In What ways is Sexuality portrayed as central to the conflicts of the individual-v-society in Ken Kesey's 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' and Tennessee Williams 'A street car named desire'?
In What ways is Sexuality portrayed as central to the conflicts of the individual-v-society in Ken Kesey's 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' and Tennessee Williams 'A street car named desire'? The capacity of sexual feelings within the individual is central to both the development and fundamental basis of any significant character. As observed in both 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' (AKA Cuckoo's nest) and 'A Street car named desire' (AKA. St. car) sexuality emerges as a principal device used in defining a character to the audience. By the reliance on and close association of the text with the stereotypical characters found within society, the characters presented to the audience can be made more identifiable with. The physical description of a character can therefore be said to be symbolic of its sexuality, "Broad across the jaw...shoulders and chest"1 and in likening a description to a stereotype "I fight and fuh..too much"2 this can be greater reinforced. As you can see the physical description of McMurphy is twinned with boastful memoirs of his masculinity via his sexual prowess. This also being evident in St. car with the introduction of the character Stanley Kowalski, "blood stained package"3 is symbolic of the instinctive masculine act of the hunter-gatherer, this in collaboration with the description that precedes it "Roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes"4
Many definitions of tragedy claim that at the end of the play positives have emerged. Is it possible to see anything positive in the ending of A Streetcar Named Desire?
Many definitions of tragedy claim that at the end of the play positives have emerged. Is it possible to see anything positive in the ending of A Streetcar Named Desire? Many definitions of a tragedy claim that by the end of the play positives have emerged, I'm going to investigate whether this can be said for A Streetcar named Desire. I want to look at the outcome of the play for each of the main characters and see who, if anyone came out on top. A Streetcar Named Desire is considered by many to be a modern tragedy, this genre differs from a Greek or Shakespearian tragedy in that it's protagonists are not usually great people from noble backgrounds who suffer an epic downfall that has drastic consequences but ordinary people, in domestic settings who's downfall although tragic for them has no real impact on anyone other than themselves and those close to them. Streetcar centres around three main characters Blanche, an aging southern belle, her sister Stella who has shook off her gentile, southern upbringing and settled into a simple life in run down New Orleans and Stanley Kowalski, Stella's husband, a man of Polish decent that seems to represent the 'new America'. Blanche disrupts the lives of the Kaplowski's by turning up to stay with them claiming she's been given leave from her teaching job in Laurel, where the sisters grew up. We later learn however this is not
TO WHAT EXTENT CAN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE BE CALLED A TRAGEDY?
TO WHAT EXTENT CAN 'A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE' BE CALLED A TRAGEDY? 'A Streetcar Named Desire' was written by Tennessee Williams in 1947, eliciting the most critical commentary of any of his works, as well as being highly divisive: upon its release, one reviewer defined it as the product of an "almost desperately morbid turn of mind"1; George Jean Nathan criticised the "unpleasant"2 nature of the play, calling it "'The Glands Menagerie'"3. Williams' focus on realism, and the subsequent omission of clear-cut protagonists and antagonists in 'Streetcar', also drew glowing reviews, from the pre-eminent theatre critic Brook Atkinson, for example, who called Williams "a genuinely poetic playwright whose knowledge of people is honest and thorough"4. This difference in opinion does not stop at subjective criticism of the play, but even the specific genre which 'Streetcar' falls into. Many assume it to be a tragedy of some type, and there is indeed much to commend this view. However, the ambiguous nature of many aspects of the play and Williams' inclusion of alternate dramatic devices has led many to believe that 'Streetcar' should not be classified as a tragedy, but as a melodrama. In any tragedy, the tragic protagonist is of vital importance: everything is centred on the protagonist, their flaw and subsequent downfall. However, in 'Streetcar', there is large uncertainty as to who
To what extent can Blanche Dubois be considered a tragic hero?
