Plot of 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.

Plot of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’

The play opens looking into a two story flat on Street in . It is the home of

and Kowalski. They live on the bottom floor while and Hubbell live upstairs. The neighbourhood is a mixed-race community and is located between the L and N streetcar tracks. This area is teemed with many pubs, bars and bowling alleys.

Scene 1-

Stanley and walk to the house looking for Stella. Stanley throws a package of meat at Stella to cook. They leave to go bowling. Stella follows to watch him play.

Blanche enters. She walks inside, exhausted, and kindly tries to get rid of Eunice. Eunice leaves to go to the Bowling alley to bring Stella home. She finds some whiskey and begins drinking until Stella comes.

Blanche tells Stella that she lost , their childhood home. Stella is distraught and escapes to the .

While she is gone, Stanley comes home, recognising Blanche. They introduce one another and chat for a few minutes about Blanche’s past, relationships and marriage. She responds that she was married once, but her young husband died.

Scene 2 –

feels like he is being cheated over the loss of under the Napoleonic Code and explains it to Stella. "In the state of Louisiana we have the Napoleonic code according to which what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband and vice versa." (page 21)

Stanley approaches Blanche bluntly about Belle Reve. They argue and Stella comes in to stop the quarrel. Blanche dismisses her, and asks her to go to the store to get a coke.
Blanche finds all of the paperwork regarding Belle Reve and throws it at him. He spots some other papers. She tells him, "These are love-letters, yellowing with antiquity, all from one boy.... Poems a dead boy wrote. I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me, but you can't! I'm not young and vulnerable any more. But my young husband was...." (page 28)

The two sisters leave for a dinner at while Stanley prepares for his poker game.

Scene 3 –

The poker game is in progress with Stanley, Steve, Mitch, and . They play cards, drink, and quarrel along the way. complains that he must get home to his sick . So, he deals himself out and goes to the bathroom quickly before he leaves.

Stella and Blanche return home. Following Blanche’s typical upper-class behaviour, she tells the poker players not to get up. Stanley kicks the women out, slapping Stella on her thigh.
Mitch excuses himself to return to the bathroom where he bumps into Blanche again and they begin to talk. They smoke and discuss his silver inscribed cigarette case that was given to him by an old, deceased girlfriend. The two begin to talk about lost loves. Blanche tells him the origins of her name. Mitch flatters her and sparks begin to fly.
Blanche turns the radio on. Stanley screams at them to turn it off. They don't take any notice and Stanley charges into the room rips out the radio and throws it out the window. Stella is outraged and tells all the men to leave. Stanley follows Stella outside where he hits her. Stella runs up to Eunice’s house.
Stanley walks hopelessly to the foot of the stairs in tears screaming, "Stella! My baby doll's left me!.... I want my baby!... Stella!... Stella!" (page 42) Eunice screams down to him that she's not coming home. Stella slowly walks down the stairs to Stanley where they share teary glances. He picks her up and carries her back into the house.

Scene 4 –

Stella and Blanche talk about the previous night’s antics.
They continue to bicker, as Blanche assumes Stella is in something that she wants to get out of, she begins to make plans for her and Stella to run away.
Stanley returns home, he recognises that Blanche has been trying to poison Stella against him.

Scene 5 –

Upstairs Eunice and argue about a blonde that he has been chasing around. Someone is hit and Eunice runs down the stairs threatening to call the police.

Blanche and Stanley hold polite ...

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Scene 4 –

Stella and Blanche talk about the previous night’s antics.
They continue to bicker, as Blanche assumes Stella is in something that she wants to get out of, she begins to make plans for her and Stella to run away.
Stanley returns home, he recognises that Blanche has been trying to poison Stella against him.

Scene 5 –

Upstairs Eunice and argue about a blonde that he has been chasing around. Someone is hit and Eunice runs down the stairs threatening to call the police.

