A Streetcar Named Desire QUOTATION BANK

“Which is named Elysian Fields…”

P1

• Mythological allusion to the Greek place of rest, mirroring Blanche’s yearn for a place of sanctuary to reflect on her past whilst continuing to conceal the trauma within it

• Could also contextually link to the romanticised and triumphant atmosphere of New Orleans, America in the 20th century is rebuilding itself passionately and moving on- this brings a jovial atmosphere, perhaps Blanche can attempt to transgress with the rest of society from her troubles, that depends if she chooses to follow or continue to spiral into self destruction

“He heaves the package at her. She cries out in protest but manages to catch it: then she laughs breathlessly”

P2

• Metaphor of meat representing Stanley’s hedonistic nature and forceful sexual tendencies

• Stella ‘cries out in protest’ yet despite this reluctancy, she accepts it, crystallising the uneven power dynamic between them- she immediately submits ignoring her own discomfort

• This potentially foreshadows Stella’s later actions of siding with Stanley after Blanche’s rape, she chooses to ignorantly dismiss Stanley’s unashamed toxic behaviour in order to restore stability within her new family

“Daintily dressed in a white suit and fluffy bodice… delicate beauty must avoid a strong light… suggests a moth”

P3

• Poignant extended metaphor of a moth perpetuated throughout the play, encapsulating her fragility and detrimental tendency of self-destruction

• Symbolism of moths and the metamorphosis they undergo represent innocence and new beginnings, yet also death and misfortune, these are 2 sides of the same coin for Blanche, she is in New Orleans for a new beginning, yet her melancholic misfortune still follows her

• Adjectives ‘dainty’ and ‘delicate’ appearance in her white clothes suggest innocence, divinity and aristocracy

  • This directly alienates her in the colourful and humble setting of New Orleans

  • She clings onto her elitist past of a Southern Belle, attempting to use it to deceive others into thinking her life is stable

  • Her inability to adapt to her surroundings is a clear indication of her instability, she is not able to keep up with the changing times

“… sits in a chair stiffly with her shoulders slightly hunched… pours half a tumbler of whisky and tosses it down”

P5

• Intricate description of her body almost as if she is trying to hide herself or retract herself from reality, she is holds an inner turmoil within her own skin, struggling to find rest

• Emphasises how integral stage directions are to the play

  • Williams displays her as timid and distressed, frantically attempting to comfort herself with a drink of whisky- this spiral only deepens the void of addiction she is already trapped in making it harder for herself to escape

• The lighting is a light blue, almost replicating a suffocating atmosphere of a mental asylum or hospital, intensifying the intimacy of the scene, hinting at her mental derangement

• Naturalistic theatre, by Williams showing us her hysteric disposition instead of having her immediately express it into words, we are led to question the reason for her discomfort more deeply or even judge her for it- truth always comes out even without words

“Only Poe! Only Mr Edgar Allan Poe!”

P7

• Allan Poe is a popular gothic writer, known for his novels revolving around madness and the supernatural, perhaps Williams purposely embeds this in Blanche’s comparison of the apartment to foreshadow how living in the apartment will soon lead to the tragic cascade of her sanity

• Clear indication of Blanche’s classist attitudes, she immediately criticises the living situation Stella is in after previously being accustomed to the “white columns” and materialism of Belle Reve

  • Ironic since Blanche does not currently have a living situation of her own after losing Belle Reve- Stella is doing better than she ever could

“You know I haven’t put on an ounce in 10 years, Stella?”

P8

• Another one of Blanche’s frantic attempts to cling to her past, her physical appearance is a trophy to her as it is the only thing she believes gives her any sort of relevance in the patriarchal society

• Reveals Blanche’s reluctance to give into change, she wants to keep the image of her past self and youth alive- fuel these false reality and fantasies to potentially also cope with the brutal death of her past lover, Alan and keep the memory of their love alive

• Williams purposely portraying this evidently self conscious side of her to expose the adversities of women living in the 20th century society, consumed by misogynistic ideals that their worth is in their body rather than their person

• Shackles of body image and insecurity consumes women, a prevalent theme in literature, closely linked to Handmaids

“And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby”

P10

• Simile used her infantilises herself, alluding to the idea that she cannot survive without the support of a male partner as a form of protection

• Foundation of misogynistic ideals and and constraints forced into women

• Links to Handmaid’s in a different way, Offred felt like a child in the lens of being patronised and belittled when depending on Luke for her survival in the newly founded corruption of Gilead

“Why, the Grim Reaper had put up his tent on our doorstep!”

P12

• Semantic field of death and misery intensifies the tragic downfall of Belle Reve and the DuBois family

• Dilapidation of their materialism and consequently their elitism

• Structurally a long passage, highlighting Blanche’s franticness, further exposing the absence of her clear state of mind, she is burdened and haunted by the loss of her past and continues to lament it instead of move past it

• Metaphor of the Grim Reaper

• Conventions of tragedies

“Where were you. In bed with your - Polak!”

