A Streetcar Named Desire Study Notes Scene 1 PDF

Preview

Summary

doc...

Description

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1 _scripted_ on TES Quotation



“Elysian fields… raffish charm… white frame, weathered grey… rickety… quaintly ornamented gables…” (1)

Character/Setting How is the character portrayed? Image created depending on descriptors/dialogue Setting: New Orleans  Elysian fields are contextually significant; it is associated with Greek mythology where heroes went to rest after death. 

New Orleans was the first place where homosexuality was tolerated, thus Williams’ creates a welcoming nature whilst failing to hide the decay of the old world; in this case, Blanche.

Analysis Language or structural techniques? Effect? Perceptive points?













“Faded white… dim white… atmosphere of decay.” (1)

“Warm breath of the brown river… infatuated fluency of brown fingers… blue

Setting: New Orleans  Setting acts as a microcosm for the future of industrialised America, to emphasise how Blanche can never fit into this world.

Setting: New Orleans  The liveliness and richness of the culture and changing attitudes seems to overpower the



 



“Elysian Fields”- Symbolism either connoting that New Orleans is Blanche’s last stop before she spirals downwards or it gives light to the fact that Blanche is perhaps already dead, even before the play begins- her downfall is therefore inevitable. “Raffish… rickety”- Harsh consonance derived from the alliteration of ‘r’ suggests the brutality and animalistic nature of the new world, almost disjointed from the old world. “White… weathered”- Alliteration of ‘w’ contrasts with “raffish” to suggest the broken down and perhaps simplistic lives of Stanley and Stella. It also foreshadows how Blanche will also be weathered down. Everything white in the scene appears to be “faded” suggesting how she herself cannot survive. “Quaintly ornamented”- Word choice itself evokes the idea of fantasy and reality; the fact that the gables are “ornamented” reflects upon how Blanche also puts on a façade. The use of “quaintly” suggests the remains of the old world, almost suggesting that America can only move forward if people like Blanche are terminated. “Faded white… dim white”- Repetition of white acts as a metaphor for Blanche, suggesting that she too, will fade. The semantic field around “faded” and “dim” associated with “decay” suggests that the French Colonial past is worn out. The nomenclature of Blanche refers to white, symbolising her death. It seems that her “white” illusion will be tainted by Stanley’s actions to uncover and present her true nature in a raw and primal way.

“Warm breath”- Personification of the river almost creates a suffocating atmosphere, in which Blanche is suppressed. In this way, new America displays a sense of artful aggression,

Contextual/Thematic Significance What aspects of the context does it link to in relation to themes? 

Society and class- the setting develops the idea that old world values are disregarded in the animalistic and brutal new world. Thus, the undercurrent of decay that permeates alongside the overpowering richness of society’s flexible views symbolises the conflict between traditional values and the aggressive materialism of the new.



The fact that the play is set in New Orleans represents the diverse community, wherein many previously shunned aspects were accepted.



Society and class: The references to the setting further emphasise that there is no place for Blanche in this society; perhaps she is already dead and the remains are the “decay” that is being referred to; Stanley is therefore 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. Society and class: Williams’ is keen to suggest how attitudes are changing, yet the suffocating setting also



A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1 _scripted_ on TES accentuated poverty present, almost breaking away from old societal views.

piano expresses the spirit of life.” (1)









“Re-e-ed h-o-o-t!”



Two men… roughly dressed… blue denim work clothes… red stained package.”









“Gentle young women… background obviously quite different…” “Heaves the package… cries out in protest… manages to catch it.” (2)

“Blanche… expression is one of shocked disbelief… appearance is incongruous… looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea… delicate beauty must avoid a strong light…” “Uncertain

Stanley and primal behaviour:  Stanley’s clothes and his actions emanate a sense of physical aggression and power. His actions seem primal, almost instinctive; everything derives from the principles of survival. 



His short dialogue expresses an uncivilised and simplistic nature, which he prides himself in. We can immediately note the conflict between Blanche and Stanley.

Blanche’s incongruity:  Blanche’s character opposes the setting, almost foreshadowing that she has no place in this society.



 









 

Stanley opposes her delicate nature; the order of descriptions establishes that Stanley has the power in the new world.



deriving from simplistic survival instinct. “Infatuated fluency of brown fingers”Fricative language with reference to alliteration of “f ” symbolises the ease with which people accept everyone; no one is restricted by a hierarchy or their upbringing, unlike Blanche. “Infatuated”- Links with Stella’s narcotic addiction to the new world, especially Stanley and the physical aggression of their relationship. “Blue piano expresses the spirit of life”Symbolic to reflect upon the heightened emotions experienced by the characters; the setting evokes an easy-going nature.

“Red hot”- Repetition forewarns the danger that is to come. The permeating voice suggests a suffocating nature. The semantic field of “red” is associated with the meat imagery, to present the raw and primal nature present. “Roughly dressed”- Word choice suggests gruffness. “Denim work clothes”- Phallic imagery of “denim” suggests a rough nature surrounding Mitch and Stanley, which they perhaps obtained when they fought in war. The fact that both wear the same clothes suggests Stanley’s power in society. “Red stained”- Word choice links to Stanley’s vulgar character; double entendre suggests that the meat is also representative of sexual desire. “Roughly” and “Gentle”- Juxtaposition of men/women suggests the power within gender. “Heaves”- Animalistic behaviour suggests his physical prowess; the fact that she manages to catch the package confirms Stella’s sexual dependence and infatuation upon Stanley.

