How Does Tennessee Williams Dramatize the Differences Between Stanley and Blanche in Scenes I and II?
How Does Tennessee Williams Dramatize the Differences Between Stanley and Blanche in Scenes I and II? TW (Tennessee Williams) depicts Blanche and Stanley as two very different people, who represent two very different things. He dramatizes this in many different ways. The first description of Blanche is about her appearance (page 5). "Her appearance is incongruous to this setting". This is the first sign that the book gives that Blanche is going to be very different from everyone else there and that she will be out of place. It means that whatever Blanche is like her setting will be completely different to what she is and she will stand out. The next sentence is; "She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and a hat, looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district." Blanche is completely dressed in white, and even her name is French for white. This gives the appearance of innocence, youth and beauty. The fact that she looks dressed for a garden party means that that is the sort of society she is used to and she was not expecting to arrive in a place so far from what she expected. The next part is; "She is about five years older than Stella." The page before says that Stella is about twenty-five, so that means that Blanche is about thirty, however, by the way she is dressed
Who do you believe is the most to blame for Blanche’s fate at the end of ‘ A Streetcar Named Desire’?
Who do you believe is the most to blame for Blanche's fate at the end of ' A Streetcar Named Desire'? How far do you think Blanche qualifies as a tragic heroine during the course of the play? There are many connecting themes that lead to Blanche's long-anticipated downfall. These themes I will discuss in my essay. She is under the influence of fate, her own sexual the desire for money. Major themes explored are death, fate and madness. Ironically the title incorporates the word 'desire', as we know this as an underlying theme in the novel. The fact that Williams saw an actual streetcar in Old Orleans gives the impression that William's play is close to own heart; we know that his sister could be viewed as a representation of Blanche in the play. She too had casual, frequent encounters much like Blanche has in the play. She was a nymphomaniac who was finally lobotomised and sent to an asylum. It is clear that 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is personal to the Playwright. Blanche has annoying obsessive behaviour and it is clear that the Writer portrays Blanche as a person who would be clearly hell to live with. Blanche is first introduced in the play as being 'moth' like; immediately she is compared in her smartness to the shabby, rundown street ironically named, 'Elysian Fields': " She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice... " Her appearance is grand and
Is conflict a key aspect of family life?
Is conflict a key aspect of family life? Conflict is indeed a key aspect of family life. It happens on a daily basis in almost every home in the country; even the Waltons had conflict with each other. I have the view that conflict is a corner stone of our life; it can help bring us together, not just drive us apart. During Flight this is particularly apparent, but in Your shoes conflict seems to have a negative effect. At the beginning of Flight the 'old man' seems to be looking for conflict; "'Hey!' he shouted; saw her jump...'Waiting for Steven, hey?' he said, his fingers curling like claws into his palm." Within thirty lines Lessing had set the scene for the family tension and demonised the old man. As Flight progresses we find out that the old man only causes the conflict in an effort to retain his last granddaughter, which removes most of the negative feeling. The turning point, the point where the old man's conflict is lost, is central to the story; "On the wrist of the post master's son balanced a young pigeon, the light gleaming on its breast. 'For me?' said the old man, letting the drops shake of his chin. 'For me?'" The relationship brought the granddaughter and her mother together because they were both united against the old man, but when the post master's son gives him the bird as a peace offering he lets go of his anger and is drawn closer to his
Imagine that you have been asked to direct “A Streetcar named Desire” by Tennessee Williams. How would you present the play?
