Essay Explore the way in which Williams explores truth within a Streetcar Named Desire PDF

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TIMED: Explore the way in which Williams explores truth within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Williams explores truth within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ predominantly through the character of Blanche, whose lies, generally concerning her promiscuity and age, leave her unravelled by the end of the play. Such actions lead to Blanche’s sister, Stella, needing to conceal the truth in order to protect Blanche from further harm. Alongside this, the truth can be exposed within relationships, leaving individuals vulnerable to emotional isolation. Within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Williams uses Blanche’s constant lies to contrast the theme of truth, uncovering her drinking habits and fearfulness of growing old. In the exposition of the play, Blanche insists ‘one’s my limit’, despite having had a drink prior to Stella’s arrival. Looking for the whiskey, she questions ‘where could it be, I wonder? Oh, I spy, I spy!’. The use of exclamatory lines underscores Blanche’s frantic disposition and desperation to keep her façade intact in front of Stella. As well as this, such denial of her evident alcoholism displays Blanche’s deep-set insecurity of how she is perceived by others, resulting in these casual lies that begin to destroy her relationships with those around her. By commenting on such universal human behaviour, Eliza Kazan’s belief that streetcar is a ‘poetic tragedy, not a realistic, naturalistic one’ comes into prominence. Blanche’s disposition becomes amplified within the play to warn the audience that such concealment of the truth only further deteriorates one’s relationships. Blanche’s lies are also centred around her desire to be pure and alluring again, as she was in her youth. The use of music is pivotal in mimicking such displays of Blanche’s downfall; at the point her façade is deteriorating, she begins to sing ‘say it’s only a paper moon, sailing over a cardboard sea – but it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me!’. The idea of a ‘paper moon’ suggests a chaste nature, as the white ‘paper’ represents purity and the ‘moon’ signifies virginity, thus linking to the traditional ideals of the Old South, where these concepts were cherished. However, the fact Blanche still clings on to the idea she is uncorrupted underscores her inability to face the truth. The use of ‘cardboard sea’ mimics the fragility of Blanche’s mental state at this point, especially as her lies are beginning to catch up with her, leaving those around her questioning ‘these stories’ she tells. Blanche explains that ‘a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion’, suggesting that concealment of the truth is a fundamental feature of all women through the term ‘illusion’, which conjures an image of innocent deception. Such descriptions emphasise to an audience that Blanche’s lies are not designed to damage and disrupt her key relationships, but instead to give her confidence in herself and her own beauty. Williams also explores the concept of truth within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through the idea of truth within relationships, exposing the innermost secrets of romantic affairs. Stella’s infamous declaration that ‘there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark – that sort of make everything else seem – unimportant’ stresses this concept of truthfulness. Stella’s nonchalant attitude towards her situation further underscores Williams’ belief that ‘we are all savages at heart’ as Stella is willing to do anything for her husband, despite his abusiveness. The way that the dashes within the phrase break it up and make it staccato when spoken emphasise Stella’s hesitation to be so candid with Blanche, especially considering her negative feelings towards Stanley. Such fearlessness to talk about her violent and controlling situation stresses that Stella is able to acknowledge the truth of her relationship, despite what Blanche may think: ‘I’m not in anything I want to get out of’. However, perhaps Stella’s candour is not simply infatuation, and instead is a reflection of

social norms and perceptions of marriage in New Orleans during the 1940’s, especially as Steve and Eunice’s relationship is synonymously passionate. Eunice can be heard screaming ‘you hit me! I’m going to call the police!’ from upstairs yet returns to her husband swiftly and their relationship returns to normal. Therefore, the truth within relationships can materialise as unfavourable and unexpected. Yet whilst Stella and Stanley are truthful in the way they portray their relationship, Blanche twists her relationship with Mitch to appear more positive than it really is, especially following his ending of their relations. Blanche tells Stanley that ‘I gave him his walking papers’ because ‘our attitudes and backgrounds are incompatible’, despite Blanche desiring Mitch to take her back: ‘I want Mitch…very badly!’. However, such a comment materialises as a blatant lie; Blanche and Mitch had similar attitudes, especially as he asks, ‘can I, uh, kiss you goodnight?’, exampling the chivalry she anticipated in a future relationship. Thus, her denial of their compatibility stresses Blanche is attempting to escape her hamartia which leaves her the tragic hero of the play: her dependability on men. Despite Stanley telling Mitch the truth of Blanche’s demeanour, commenting that ‘I’d have that on my conscience for the rest of my life if I knew all that stuff and let my best friend get caught!’, he also does this to act as a catalyst for Blanche’s downfall. Thus, this brings into question whether an expose of the truth is always ethically right, underscoring the play’s role as a morality play. The connotations of ‘get caught’ also link to Blanche’s explorations at the ‘Tarantula Arms’, where she allegedly ‘brought my victims’, conjuring an image of entrapment and inescapability that underscores Blanche’s promiscuity. Therefore, Williams explores truth within relationships, although this can be detrimental to one’s romantic affair and act as a catalyst for one’s downfall, exampled through Blanche. Thirdly, Williams explores truth within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through the idea of facts being concealed to protect another individual, although this may be morally questionable. By the resolution of the play, Stella comes to the conclusion that she ‘couldn’t believe her [Blanche’s] story and go on living with Stanley’, displaying that Stella places her relationship with Stanley above her relationship with Blanche. This is emphasised through the use of ‘I couldn’t believe’, which suggests that Stella had no choice but to ignore the possible truth in what Blanche was saying, creating a sort of voluntary ignorance on Stella’s part. Such a choice underscores Aristotle’s belief that a tragedy requires the ‘tragic pleasure of pity and fear’, demonstrated as Stella fears life without her ‘strong and reliable’ husband whilst the audience pities Blanche’s downfall. It becomes evident that a cumulation of Blanche’s lies being exposed throughout the play leaves her fragile, as she asks innocently, ‘is it the gentleman I was expecting from Dallas?’ at the door, to which Eunice replies ‘I think it is, Blanche’. The way Eunice conceals the truth from Blanche, treating her in an almost childlike manner, emphasises a reversal in roles as all of Blanche’s truths now sit exposed, whilst the majority of the characters within the play begin to lie for her benefit. In conclusion, Williams explores truth within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through Blanche’s endless ‘little white lies’, emphasising her desire to remain young, pure and desired, although this eventually leads to her downfall as a tragic hero. Truth within relationships in the play reflects the less favourable side to a romance, as in the case of Steve and Eunice or Stella and Stanley, though this is still a necessary truth in itself. By the resolution of the play, however, Stella begins to conceal the truth from Blanche for her own protection, prioritising herself over Blanche....