Blanche DuBois is often referred to as a 'tragic figure.' How does Williams' presentation of this character allow her to be seen in this way? Aristotle defined 'Tragedy' around 330BC: "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of a noble and complete action; . . . and achieves, through the representation of pitiable and fearful incidents, the catharsis of such incidents." In a tragedy, the tragic hero is tested by suffering; as a result they're forced to face the consequences. Some will be crushed by their misfortune and may even die; others will somehow overcome their difficulties. Aristotle also states that the character must be of noble character - defined not by birth but rather by moral choice. This does not mean that they're perfect. There would be a sense of outrage if the individual were not marred in some way and yet still suffered. Conversely, a tragic hero can not be completely heinous. Aristotle felt the best type of tragic hero will fall somewhere between the two extremes - ". . . a person who is neither perfect in virtue and justice, nor one who falls into misfortune through vice and depravity, but rather, one who succumbs through some miscalculation." When the character is presented to the audience, there is empathy as their flaw (Hamartia) humanises them; a sense that it could happen to anyone because of this Hamartia, which while contributing to the character's lack
How does Williams present the character of Blanche in scenes 1-3 of A Streetcar Named Desire
How does Williams present the character of Blanche in scenes 1-3 of A Streetcar Named Desire? What dramatic techniques are used and what effects are created as a result? Tennessee Williams, the playwright of A Streetcar Named Desire is renowned for his strong characterization. He uses many literary, as well as dramatic, techniques in order to fully develop his characters, including their pasts, their motives and also their mannerisms. Moreover, Williams pays special attention to the way in which characters interact with each other, and the effects that are created as a result of the drama. Blanche is a major character in the play. The playwright presents her through her outward appearance on stage, her actions, the literary features of her language and what we find out about her and her life. The dramatic techniques he uses are designed to help the audience build-up an opinion of her, and these include detailed stage directions that vividly describe exactly how he wants to portray his character. When Blanche first appears in 'Elysian Fields', she is presented through her 'incongruous' appearance: 'She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat' The dramatic contrast between her and the New Orleans setting creates tension in the scene. The audience is made immediately aware that Blanche does not belong in
How much is Desire a force for destruction in the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire'?
How much is Desire a force for destruction in the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire'? The play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' obviously has the theme of desire playing a key role in it, since the play is so named. However, due to it being only a title, it cannot distinguish the role of this emotion, the many different subtleties of this emotion, and even the diverse range of ways it can be taken as meaning. It is not merely an emotion, but a force of nature, even a rite of passage. Within the play itself, as this emotion runs through the various scenes, no one threatens it, or even particularly acknowledges its very existence; yet, if it is not mentioned, then it should be unable to affect the characters and the plot as a whole. The actual depiction and reality of desire has not changed over time, but reactions are very different to it in the play to both what they are now, and what they were thousands of years ago. In this period, men were seen as being superior to women, but women had their place in the social order nevertheless. Stanley talks about the Napoleonic code; this is still used today, but only in principle. This is because for the most part, women and men are their own separate entities and have their own lives. In this point of time, and primarily in this location (since one cannot definitively say this was the overall mood towards desire when one only reads about
How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play?