Zulfqar Ali 11JH 20th September, 2001 "A Streetcar named Desire": Tennessee Williams Imagine that you have been asked to direct a version of the play. You have selected your cast and they have come to their first rehearsal with you. Explain to the actors who are to play the parts of Stanley and Stella Kowalski just how you would like them to perform their roles in the play. Stanley and Stella Kowalski are both working class people, living in a small, ground floor flat in New Orleans. This is a poor, multicultural society, with many pubs, bars and bowling alleys. Stanley is the child of immigrants and is proud of what he is. He works in a factory and appears to be a hard worker. Stanley is a strong, muscular character as described in the stage directions by Williams; "He is of medium height, about five feet eight or nine and strongly compactly built. Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes." He is proud to be who he is and everything that he owns. As described in the stage directions he loves, "good drink and food and games, his car, his radio." Stanley is a very powerful, dominating character. He is deeply in love with his wife Stella, but has a serious problem with controlling his temper and becomes very violent. In the beginning of the play Stanley is very welcoming and friendly to his sister-in-law that he's never met before. This
'A Streetcar Named Desire' Plot Synopsis
'A Streetcar Named Desire' Plot Synopsis When the play starts, we see Blanche DuBois arriving at Elysian Fields, Mississippi, looking for her younger sister Stella. She is shocked to find that Stella who is married to Stanley Kowalski, a polish man, is living in such a small apartment, in a rough part of town. Blanche goes into the apartment and waits. She is feeling a little tense so helps herself to an alcoholic drink. When Stella arrives both females are overly excited to see one another, however Blanche cannot hide that she is more than disappointed in Stella's choice of living. Blanche soon informs her younger sister about the loss of their family home Belle Reve. She explains to Stella that she had lots of debts to pay off, due to the deaths of several family members. Stanley soon arrives home accompanied by two other men; Steve Hubbel, who lives upstairs with wife, Eunice, and Harold Mitchell, a.k.a. Mitch, who lives with his ill mother. At first Blanche and Stanley appear to get on fine, yet she is shocked by his lack of refinement. We also learn that Blanche had once been married. The following day when Blanche is bathing, Stella informs Stanley of the loss of Belle Reve. She doesn't appear overly concerned, however Stanley feels that Blanche may be conning Stella out of her share of the profits. He searches through Blanches belongings and finds things that look
How much sympathy do we feel for Blanche in the opening scenes of the play and why is this? In what ways do stage directions contribute to the understanding of her character.
Title: A streetcar named Desire Task: How much sympathy do we feel for Blanche in the opening scenes of the play and why is this? In what ways do stage directions contribute to the understanding of her character. The character of Blanche shows many different sides of a personality in the opening scenes of the play and this makes it difficult to say whether the audience feel sympathy for her or not. From the very beginning of the play it is shown that Blanche does not fit into the multicultural society of New Orleans. "Her appearance is incongruous to the setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit with fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat, looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea of cocktail party in the garden district." Here Blanches dress suggests a more upper class standard and it seems as though she has lowered herself in coming top this place. This could come across as uppity but also shows that she is desperately alone in the area and does not quite fit in here and has lost the place that she felt most at home. The stage directions show Blanche to be a vulnerable and fragile character, allowing the audience to feel for her. "Her delicate beauty must avoid strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner as well as her white clothes that suggests a moth." The metaphor of a moth gives Blanche the image of being
"A streetcar named Desire" written by Tennessee Williams.