“Shocked disbelief ”- Word choice highlights her opposing class/views upon the new world. The double descriptions emphasise upon her fear, as New Orleans acts as a confirmation of the death of Belle Rève. “Incongruous”- Word choice detaches her immediately, almost making her seem otherworldly. Thus, the lexis suggesting that she is perhaps dead before the play begins is apparent. “Delicate beauty must avoid a strong light”- Phrase stresses upon her fragmented nature. Also, the fact that she

seems to suppress the existence of the old world, almost despising it; this is reflective of immigrant attitudes after the war. 



Marriage and Sex: The setting effectively explores the raw nature of Stanley and Stella’s relationship. It could suggest that Stella is perhaps suffocated in a trance, thus she is dependent upon Stanley. Masculinity: Stanley’s primal behaviour and power over both Stella and the remaining characters dominate his physical attributes.



Marriage and sex: Stella is clearly infatuated by Stanley’s sexual prowess; it is revealed that Stella is dependent upon Stanley within the relationship.



Society and class: Despite Stella’s dependence upon Stanley, her mannerisms set her apart, detaching her from the new world.



Gender roles: Stella almost seems subservient to Stanley when she accepts the meat; sexual imagery displays her infatuation with Stanley.



Fantasy and reality: She has lost track of herself as she has changed to please the men in her life; now she can only survive by living in her fantasy; once this is broken, she has no place in this world.



Society and class: Blanche is an embodiment of the old

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1 _scripted_ on TES manner… her white clothes… that suggests a moth.” (3)



The fact that she is structurally introduced after the other characters suggests how she will be the only one left behind in her fantasy.







“Looking for… Stella Dubois. I mean- Mrs Stanley Kowalski.” (4)



“Your homeplace, the plantation… /Belle Rève?/ A great big place with white columns.” (5)

Blanche’s past:  Blanche’s past connects her to the ‘aristocracy’ and hierarchy, suggesting her conflicting views. 

All that Blanche does and says further defines her as an outcast in this evolved society. It is ironic that she insults ‘un-evolved’ Stanley when she is the one who has failed to adapt to new world ideals.







 





“Sits… stiffly… shoulders slightly hunched… legs pressed close… hands tightly clutching her purse…”

Blanche’s mind-set:  Blanche is presented as mentally unstable from the outset, though we only notice fragments of this aspect to start with.



Her alcoholism gives way to her troubled past and suggests she is keeping her situation clandestine.



 

“Cat screeches… She springs up… removes a whisky bottle… carefully replaces the bottle and washes out the tumbler…” (5)



Although it is apparent that she does not want others to find out about her alcoholism, she is in actual fact,





views challenging and threatening the progression of the new. Even her mere presence in this setting is disjointed to suggest the power that her prejudices hold, already forewarning her fate. Thus, the reader cannot blame Blanche for her downfall; more so, her upbringing.

must “avoid” light suggests a sense of secrecy; irony is evoked as she tries to ‘feign innocence’ yet this only reveals her corruption. “Suggest a moth”- Metaphor to represent her self-destruction. Although she must “avoid” a strong light, moths tend to seek out the light, suggesting her innocence and need for protection. “Moths”- Symbolic of animals that mimic or undergo metamorphosis, akin to Blanche who lies and puts on a façade to present herself in a better light.

“Stella DuBois- Mrs Stanley Kowalski”Word order of Stella before referring to her sister as belonging to Stanley, establishes the struggle for power between S+B. It seems that status comes before Stella being associated as Stanley’s wife. “-Mrs Stanley Kowalski”- Blanche’s traditional views itself seem to suggest that men hold power within a relationship as she omits Stella’s name from the title. The hyphenation is suggestive of her detachment and disapproval of Stella’s marriage. “Your home-place, the plantation”- The comma within the sentence represents that Belle Rève could never be seen as a home/sanctuary. It was merely a place to suggest status and power. “Plantation- Word choice links to the American civil war, further conveying her prejudiced views. “Great big place”- Word choice brings down the importance of social status. 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. “Stiffly… shoulder slightly”- Alliteration of ‘s’ permeates, creating a sinister and snake-like atmosphere, almost echoing that Blanche has walked into a trap- the final destination before her downfall. Stanley’s name also echoes this. “Hunched… tightly… clutching”- Semantic field surrounding her uptight nature highlights how she is directionless in this world. The phrases also act as a metaphor to reflect upon how she clutches to Belle Rève, which is now merely a skeleton. “Cat screeches”- Sound amidst the silence acts as an alarm, triggering memories of her husband’s death and thus, forcing her to drink. “Carefully replaces… washes out”- The word choice suggests her paranoid state. She is not willing to allow reality to



Society and class: Descriptions of the plantation further connect to the slave trade, thus Blanche’s prejudices immediately make the reader view her in a negative light, which is ironic as she struggles to maintain a façade.



