When Blanche arrives in Elysian Fields (the name of the Greek heaven), she enters her own metaphorical afterlife. She faces the consequences of the previous actions of her eccentric life. On leaving her hometown through reaching social death and a bankrupt state, Blanche embarks on her journey to Elysian Fields. This journey, passing through “cemeteries,” is a microcosm of her life until this point. Blanches sexual want has expelled her from “Belle Reve” (beautiful dream), and she was so promiscuous that she was paid and asked to never return. Ironically, we find out that Blanche’s star sign is “Virgo,” the sign of virginity and innocence. She finds her self in a new world, where she is “not wanted,” where she is “ashamed to be.” This can also be perceived as Blanche leaving the old world, that Tennessee Williams admired and adored, and entering a new world of change, that Williams despised with a passion. Blanche’s “want” for Mitch also leads her to a downfall, her past instigates the rejection and she is reminded of her previous actions. She is reminded, as is the audience, of her previous husband by the “young, young, young, young – man.” Her flirtatious ways are foreshadowing the sub-plot of her relations with the “seventeen-year-old boy.” The “streetcar named desire” also highlights Blanche’s hypocrisy, at the end of the play she is removed from social society completely, due to this pursuit of “desire.”
Pursuit of sex affects many of Blanche’s familiars, her husband is the perfect example. Allan Grey is confused and disorientated about his sexuality. When Blanche breaks in on him and a lover, he kills himself, because of her disapproval and remorse. This pursuit of “desire” leads to his death. She also refers to her ancestor’s death being due to their “epic fornications.” Her family and relations all link to the relationship between death and sex.
Light also links to the constant ideas of “desire” throughout the play, it represents her past life, and how she is more than keen to cover it up as she “can’t stand a naked light bulb.” In situations where Blanche’s sexual immaturity is shown there is a bright light in the room, and as you would expect a dim light is shown to represent her sexual frustrations and sophistication, including memories and regrets of her past.
Stella and Stanley’s relationship is driven by “desire.” A good example of the sexual status of the two is when Stanley throws the meat. Stella “laughs breathlessly,” and embraces her position under Stanley’s sexual dominance.
Stanley’s lifestyle is driven by, and indeed disturbed by, “desire.” When Blanche enters his world, he has no understanding or respect for her. He mocks her “flighty” nature, and is more than happy to intimidate her in the power struggle at every given moment, for instance when he “starts to remove his shirt,” in scene one and scene ten. The first is merely a sign of authority, reminding Blanche she is in his “territory,” the second is more invasive and Blanche begs him to “close the curtains.” His indecency and improper actions are caused through his subconscious “desire.”
Stanley assumes his sexual dominance is over all women and cannot understand why a woman of Blanche’s sexual explicitness and calibre would not want to sleep with him, and is shocked that she will not share his “loving-cup.” The rape scene triggers Blanche to become insane. It is not the initial act, but that fact that it happened by a man that Blanche has no consideration or respect for, this eventually drives her to insanity. Once again, although in a different form, it is “desire” that forces Blanche away from a home.
