoking a sense of oxymoronic as the music “rises up”
pathos. almost trying to lift her up with it in
hopes of redeeming her, yet her refusal
to let go of the past forces her to “sink”
into her downfall.