The climax transpires when Stanley rapes Blanche, whilst his wife is in hospitable having their baby. This literally shows the antagonist up against the protagonist. This is the moment, where Blanche ‘loses’ power over Stanley. In the previous scenes, Blanche used her intelligence successfully to dominate Stanley, at the end of scene10, Blanche ‘let’s her guard down’. Stanley instantly recognises this, and ‘takes advantage’.
The dénouement takes place at the end, when the matron and doctor arrive, to take Blanche to a mental asylum. Although this may be considered an over reaction on Stella’s part, it gives the audience a satisfactory conclusion. After this I felt that Blanche’s mental state would improve with psychiatric help, so that one day she could start to be honest with herself, and eventually the people around her that she is so fond of.
In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ you notice that Tennessee Williams did not use acts in his play, but just scenes. I believe this is because Williams’ writing was directly aimed at television production, and it wasn’t until later that it was performed on stage. Without the use of acts, the tension is not lost, as there is no requirement for an interval. I am of the opinion that this technique makes it seem more realistically related to life, as it seems to ‘fit time’ better.
When studying this play, I also realised, that each of the eleven scenes within the play, are substantial enough to be able to stand alone as a mini play. I feel this is because although as an overall, the play fits the points made by the French dramatist, when ‘delving’ into it, you notice that each scene separately also fits the criteria.
As an example I will focus on the penultimate scene (scene 10), as this is the point, where all the tension that has been built up throughout the play finally anti climaxes.
Exposition – Blanche performing a speech to an imaginary crowd, then Stanley enters, straight from the hospital.
Conflict - Blanche believes that one of her old high school sweethearts is coming to collect her to take her on a Caribbean cruise, so is sampling different outfits to see how suitable they are. Stanley is bitter about how many riches she has in her travel case. He believes the money that he should rightfully have from the loss of Belle Reve has paid for all the fine garments.
Complications – Stanley is thinks that this man is going to ‘interfere’ with her ‘privacy’, meaning he will delve into Blanche’s wealth.
Climax – When Blanche loses her power of intelligence over Stanley, and he takes full advantage. They quarrel and verbally ‘bash’ each other.
Dénouement – this is hard to depict, but maybe because the resolution is when Blanche gets what she’s been asking for right from the beginning when Stanley rapes her.
When watching the video, it was clear to me that the play had been written for television, as it clearly displayed how different a film is to a play. This was primarily because the actors weren’t performing to an audience; this made it seem that you were entering their house, and their lives, making it a lot more personal. The film was very fluent, the scene lengths were cinematic, and there was no interval or pauses where it could be clear that one act was finishing, and another beginning.
Although the play was written in chronological order, it is effective when Blanche has flash backs from the past. This informs the viewer of the contrast of her life before and after the huge transition period, when she gained a bad name for herself. This works most effectively on film, as you can almost see ‘into her mind’.
When watching a film, you can sometimes see if from different character’s points of views, although this play is from Blanche’s perspective, as a viewer I felt compassionate towards the other characters, this is probably because all their problems seem to relate back to Blanche.
One of the key ideas, that makes this more film like, is the dialogue, it’s very naturalistic, and colloquial. The characters seem comfortable shouting at and over each other, and the modern phrases and references, account to ‘putting the viewer in the character’s position’
Structurally the play is very clever. The play starts in May, this represents new growth, optimism, fresh start, leading into hot, dry, sultry summer, when everything is washed out and parched, this shows tedium, nothing is happening, everyone is short tempered and fed-up. In September the play concludes, this relates to autumn, the period of time when you harvest crops, ‘reap what you’ve sewn’. This relates to Stanley, and how he’s achieved victory, he was not only sexually satisfied by Blanche, but over a period of four months, he’s slowly watched her ‘crumble’ under pressure. Finally she gets sent to the mental asylum and he gets his house, privacy and most importantly to him, his physical relationship with his wife back.
In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Tennessee specifically wrote it so that the drastic events to occur would not seem a total shock to the audience. This is what makes a tragedy according Aristotle. He states that, events should not be accidental, or by chance, and should be a consequence of earlier actions. An example of this is given in Blanche, when she gets raped. The tension is built up throughout the whole play, and it is obvious that both Stanley and Blanche are sexually unsatisfied. Near the end, Mitch threatens to rape her. But with Stanley’s temper ever increasing throughout the play, the only person that he’s stayed fairly reserved for is Blanche. This implies that he’s got huge amounts of pent up anger for her.
Williams also uses the surprise element when writing ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. The idea that Blanche initially portrays of having morals, and being righteous, is completely destroyed when Stanley discusses her past, and implies her being a prostitute. This is linked to another of Aristotle’s key points for a tragedy, that the audience should experience fear and pity. Lastly the other key factors are that, the tragedies should focus on characters that are near and dear to each other. This directly relates to the ‘rifts’ caused between Stella and Blanche. And may also indicate that deep down, below their shallow, but similar exteriors, Blanche and Stanley do get on.
One of the most prominent techniques used by Williams in this play is his use of symbols. For example, the coke stain on Blanche’s white dress. This shows a stain on her supposedly pure or virgin character. Also, the repeated use of a moth symbolises the fatal attraction they have for light, they’re being drawn to something that will kill them, this is directly linked to Blanche in that she’s drawn to drink and sex etc. everything that will give people the wrong idea. The lantern is frequently mentioned, but Blanche covers it up with a paper shade, this shows how she covers up the truth. The in human cries show Blanche’s ‘lost soul’, and the jungle noises relate to Stanley’s animal or Neanderthal man side. Blanche’s obsession with cleanliness shows her trying to wipe away her ‘dirty’ past. The repetition of the blue piano in the background shows a distorted promise of a good time. The blues represents the mood of decay, melancholy, and mourning. The jazz shows seediness and joy. The streetcar is probably the most prominent symbol, it shows the journey from A to B, with no turnings to have to make a decision on. The tracks won’t let you turn back and rectify your past, that will always be apart of you, this links to Blanche and her bad reputation. The frequent poker games that Stanley and his friends partake in show how life is based on chance. The winner takes all. The game is short and brutal and the ‘name of the game’ is bluffing, and giving out a false persona. This relates to Blanche and how she wants people to get to know her for her and not for what they’ve heard. Especially Mitch.
The play concludes on a mixed note though. Although Blanche being sent to an asylum generally doesn’t show positive signs, I fell that this means that she will learn to be at peace with herself. Blanche finally meets someone with whom she can be understood, and click with. They are obviously both well educated and that is the primary similarity. But it still leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger as to whether she learns to be honest with herself and others around her, or continues to pursue this idea of being someone she’s not. After all, you are what you are.
