The idea of Blanche’s fate being inevitable continues throughout the play. The “ Cemeteries” where she arrives in New Orleans, could be described as a metaphor for her experience with death and its effect on her. Blanche, riding on the Streetcars towards disaster, and not able to get off, is a symbol of her inability to find happiness, love and stability. Despite Blanche’s desperate attempts at escaping the imposing threat, it seems that her fate is already decided. “A condition of being human is that we are all on the streetcar rumbling towards our death and this inevitability is part of the tragedy of life as Williams saw it. More specifically and more painfully for Blanche she is literally and metaphorically on that streetcar trying to get off but inexorably forced to lurch from one step to another on a predetermined route.”
The image of the headlong rush of the threatening locomotive also conveys relentless fate, which is an overpowering, impending force that takes Blanche into insanity. “Blanche’s mental state retreats into the past while the real action of the play moves inexorably forward.”
As soon as Blanche arrives in New Orleans, the audience immediately get an impression of a delicate, fragile and feminine character. “ In America’s Deep South, flighty, neurotic Blanche Dubois descends to stay with her sister Stella.” This comment captures the character of Blanche perfectly. “ Her appearance is incongruous to the setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit…looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party.” Williams uses the stage directions to conjure up this detailed picture of Blanche and how he intended the audience to interpret her. Her clothes are an important symbol for her character. She still dresses as if she is in the past, trying to maintain the stereotypical image of a southern belle. At first the audience may not immediately grasp the importance of Blanche’s clothes, but as the play continues Stanley is introduced and becomes a stark contrast to her. “…Roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes, Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red stained package from a butchers.” The use of bold, vibrant and lurid detail highlights the juxtaposition between these two extreme characters. Stanley represents the overpowering dominant force that finally destroys the mentally unstable Blanche. Williams uses a moth as a metaphor for Blanche to convey her vulnerability and delicate state. This imagery emphasises her fragility and innocence against the harsh, bright and threatening atmosphere of New Orleans. “Let’s leave the lights off.” Blanche lives in constant fear of being seen in the light, as it would reveal the ugly reality that she tries so hard to cover up. While the hiding of the naked light bulb is again a symbol of her eternal longing for magic and fantasy. Blanche is“ fighting to survive, a butterfly broken on the wheel of reality…adjusting the light to conceal the fact of her ageing which she fears above all.” This statement describes Blanche’s metaphorical and mental struggle against reality. Williams himself once said, “ Delicate and moth-like she is a refined, sensitive, cultured, intelligent women who is never willing to hurt anyone. She is at mercy of a brutal, realistic world.” He explains that the real reason for Blanche’s downfall is because of her innocence and her naive approach to life. This image is presented in the moth metaphor.
Scene 10 is the climax of Blanche’s breakdown and is full of imagery which represents Blanches’ fragility that is threatened by the imposing force. This scene “depicts the total defeat of a woman whose existence depends on her maintaining illusion about herself and the world.” The contrast continues between Blanche and Stanley revealing the force over her innocence. Stanley is symbolised as the forceful predator who is totally in control, while Blanche is weak and feeble, like his pray cornered for impending disaster. Blanche wears, “ a somewhat soiled and crumpled white satin evening gown…pair of scuffed silver slippers,” continuing the metaphor of the fragile and delicate moth. It also conveys the impression that she is used, tired out and that her time is up. Her white clothing contrasts with Stanley’s “ vivid green silk bowling shirt.” This imagery portrays him as a gaudy, brash and powerful character that is ready to take control. He is “a richly feathered male bird among hens.” The contrasting imagery is continued in Stanley’s mention of fire (“ A fireman’s ball”), and Blanche’s link with her escape on water. “ A cruise of the Caribbean on a yacht!” This symbolises Blanche’s desire to run away, and Stanley’s threat and powerful control over her. As the scene progresses the domination and destruction increases. Blanche becomes weaker and Stanley becomes more powerful, and in control. Stanley is a primate at the peak of his physical manhood and this is symbolised in the music associated with him. The honky-tonk music with its offensive beats triumph over the harmonic and rhythmic melodies of Blanche. The music in this scene and throughout the play is highly metaphorical as it illustrates the inharmonious Stanley who eventually succeeds in his conquest over the more melodic Blanche.
The distorted shapes on the walls and the jungle cries, symbolise human cruelty while the menacing lurid shadows and reflections increase as Blanche becomes more panicked. It is evidence of her hysteria and insanity and an indication of the effect that the terrors of the night Allan died are still with her. The shadows and distorted cries show Blanche’s final departure from reality in the face of Stanley’s physical threat. They are surrounding her, impressing on her, giving her no escape. It conveys the impression of prey trapped by a predator before a kill. This image of Stanley as a dominant predator is shown in his aggression and domination over Blanche. Stanley is the human symbol for the relentless fate that gradually breaks her down.
Symbolism is a very effective technique that Williams uses to convey his main points throughout the play. It is also an essential part of the portrayal of Blanche’s fragility, especially in the metaphor of a delicate moth, vulnerable to the world. It is also used to create an atmosphere of tension and threat, portraying the imposing force of Stanley and the inevitable fate of Blanche.