Gender roles: There seems to be minimal progress in gender roles in both Blanche’s and Stella’s world. The idea of male dominance permeates and Blanche’s challenging nature towards the idea of masculinity also fuels her downfall.



Fantasy and Reality: Blanche is constantly reminded of her past by the sound effects present in the setting she is now in, thus the stage directions also contribute to sussing out the truth and breaking her illusions; Stanley merely fuels this by revealing what she truly cannot face on her own.

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1 _scripted_ on TES



“Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for Star!” (6)



“Turn that overlight off ! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare!”



“Sister… shaken up and hot and tired and dirty… What are you doing in a place like this?” (6)

struggling with coming to terms with this herself. Blanche and Stella’s relationship:  Stella seems somewhat anachronistic when with Blanche; where Stella has moved away from Belle Rève, Blanche is trapped by it; the opposing clash between fantasy presented by the sentence structure and light motifs demonstrate this.

consume her, thus she denies her drink problem by washing out the tumbler. 

















I’m not going to be hypocritical… be honestly critical about it!” “You never did give me a chance… Blanche… I just got in the habit of being quiet around you.”

“You thought I’d been fired? / No… -resigned” “I was on the verge of- lunacy.” (5)

“Messy child... you’ve spilt something on that pretty white lace collar!” (8)

Blanche:







 Blanche’s old world ideals are threatening both Stella’s position in the new world, and the progression of it. Blanche also struggles to keep up with her lies; by living in her fantasy, she is eventually consumed by it.

Both these aspects suggest her state of madness; perhaps, she is dead before the play has commenced.

Blanche:  The fact that Blanche looks down on her own sister lays the groundwork for











“Stella”- Nomenclature suggests that Stella means star in Latin, symbolising that Stella is the only hope left for Blanche’s survival. However, as Blanche shies away from the burning brightness of Stella’s light, she fails to take the opportunity to redeem herself. “Merciless glare!”- Constant exclamation marks suggest her panicked and breathless state, almost as if she is constantly suffocating in her past. She is almost stuck both in the past and the present. “Hot and tired and dirty”- The triple presents Blanche in a fragmented light, almost as if she has given up on living. Repetition of the connective “and” creates a dragging tone to suggest her weary state. “You… in a place like this?”- Word order of “you” and “place” gives power to the DuBois name but the punctuation mark brings down its importance to suggest the deterioration of Belle Rève. “Hypocritical… honestly critical”- Irony is created in the contradictory nature of Blanche’s dialogue, further indicating how she imposes her attitudes upon Stella. “Just got in the habit of being quiet around you”- Stella and Blanche’s relationship also suggests inequality akin to the one with Stanley. Blanche and Stanley seem domineering, thus forewarning the conflict between the two. “Thought… fired?”- Rhetorical question suggests how she wishes to maintain her illusion and fears any hint at the truth; her paranoia also contributes to her downfall. Her assumptions reveal the truth. “Verge of lunacy”- Symbolises how she is perhaps already mentally unstable. The hyphenation detaches “lunacy,” almost making it seem otherworldly. Williams suggests the social stigma surrounding mental health associated with and fuelled by people, akin to how all the characters ignore Blanche’s delicate state.

“Messy… spilt”- Lexis suggests the importance Blanche places on maintain a pure image, akin to many rich figures of the time. “Pretty white lace collar!” Symbolises how



Past: Blanche seems stuck in the past, unable to let go of Belle Rève, yet she is also stuck in her circumstances in the present. In a sense, her mind is also in limbo, as a result of the future. Thus, her growth is stunted.



Fantasy and reality: Blanche still chooses to believe that the hierarchical structure is maintained and fails to see its destruction in the progression of the new world.



Society and class: Williams suggests that despite changing society, attitudes towards mental health remain unchanged, thus Blanche is left to fend for herself.



Power: It is ironic for a current audience to note Blanche as the antagonist’s challenge of the time, considering she is a woman. Williams’ aims to suggest that women of the time held no power, even in the changing society, thus even status cannot offer protection from Stanley’s brutality.



Fantasy and reality: One could argue that she lives in her fantasy, as no one in reality is willing to help her.



Society and class: Blanche’s concern over her image reflects upon the high society of the time; the rich

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 1 _scripted_ on TES used their status to hide their corruption, yet the new world uncovers the truth.

both Stella and Stanley contribute to Blanche’s downfall, thus foreshadowing that Blanche must soon face her reality.

Blanche’s own destruction as Stanley rises to her threats.





“Polacks?” / “They’re a mixed lot, Blanche.” (9)



“Try not to- wellcompare him with men… at home.”

The idea of feigned innocence surrounds Blanche; her paranoia in how others view her is accentuated. Stanley and Stella vs. Blanche:  Blanche seems out of place in a setting where Stanley and Stella are united, thus the struggle for power is established. 



“I can hardly stand it when he’s away for a night… I nearly go wild.” (10)

Blanche’s racist views upon immigrants further develop the tension/conflict that is to come.

Stella’s sexual an...