P12

• Spiteful and accusatory tone shot towards Stella, illumination of envy

• Fails to see the faults of society and lack of autonomy of women with money or assets, as a woman Stella had no way of preventing the crumble of Belle Reve the same way that Blanche couldn’t herself

  • Despite this, Stella is still criticised by Blanche for seeking refuge in another male figure in a crude and humiliating demeanour- in 20th century society, this was the only way to survive and escape rejection

  • Ironic because Blanche herself also had to do this through her multiple scandalous escapades with other men, this anger and feeling of betrayal is perhaps merely a projection with her own disapproval of her own sordid past

  • Links to Handmaid’s and female vs female antagony

• Williams perhaps uses Blanche’s comments to reflect the hostility of society

“Power and pride of a richly feathered male among hens… gaudy seed bearer”

P13

• Animalistic imagery, metaphors of feathered male birds among hens, illustrating the predatory disposition of Stanley

• Plosive ‘p’ sound in ‘power and pride’ foreshadows the volatility of Stanley’s emotions, his ability to erupt and dominate at any time and anywhere

• Stanley is the epitome of the capitalist America, this figure of the future harshly contrasting Blanche being a figure of the past

• He removes his shirt in front of Blanche, crystallising his hedonistic and ignorant nature, this dismissal of Blanche’s feelings in this slightly uncomfortable situation marks only the start of his crude treatment of her

“She’s soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves. She’s terribly upset”

P16

• Repetitive references to bathing

• Unhealthy obsession with her vanity

• Bathing symbolises her tendency to drown in her sorrows and anxiety rather than make efforts to change herself and her future

• Paradoxical, it serves as a coping mechanism but also fuels another one of her addictions, craving a sense of temporary relief from her deteriorating peace of mind

“Tell her she’s looking beautiful. That’s important with Blanche. Her little weakness!”

P17

• Perhaps Williams is voicing how a woman’s vanity and appearance is in fact their weakness, it is weaponised by patriarchal societies to harness insecurity and self-deprecation within women, leading them to believe their beauty is the only attribute to their worth

“That shut her up like a clam”

P21

• Simile

• Dehumanisation of women

• Silencing and humiliation of women, the absence of their voice is what allows other men to dominate them

  • Links to silencing of women in Handmaid’s Tale

“The touch of your hand insults them”

P23

• Stanley’s domineering character putting pressure on Blanche to give up the papers of Belle Reve as part of the ‘Napoleonic code’, she resists yet eventually gives in

• The past is a sacred artefact to her, these letters are the only tangible objects that keep the memory of her late love alive and its innocence

  Links to Handmaid’s of the need to protect and keep love and innocence alive

• Personifies the love letters, insulted by the touch of Stanley

• Perhaps she is repulsed by him for 2 reasons

  • She perceives him as dirt due to him being a broody Polish man (as a result of racism at the time)

  • The clash between past and future, her once innocent love is too pristine to be infected by the transformed brutish masculinity of the present

“Yes - I was flirting with your husband, Stella!”

P25

• Blanche is unashamed of her addiction to seduce, her causality in confessing her act of disloyalty to her sister reveals how love or desire has never been genuine to her, only a means to validate that she is still seductive and attractive, and therefore still able to salvage her broken past with another potential relationship

• Exclamation emphasise her frantic state

• She then speaks about how Stanley is the man needed to protect Belle Reve, Williams establishes the prominent gender roles in society, and how women are deemed to be not suited for ‘serious’ matters like money or assets

• She does not love Stanley, she just flirts with him in order to fill the void within herself, similar to Offred’s relationship with Nick

“Raw colours… peak of their physical manhood… powerful as their primary colours”

P29

• Semantic field of bold, fierce colours creating an almost suffocating, lurid and hell-like atmosphere

• Plosive ‘p’ sound underscoring the power behind their overwhelming, primitive masculinity

• Williams perhaps attempting to communicate if this vicious masculine environment were to clash with a “delicate” female entrance can and will lead to terrible consequences

• Stanley and his friends in this poker game are emblems of male supremacy, dominating the apartment with their predatory ambience and “traditional” male roles

• Links to Handmaid’s tale with colours representing different traditional classifications of roles in society

“… rooster gaining on her fast”

P28

• Disturbing and alarming metaphor

• William used perhaps to reflect the predatory dynamic between men and women, men dominate them physically

• Metaphorical representation of women as hens is also significant in the way that hens are animals used for their ability to reproduce and lay eggs, perhaps unmasking the unhealthy perception of women’s only significance in society is to reproduce, diminishing them to their “traditional” roles

“Gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.”

P29

• Stanley insults Stella by smacking his hand on her thigh, a vulgar way of him perhaps ‘marking his territory’

“You are as fresh as a daisy”

P29

• Simile, flowers having connotations of fertility, beauty and innocence, all of which Blanche is losing

• Reassurance from Stella of Blanche’s appearance, Blanche needs these frequent affirmations to keep herself from fading mentally

• Link to Handmaid’s, flowers are also frequently referred to as a way to criticising lack of fertility or the beauty of intimate love

‘Stands in her pink brassiere and white skirt in the light through the portieres’

P31

• Blanche’s contradictory relationship with light is persistently showcased by Williams throughout the play, a pertinent and significant stage direction executed by Williams to highlight her calculated craving for attention

• She manipulates the light to create a portray herself as seductive towards the men

• Light is a double edged sword for Blanche

• Links to Handmaid’s, Offred’s subtle seductive hints to Nick, not necessarily out of love but pure attraction

“Stella has removed her dress and put on a light blue satin kimono” “She has slipped on the dark red satin wrapper”

P31

• Light colours clash with bright, invasive primary colours of the men

• Light blue symbolising innocence and delicacy, versus the red representing sex and lust

• Stella is the ideal depiction of a wife in the 20th century patriarchal society

• Links to the colours used in Handmaid’s!

“Like an orchard in the spring! You can remember it like that”

• Williams create as strong sense of dramatic irony as an orchard suggests innocence and fruitfulness, yet Blanche is the opposite of these things, she craves desire instead of innocent love, and she is not fruitful as she hasn’t started a family yet, she has no children nor the ability to nurture and nourish