To what extent do you think William wants his Audience to perceive Blanche as a victim ?
Streetcar named Desire To what extent do you think William wants his Audience to perceive Blanch as a victim ? Within the play 'A Streetcar named Desire' one Williams main characters is BlancheDuBois, this character can be seen as a complex individual that provokes strong reactions from the other characters. We know that she has been a schoolteacher in Mississippi but was asked to leave her job because of an involvement with a student, that she was once a 'Southern belle' from a wealthy family, and that she had a failed marriage and that Blanche has fled from her past. Her complexity comes not from her history or background, but from the varied and often inconsistent facades she presents. Throughout the play we get to know more about Blanche and the type of character Williams has really created in contrast to the type of person that she would like everybody else to think she is. Blanche's action when by herself, Blanche's past and her dialogue with others such as Mitch, Stanley and the paperboy allow us to draw a number of conclusions. Because of William's use of foreshadowing events throughout the play we are able to understand that Blanche is deceptive, egotistical and seductive. Blanche gives further weight to the idea because she deceives and tricks people. She lies consistently and pretends to be a very 'classy' and cultured when in reality she is neither. Williams
Discuss Williams dramatic presentation of Blanche.
Charlotte Bennett City College Norwich 18125 ‘A Streetcar Named Desire makes it clear that for Williams the act of fleeing always becomes the act of reliving the past. Flight forces the presence of the past on his characters as the presence of what they attempted to flee.’ Discuss William’s dramatic presentation of Blanche. Blanche is portrayed as a complex, delusional, psychotic character in denial, shown when she says at the conclusion ‘Is it the gentleman I was expecting from Dallas?’ when there is no gentleman. This is done through William’s use of dramatic language and style ‘She begins to speak with feverish vivacity’. Blanche is out of place in Scene One where her clothes are described as ‘incongruous to the setting’. She is out of place geographically, having been exiled from Laurel because of the turmoil with her husband committing suicide and her relationship with a student. She portrays herself as a Southern Belle in Laurel and continues this in New Orleans-she is a lost soul. She has moved from a large estate, Belle Reve, to sharing a small apartment. She is portrayed as having money but she didn’t buy Belle Reve, it was handed down to her but she never admits to having nothing. Her clothes reflect the kind of person she is, they are always ‘off white’ because she is not pure and are similar to that of a moth which is
How does Williams suggest that Blanche and Mitch seem to be out of place in Stanleys world?
How does Williams suggest that Blanche and Mitch seem to be out of place in Stanley’s world? Throughout the opening scenes of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Williams evokes the impression that both Blanche and Mitch are out of place in Stanley’s world, through his narrow tolerance of people, and by the way he acts towards them. These characters are marked out as incompatible with Stanley’s world through a variety of different ways, of which this essay shall explore the most significant. Stella resides in ‘Elysian fields’, which already renders her incompatible with Stanley; since the name of the street which Williams chose conveys the opposing ideals that both Blanche and Stanley represent. Stanley echoes a primitive being that is in touch with his core, ‘he heaves the package at her’, suggesting he is Neanderthal like and at home in the Greek version of the afterlife. Blanche on the other hand does not see their house to be heaven. She is disdainful and critical of the place where Stella and Stanley live, ‘you had to live in these conditions?’, and she represents a different society which has become too detached from its animal element. Blanche has become too over civilised and has repressed her liveliness and sexuality in pursuit of her way of life. Blanche is shocked when she sees Stella’s home, ‘this – can this be – her home?’, and she
To what extent is it possible for an audience to have sympathy for the character of Stanley?