"A streetcar named Desire" written by Tennessee Williams. It was set at Elysian Fields, a district of New Orleans. This play was published in November 1947. In this exceptional story the readers are introduced to the main character named Blanche DuBois. This hypercritical women with dishonest manners moves to New Orleans intending to move in with her younger sister Stella Kowalski and her husband Stanley. In Scene 1, Blanche DuBois arrives from Belle Reve (claiming to have lost their mansion) to New Orleans, where her younger sister Stella is living with her husband Stanley who are living in a small apartment. She comes intending to stay with Stella without giving Stella notice of her arrival. She comes dressed extravagantly and wearing attractive jewellery. Stella, having not seen Blanche for a while and without the faintest idea of her arrival, is surprised to see her older sister Blanche after several years. Straightaway Blanche tells Stella about her poor lifestyle and how things have completely changed since Stella left. In Scene 2, Stella's husband Stanley starts to not like Blanche in this scene, as he demands for some proof of the loss of the old mansion in Belle Reve. "I'm talking of legal papers. Connected with the plantation". Stanley thinks that Blanche has obscured all of the wealth. Later on during the play Blanche comes across one of Stanley's good friends,
The play, 'A street car named desire' was written by an author named Tennessee Williams
20th Century drama coursework The play, 'A street car named desire' was written by an author named Tennessee Williams. His real name was Thomas Lanier. He assumed the name 'Tennessee' in 1938 because he said, "the Williams fought the Indians for Tennessee." Tennessee was born on March 26th 1911 in Columbus Mississippi. When he was a teenager he realised the life of a young writer was going to be something similar to the defence of the stockade against a band of peasants. A description reminiscent of Blanches battles with Stanley in the street car named desire is what Tennessee was trying to refer to his own life. The play was set in New Orleans which is named Elysian Fields and runs between the L&N tracks and the river. Elysian Fields is quite a poor and run down area but unlike most other American cities, it has a raffish charm. The houses mostly have a white frame, have a weathered grey colour with rickety outside stairs In scene 1-3 it is all about Blanche getting used to New Orleans. She finds it difficult to like and fit in because it is much different to where she lived before (Belle Reve). This is because Belle Reve was a very upper-class area where as New Orleans is more average, run down and has a mixed community. Blanche doesn't like New Orleans or where Stella is living. She is very snobbish and thinks it is a dump. "I thought you would never come back to
A Streetcar Named Desire - It is impossible to feel sympathy for Blanche.
"It is impossible to feel sympathy for Blanche." Discuss. Blanche in "A Streetcar Named Desire" is a character who will throughout the duration of the play invoke all sorts of contrasting, even opposite emotions. To analyse one's emotions is no easy task, and to do so most effectively one must break the play into different parts and analyse them separately. The problem with Blanche is that she presents a character so mixed up in her own motives and opinions that one never knows if it is really her or an act she's putting on. The audience will find itself constantly readjusting its position towards Blanche and the other characters as the play unfolds and we learn more about her story and the reasons behind her inadequacies. Williams makes sure nothing is white or black but grey so that at some moments in the play we struggle to find a reason for her cool manipulation and hunger for power while at others we pity her pathetic life founded on lies and misconceptions. Even when she tries to break up Stanley and Stella's relationship we don't immediately brand her as a villain, we remember that if Stella hadn't left than maybe Blanche would have become what she had wanted to become rather than what society dictated her to become. When we see Blanche for the very first time we know right away that she does not belong in Stella's neighbourhood, she is "daintily dressed" and her
Discuss the role of Mitch in 'street car named desire' Tennessee Williams first introduces Mitch's character in the poker scene as one of the players with the other three
Discuss the role of Mitch in 'street car named desire' Tennessee Williams first introduces Mitch's character in the poker scene as one of the players with the other three guys including Stanley. Mitch's character is portrayed differently to the other male characters in the book for example all the players speak coarsely, enjoying primitive, direct humour, mixing it with the cards, chips, and whiskey except Mitch because he 'keeps wondering' how his mother is .He is first distinguished from the other three males when he shows his concern for his mother. 'I gotta a sick mother .she don't go to sleep until I come in at night.' But other players tease him saying 'then why don't you stay home with her' and the bad-tempered Stanley tells him 'go home'. Briefly in scene three Mitch's gentlemanly behaviour stands out from the other male characters. Mitch appears to be a kind, decent human being who we later learn in Scene Six hopes to marry as his mother 'worries because' he is not 'settled' as 'she won't live long'. Blanche describes him as having 'a great capacity for devotion' because of the love for his mother. Tennessee Williams shows Mitch's emotions through his actions when he is talking about his mother dying soon 'his voice is horse and he clears his throat twice, shuffling nervously around with his hands .....'This description clearly shows his love and concern for his