How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play? Williams uses many dramatic devices to develop the play as a tragedy including: symbolism, stage directions and sounds. A Streetcar Named Desire can be seen as a modern domestic tragedy as the characters are not of noble birth and the play has specific focus on a female protagonist and anti-heroine, in this case Blanche. Blanche is often difficult to have an affinity with as she can come across as snobbish and over dramatising however, her fragility leads her to be a truly tragic figure much like that of Ophelia in Hamlet. Both characters are destroyed by the death of their loved ones and both suffer deaths themselves; albeit, in different ways. Williams uses symbolism to great effect within the play. In scene 1 the stage directions describe Blanche as “a moth”. William’s uses stage directions as a crucial dramatic device, making them highly detailed so when performed on stage it could be exactly as described; they became a signature of his. Instantly, a scene of tragedy is set as a moth is fragile however essentially a creature of self destruction, in its quest towards light it often ends up destroying itself. This sense of foreshadowing intensifies the tragedy from the very beginning, suggesting no matter what Blanche does, or how hopeful things are the
Tennessee Williams wrote in a letter that It (Streetcar) is a tragedy with the classic aim of producing a catharsis of pity and terror and in order to do that, Blanche must finally have the understanding and compass
Tennessee Williams wrote in a letter that "It ('Streetcar') is a tragedy with the classic aim of producing a catharsis of pity and terror and in order to do that, Blanche must finally have the understanding and compassion of the audience. This without creating a black-dyed villain in Stanley. It is a thing (misunderstanding) not a person (Stanley) that destroys her in the end." In your opinion, to what extent has Williams succeeded in his aims. Although there are many different viewpoints on a conventional tragic heroine, Aristotle made his views clear that a hero must fall from fortune and power, due to a tragic flaw, allowing an audience to feel catharsis at the end of the play. It can be argued that Stanley causes Blanche's downfall, however, it is clear that Blanche had brought this upon herself by creating a conflict between them and ensures her own downfall by other means such as her promiscuity and flux into fantasies. Williams makes it clear that a misunderstanding destroys Blanche in the end. This misjudgement can be seen in her aggressive teasing of Stanley and her uncomfortable belonging in multi-cultural New Orleans. From the beginning of the play, Williams makes it clear that 'the Kowalski and the DuBois have different notions' with Blanche withholding the Southern Belle attitude of 'Belle Reve'. However, it is clear that Blanche cannot cope with the stark
Compare and contrast Williams treatment of the concept of mental instability in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie in light of the opinion that Williams presents more hope in his presentation of Laura Wingfield than Blanche Dubois.
Compare and contrast Williams' treatment of the concept of mental instability in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie in light of the opinion that Williams presents more hope in his presentation of Laura Wingfield than Blanche Dubois. Tennessee Williams was the early 20th century playwright of both A Street Car Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. Williams' work was influenced by his family and it is widely believed that both the characters Blanche Dubois in Streetcar and Laura Wingfield in Glass Menagerie were modelled on his sister, Rose, a schizophrenic. As was common place in 1950s America, she was institutionalized and spent most of her adult life in mental hospitals. Reflecting on America's treatment of the mentally unstable and Williams' own experiences with this issue, both Street Car and Glass Menagerie explore the themes of escapism, abandonment, dependency and their effect on stability. Alcohol is used as a means of escape in Streetcar. Williams presents Blanche as a character who uses alcohol to distract herself from reality and her own mind; "the music is in her mind; she is drinking to escape it". Habitual drinking was bad for a woman's reputation in the 1940s and 50s, so the vice was often hidden or disguised; Williams illustrates this through Blanche's lies such as "No, one's my limit." Conversely, the character Laura's means of escape is through
To what extent can Blanche Dubois be described as a tragic victim in A Streetcar named Desire
To what extent can Blanche Dubois be described as a tragic victim in A Streetcar named Desire In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams presents the 'daintily dressed' Blanche Dubois as a tragic victim. Williams achieves this through his use of language, stage directions in the play and other dramatic techniques to emphasise Blanche's mental state and her dependence on alcohol and men. These factors cumulate and shape her tragic flaw, which is giving in to desire. She allows her desire to take control and manifest itself into drama and tragedy. When Blanche arrives, she has fallen, her fate is sealed and there is no way back for her now. The play presents a version of slum life that is romanticised, butreflects the typical characters of New Orleans. The area around Elysian Fields is historically different from the rest of the south as blacks mingle with whites, and members of different ethnic groups play poker and bowl together. Members of the lower class fight, but drink to the tune of an old bluesy piano, which allows them to forget the harshness of poverty. Blanche's 'appearance is incongruous' against the backdrop of New Orleans, which gives the audience a sense of vulnerability.The manner in which Blanche is dressed shows that she comes from an upper class background, and that she cares for her appearance. However she only wears costume jewellery, showing the