Modern Tragedy ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Word Count: 1479 To what extent is it possible for an audience to have sympathy for the character of Stanley? The conventions of Classical Tragedies such as those of Euripides and Shakespeare, manipulate an audience by giving characters clear traits. Deducing a tragic hero and villain in a play was quite simple. As society has evolved however, so has tragedy. In reality, people are not purely good or bad and this is reflected in modern tragedies such as ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ in which Tennessee Williams leaves the roles of each character open to interpretation. Stanley’s character is seemingly the tragic villain; he is abusive, violent and rapes Blanche but there are various times where the audience can feel sympathy for him. In order to suppress her own insecurities, Blanche manipulates and belittles Stella and Stanley through her dialogue, openly expressing her disapproval of their lifestyle and thus allowing sympathy for Stanley’s actions; she could be seen as the tragic aggressor. She criticises Stella’s appearance describing her as “plump as a partridge” and “messy” like a child whilst saying how she has remained beautiful and slim due to staying at Belle Reve. Blanche describes Stella as “baby” frequently and Williams does this to show her view that Stella is young, naïve and unintelligent and
How does William's convey the tension between Blanche and Stanley
How does William convey the tension between Blanche and Stanley? In “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a play formed with intertwining conflicts between characters. Two of the main characters Stanley and Blanche continually oppose each other; their differences eventually lead to Stanley's rape of Blanche. Conflict first arises when Blanche arrives at the Kowalski household and Stanley's authority over his home is questioned. Stanley has always had authority and control of his home – “his car, his radio, everything that is his” and also his wife Stella as he. When Blanche arrives he feels that h e is being invaded and doesn't agree with it. There is sexual tension between them both, which William portrays in Scene 2, when Blanche exits the bathroom in her “red satin robe”. The colour red suggests passion and danger, and satin as a material is luxurious and seductive to touch. This is an unusual outfit to be wearing whilst alone with her sister’s husband and directly implies sexual tension and gives Blanche the look of a “scarlet woman”. Firstly, Blanche’s own sentence structure portrays the tension present between herself and Stanley very effectively. In moments of high tension, such as when they first meet in scene 1, Blanche gives very short and monosyllabic answers to his questions, such as “yes” and “I-uh” – which shows how nervous she is
To what extent, and in what way, does Williams portrayal of modern society help create sympathy for Blanche and her actions?
To what extent, and in what way, does Williams' portrayal of modern society help create sympathy for Blanche and her actions? 'A Streetcar Named Desire', as described by Arthur Miller, is a 'cry of pain'. The message that resonates within the play is modern society has a 'crying, almost screaming need' to get to know themselves and each other a 'great deal better'. Williams has a 'tortured view of the world' and of society, and this is evident in his portrayal of Blanche and the characters around her. Although Blanche lies and is extremely promiscuous, she is seen more as the protagonist of the play and is portrayed as a victim. When the audience first sees Blanche, she is dressed in 'white', the colour of purity. Her 'delicate beauty must avoid strong light' and her 'uncertain manner' 'suggests a moth'. From the very beginning, Blanche is portrayed as fragile and extremely vulnerable. Her appearance totally contrasts with the setting of the play and makes her seem out of place and out of time. Life in New Orleans has 'a raffish charm', and there is an 'atmosphere of decay'. The audience cannot help but take pity on Blanche, whose manner is 'incongruous to this setting'. Her 'delusions of grandeur' and 'shocked disbelief' of Stella's surroundings only serve to further the image of her being 'lost'. The streetcars that 'brought (Blanche) here', 'Desire' and 'Cemeteries'
Significance of the title "A Streetcar Named Desire"
What, for you, is the significance of the title, A Streetcar Named Desire? Throughout the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, there are many symbols and allusions that point the reader or the audience towards Blanche's true nature. One of these is the title itself. Not only is it unusual, it is basically the plot of the play and Desire is what eventually drives Blanche over the edge, amongst other things. In the opening scene, Blanche takes a 'Streetcar named Desire, then transfer(s) to one called Cemeteries and get(s) off at Elysian Fields'. Not only is Desire the vehicle that transports Blanche to her sister, Stella, it is literally what drives her to the Kowalski's doorstep. Right from the beginning, 'Desire' is linked to 'Cemeteries', in other words, death. As Blanche rightly says, 'the opposite of desire, is death'. 'Elysian Fields' refers to paradise, where Blanche hopes to end up. The day after brutal 'poker night', Stanley sneaks in under the noise of the train to hear Stella and Blanche talking about him. It is effectively Blanche's desire that deafens her from hearing Stanley's entrance. When Stella asks Blanche if she has 'ever ridden on that streetcar', Blanche replies that 'it brought (her) here'. Blanche's desire not only deafens her, it blinds her and ruins her as well. She manages to destroy her previously good reputation when she stays at the Hotel Flamingo by