Blanche and Stanley hold polite conversation. He asks her if she knows a man named Shaw. Her face changes and she tries to cover up knowing him by responding in ignorance. Stanley tells her that his friend always goes into and believes that he knows her from a hotel called the .
Stella accidentally spills coke on Blanche’s dress. Blanche admits her feelings to Stella about Mitch: "What I mean is - he thinks I'm sort of - prim and proper, you know! I want to deceive him enough to make him - want me..." (page 63). Stella asks Blanche if she honestly wants Mitch.
Blanche is left alone in the house. A collecting money for The Evening Star knocks on the door. She teases him and then flirts with him, seeing his youthful beauty. Seducing him for a kiss, she touches his face and lips before she forces him to leave. "Now run along, now, quickly! It would be nice to keep you, but I've got to be good - and keep my hands off children." (page 66)
Mitch arrives with a handful of roses after the boy leaves.

Scene 6 –

and return home. Mitch asks to kiss her. She refuses him because of what a kiss can lead to. "You know as well as I do that a single girl, a girl alone in the world, has got to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she'll be lost!" .

Blanche looks for liquor, they sit down and Blanche asks Mitch to take off his jacket. He tells her that he doesn't care to because he perspires an excessive amount. They continue to talk about little things and then Blanche compliments Mitch on his gentleman-like behaviour.

"You're a natural gentleman, one of the very few that are left in the world. I don't want you to think that I am severe and old maid schoolteacherish or anything like that.... I guess it is just that I have - old-fashioned ideals!"

Mitch changes the subject to Blanche's age. He tells her that his is sick and would like to see him settled before she dies. The idea of death brings Blanche into a past world when her died. She says he was not effeminate, but that there was some sensitive quality about him that she couldn't pinpoint. They married anyway and were happy until she walked into a room and saw him with an older man. They later drove to where they drank and danced and had a wonderful time. On the dance floor she told him that she saw him with the man and that he disgusted her. The boy ran outside and shot himself in the mouth. Mitch comforts Blanche, trying to embrace her. He says, "You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be - you and me, Blanche?" .

Scene 7 –

Stella is setting the table for Blanche’s birthday party. Stanley tells Stella that Blanche has been lying to both and them. He has a who travels through all the time and knows exactly the reputation that Blanche has earned. She lived at a second-rate hotel called the where she visited with so many men that the management asked her to leave.

"The trouble with Dame Blanche was that she couldn't put on her act any more in Laurel! They got wised up after two or three dates with her and then they quit, and she goes on to another, the same old line, same old act, same old hooey! But the town was too small for this to go on forever! And as time went by she became a town character. Regarded as not just different but downright loco-nuts." He also tells her she did not resign from her teaching position. She was fired because she got mixed up with a seventeen-year-old boy and she was forced to leave town.

Mitch has been invited to Blanche’s birthday celebrations. Stanley tells Stella that he told Mitch what he knew about Blanche and says not to expect him. He also says that he bought her a for Tuesday to leave. Stella is furious and asks Stanley what Blanche will do, he replies, "Her future is mapped out for her." (page 85)

Scene 8 –

Stanley, Blanche, and in the kitchen celebrating. Mitch hasn’t turned up. Blanche tries to cover up the melancholy.

Blanche realises the uncomfortable atmosphere and thinks it has something to do with Mitch and why he didn't come. She calls and leaves a message for him.
Stanley presents Blanche with her birthday present. She runs out crying in shock.
Stella is angry with Stanley for being so cruel. She tries to explain to Stanley about their youth. Blanche used to be so kind and trusting, but men like Stanley forced her to change into her present state.
Stanley continues his pleadings and Stella pulls away. She returns to him in pain asking him to take her to the hospital.

Scene 9 –

comes by the house. invites him inside. He is confrontational with Blanche, witnessing her delusions. She keeps hearing the familiar noises from the night her husband died a and a shot.
He tells her he doesn't want to see her again. She pretends to not hear any of his words and continues to look for a drink. Mitch erupts by turning on the lights and crying, "It's dark in here.... I don't think I ever seen you in the .... What it means is I've never had a real good look at you...." (page 99) He pushes her face under a bright light, saying that she is older than he thought. They fight about stories he heard from Stanley, and Mitch says that he didn't want to believe them. But, he checked up on them, too, and found out everything he heard about her is true. She admits to all of the rumours. "Yes, I had many intimacies with strangers.... So I came here. There was nowhere else I could go. I was played out.... and I met you. You said you needed somebody. Well, I needed somebody, too. I thanked God for you, because you seemed to be gentle - a cleft in the rock of the world that I could hide in!"

