Inside the Kowalski’s flat the confinement for Blanche is a feeling that she has no privacy within the house. Williams uses this so blanche cannot escape the truth that she is hiding. The symbolism of then curtain that is used to separate Stella and Stanley from blanche is that Blanche can never escape Stanley and the truth he finds out. Blanche often uses the only room in the house, which is separated with walls to escape from everything; the bathroom also is a place where Blanche can purify herself.
Within scene ten the set becomes transparent to allow the audience to see a prostitute and a drunk, Tennessee has used a parallel situation to heighten the dramatic impact of Blanche’s Rape.
‘ Through the back wall of the rooms, which have become transparent, can be seen the sidewalk. A prostitute has rolled a drunkard. He pursues her along the walk, overtakes her, and it is a struggle. A policeman’s whistle breaks it up. The figures disappear’.
Williams is showing how even a prostitute can be saved from rape or any such thing however Blanch cant.
In the opening stage directions lighting is used to create moods and also to highlight themes and emotions used by Williams the most obvious in his treatment of Blanche who is afraid of it’s exposing nature.
‘ I don’t think I have ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact’.
Tennessee uses light as a metaphor for reality and the truth.
Williams uses light both harsh and shaded to represent levels of reality and the act of hiding from it. For example the paper lantern
‘ He tears the paper lantern off the light bulb. She utters a frightened gasp’.
However in scene three for the first time and the only time throughout the play, Blanche actually stands in the light.
‘She takes off her blouse and stands in her pink silk brassiere and white skirt in the light through the portieres.
Tennessee does this to show that Blanche is looking to the future and looking at Mitch to be in her future. Therefore the exposure to the truth is less painful.
In scene six Blanche describes love as being like ‘ a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow’; this enforces that only love can help Blanche to face the truth.
Tennessee Williams makes extensive use of several distinctive types of music as a tool to establish the setting and the mood for each scene. The music is chosen carefully so as to enhance some aspect of Blanches emotional state at the time.
The rumba and waltz music on the radio represent Blanches tendency to romanticise and live in a world of illusions and run away from reality, she turns away fro the realities of her past and attempts to drown herself in a happier fantasy world. Another prominent is that of the polka. This is heard two encounters between Mitch and Blanch – once when she first mention her husband killing himself with the gun and the second time when Mitch returns to Blanche to tell her about breaking off all relations with her. Another musical presence in the play is the song Blanche sings while bathing, the popular 1940’s ballad “ it’s only a paper moon”, which includes the following lyrics: ‘ it’s a Barnum and bailey world, just as phoney as it can be, but it wouldn’t be make-believe, if you believed in me’
This is a fair summary of Blanches situation with regard to Mitch. Her hope, as she sees it. Rests in his believing her act or believing in her strongly enough to make the act reality.
Williams uses music throughout the play specifically at the endings of each scene to create suspense until the next scene to keep the reader intrigued and interested.
Tennessee Williams use’s costume to reflect the character, by the colours they wear.
We find out in scene two that Blanches clothing looks expensive however are cheap this is another sign that appearances are deceptive.
‘It looks like you raided some stylish shops in Paris’.
We find out about the irony of Blanches white clothing and how really she isn’t the person she looks to be.
Stanley however is different he wears clothes that reflect the true person he is. During streetcar we find that Stanley wears the colour red this symbolises a lot of meanings such as animalistic, passionate, bold, arrogant and masculine. Tennessee Williams has done this to give the effect that Blanche is an outsider in New Orleans and form society.
Also Stanley has his special occasion pyjamas Williams here shows that Stanley viewed his marriage in the same way as he views other women, sexual objects.
Mitch has a different sense of dress to the rest of the ‘boys’ he dresses smart, as he wants to impress. Williams did this to show that Mitch is looking for the woman of his dreams so he dresses up to attract them. However during scene nine we find that he changes and goes to see Blanche in his work clothes this symbolises disrespect and that he doesn’t want anything to do with Blanche anymore due to the things he has found out.
In conclusion Tennessee Williams uses set, music, costume and lighting in streetcar to symbolise or give an effect of something. I think they way he has done it is very well suited to the play.