A Streetcar Named Desire - Flashcards

Stanley's Behavior and Its Link to His Father

Stanley's neglect of responsibilities, such as playing cards with friends after Blanche's arrival, mirrors his father's neglectful behavior. This establishes a pattern of behavior passed down through generations.

Family Backgrounds and Their Reflections in Characters

Williams' Family

• Father: Alcoholic, working-class salesman, neglected parental duties.
• Mother: Southern belle, born into high class, well-educated music teacher. She reflects Blanche's character.
• Sister: Suffered from mental illness and was institutionalized, mirroring Blanche's character arc.
• Williams: Experienced a difficult childhood and was gay during a time when homosexuality was considered a mental illness. This is linked to Alan, Blanche's gay husband who killed himself.

Setting and Historical Context

The play is set in the aftermath of the Civil War, addressing issues of the abolishment of slavery and the Southern states' resistance due to their reliance on enslaved labor. The South was characterized by racism and poverty after the Civil War. Williams explores the transitional period of the American South and the resulting tensions.

Tension and Gender Roles

The tension in the play reflects Stanley and Blanche's relationship and critiques the limitations imposed by post-World War American society on gender roles. The emergence of masculinity pushed women back into traditional roles. Blanche exhibits more masculine energy through her sexuality and arrogance.

Audience Reaction to the Rape Scene

The audience and critics initially viewed Stanley as a victim of Blanche's madness and an attack on his masculinity, class, and heritage. The rape scene was sometimes justified as initiated by Blanche's flirtatiousness.

Marxist and Darwinist Perspectives

• Marxist: Stanley is portrayed as a champion of the working class, defeating the old aristocratic ways by removing Blanche (bourgeoisie).
• Darwinism: Stanley embodies 'survival of the fittest,' passing down his way of life to his newborn son as he defeats the bourgeois threat (Blanche).

Feminist Perspectives

• Critique of patriarchal society and oppressive gender roles.
• Radical feminist perspective: The rape scene is Stanley asserting his masculine power and authority over Blanche through sexual violence.
• Blanche is looked down upon for her past and seeks a husband, reflecting societal norms.

Setting - New Orleans

From old money the play shifts into modernity and diversity. It is a city of heritage, culture, major economic growth, social change, and immigration, making it a more liberal and free area.

Plastic Theatre

Symbolism

'Plastic theatre' symbolizes the characters' psychological states through props, costumes, colors, light, and sounds.

Elements

• Blanche arrives by a streetcar, representing stages of her life.
• The stops on the streetcar represent stages of Blanche's life.
• Blanche's actions are motivated by coping mechanisms for her grief and loneliness.
• The last stop on the streetcar is a cemetery, symbolizing Blanche's mental death.
• Elysian Fields, where Stella and Stanley live, represents the land of the dead in Greek Mythology.

Antebellum Era

Time Period and Significance

The antebellum era occurred before 1865, during which white plantation owners prospered from slave labor. This way of life was romanticized by the film Gone with the Wind (1939), though it was no longer present in the 1940s.

Southern Belle

The southern belle was a stock character of the deep south's upper socio-economic class, expected to marry a respectable young man and dedicate herself to family and community.

Setting of the Play

A Streetcar Named Desire is set in 1947.

The American Dream

Definition

The American Dream posits that all men are born equal and can succeed equally, unrestricted by barriers of race and class.

Darker Side

The pursuit of happiness can justify the destruction of others.

Southern Gothic Genre

Characteristics

A richly imaginative genre bordering the bizarre and grotesque to capture a dying culture built on cruel repressions: slavery, racism, and patriarchy.

Purpose

The genre uses irrational and horrific thoughts, grotesque characters, and alienated settings to expose the South's aberrations that slipped through official historical record.

Example

Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, set in Puritan Massachusetts, is about Hester, who tries to build a life of repentance after being alienated for conceiving a daughter through an affair.

Literary and Biblical References

• "The blind are leading the blind" (Matthew 15:14): Emphasizes the importance of a spiritual moral guide; Blanche's faith condemns her.
• "Casting my pearls before the swine" (Matthew 7:6): Highlights Blanche's recognition of her own value before the rape.
• "Je suis la Dame Aux Camellias! Vous êtes Armand!" (Dumas' La Dame Aux Camellias): A doomed love story where Marguerite, a prostitute, is shunned for her past, but painted favorably due to her love for Armand; Blanche desires this redemption.
• "I pulled you down off them columns and how you loved it, having them coloured lights going." Reference to ''I'm falling, I'm falling'' from Miss Julie.