Blanche appears in the amber light of the door. She has a tragic radiance in her red satin robe following the sculptural lines of her body. The Varsouviana rises audibly as Blanche enters the bedroom. With reference to the above stage direct
Essay Question: Blanche appears in the amber light of the door. She has a tragic radiance in her red satin robe following the sculptural lines of her body. The "Varsouviana" rises audibly as Blanche enters the bedroom. With reference to the above stage direction, discuss Williams' presentation of Blanche in the final scene of the play. Deluded and hysterical, Blanche has fully unraveled, her complexity stripped away for the audience to see her as she really is. Blanche's ultimate demise is imminent, which is to be witnessed cruelly by the whole cast. However her strength still shines through; she hasn't yet been defeated. In the final scene of "A Streetcar Named Desire" the playwright Tennessee Williams gives a more simple presentation of Blanche which he achieves through his use of various dramatic strategies. With nowhere else to turn for solace Blanche attempts to create illusions which become blurred with reality. At the beginning of the scene Blanche is "bathing" no longer trying to "cleanse" her conscience instead her baths become a desperate attempt to wash off the horror of Stanley's violation. Whilst in the bath Stella says "she's got it mixed out in her mind with Shep Huntleigh". Blanche believes that she is to go away on vacation with her imagined lover Shep Huntleigh who, for Blanche, represents an escape for the brutal, aggressive world of the Kowalskis. She has
How far would you agree that Stanley is ''an insensitive brute who destroys Blanche with cruel relish''?
How far would you agree that Stanley is ''an insensitive brute who destroys Blanche with cruel relish''? I agree with this statement, because, throughout the play Stanley's behaviour is inconsiderate and malicious towards Blanche. Right through the play Stanley and Blanche have a very tense and challenging relationship. Stanley's thug like behaviour is demonstrated when he hears the music on the radio and shouts at Blanche to, ''turn it off!'' then throws it out of the window. This shows that he likes to make her feel insecure and scared since he knows that he has power over her. The main focus point in the play is Stanley raping Blanche. Before he does this he declares, ''all right let's have some rough -house.'' This can be seen as another way for him to prove to her that he was in control and to almost degrade her to his level. He takes advantage of her vulnerability and it is here when we can really call Stanley a brute as he wants to teach her a lesson and show her that she is not as important as she makes out to be. However it can be argued that both Stanley and Blanche are somewhat flirtatious towards each other. Blanche asks Stanley to do up ''some buttons'' on the back of her dress. She then asks him if ''you think it possible that I was once considered to be-attractive?'' This is blatantly obvious as she confesses to Stella, ''I was flirting with your
What is your view of the way Williams constructs Blanche as a character in the play, in the light of this comment?
Williams wrote about Blanche DuBois: 'She was a demonic character; the size of her feelings was too great for her to contain without the escape of madness.' What is your view of the way Williams constructs Blanche as a character in the play, in the light of this comment? Williams uses Blanche DuBois as a vehicle to explore several themes that interested him, one of these being madness. His own sister, Rose, was lobotomised in his absence and later institutionalised leading many critics to believe that the character of Blanche may have arisen from events in his own life. Blanche's tragic past involving both the death of her "young" husband and her consequent promiscuity with "young men" created an overwhelming amount of emotion for Blanche, which, as Williams suggests, "was too great for her to contain". As to whether her escape was "madness" can be debatable - although Blanche is clearly unstable at many points, some believe that Blanche is not actually insane, suggested by Stella's comment in Scene 11 - "I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley." From her first appearance on stage, Blanche is presented as being "incongruous" to New Orleans and to her surroundings and Williams immediately distinguishes her from the rest of the characters in the play by her immaculate white clothing, echoing the meaning of her name, and later with symbolic associations such