An old comes around the corner selling flowers for the dead. This chanting sets the polka music off in Blanche's head again, sending her back to the past. She mutters lines that she heard when she was younger. The Mexican woman continues to chant "flowers for the dead".
Mitch comes behind her and places his hands on her waist wanting sexual relations. Blanches asks him to marry her if he wants that, to which he responds: "I don't think I want to marry you any more.... You’re not clean enough to bring in the house with my ." . Blanche is so horrified by Mitch's she screams at him to leave the house. She yells, "fire" until he runs away.

Scene 10 –

Blanche is engrossed in her imaginary world; she is dressed in her finery; looking into the mirror, mimicking lines as if she were speaking to a crowd of admirers. Stanley arrives from the hospital where is in labour.
Blanche tells him that while he was away she received a wire from in Dallas inviting her to go on a Caribbean cruise on a yacht. She is packing to leave for it soon. Stanley humours her by going along with the story.

Blanche makes up a story how Mitch came crawling back with roses, but Stanley knows it’s not true, and enquires whether this was before or after the telegram from the millionaire. They begin to quarrel and Blanche tries to call the operator to get help from Shep Huntleigh. She says she's in danger. Stanley continues to mock her. "I've been on to you from the start! Not once did you pull any wool over this boy's eyes! You come in here and sprinkle the place with powder and spray perfume and cover the light bulb with a paper lantern, and lo and behold the place has turned into Egypt and you are the Queen of the Nile! Sitting on your throne and swilling down my liquor!"

Blanche tries to call the operator for help in vein. He goes along with her saying that maybe she wouldn't be bad to play with. She runs to the kitchen and breaks a bottle, holding the jagged edge at his face as her dagger. He springs toward her, turning over the table, telling her that they've had it out for each other from the start. She screams and then sinks to her knees. Stanley picks her up and brings her to the bed, where he rapes her.

Scene 11 –

It is now several weeks after the incident with and . The four men from the original poker game play in the kitchen. Stella says that she couldn't believe Blanche and continue to live with Stanley. Blanche thinks she is going on a vacation in the country with Shep.
The doorbell rings and a and wait outside. They are at the house to pick up Blanche to take her to a mental hospital. Blanche doesn't want to walk through the poker game, but she does so with Stella. She repeats the same lines she said at the original poker party as she passes through. The continues to play in her head.
When she gets to the door, she is confused because the man is not Shep. She backs up frightened, running back into the house, screaming, trying to defend herself from the nurse and doctor. stares down at his hands while Stella closes her eyes in pain. Stanley tries to help the matron and doctor take Blanche away. Blanche keeps telling them that she forgot something so she can remain in the house. The matron asks the doctor if she should use a straight jacket. He says no and takes off his hat to become a kind man. He offers her his hand and she takes it, walking out of the house, slowly. She says, "Whoever you are - I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." (page 123) They walk away.
Stella runs after her and Stanley runs after Stella. He comforts her, pleased that this ordeal has concluded. He tries to unbutton her blouse.

Overview

This is such a good play to study because of Tennessee Williams’ talent to tell stories. A Streetcar Named Desire doesn’t contain any acts. This is due to the fact that if it did, it would break the tension that Tennessee has so skilfully climaxed and anti climaxed. Also Tennessee targeted his writing towards TV production.

Williams draws the viewer into the story very successfully. The whole play pivots around Blanche. She has the last say in every scene, except the scene 10 when she gets raped. This shows her power over the other characters intellectually and through her knowledge. Tennessee also exercises the power of repetition, not only by repeating the poker night, but also when Blanche enters the poker game at both points in the play, she asks the men not to stand in her presence, although clearly they weren’t going to anyway. This shows that although her mental state has deteriorated, she still feels she holds the same values. That saying things that would be expected of people of a higher class will make her some how superior. This leads to how Tennessee Williams gives you the urge to read on. As a reader I felt compelled to find out what happened to Blanche in the end, and whether or not Stella honoured her marriage to Stanley.