A Streetcar Named Desire - Motifs and Symbols

Motifs and Symbols in A Streetcar Named Desire

Elysian Fields: Equivalent to heaven in Greek mythology, the place from which Blanche is cast out.
Belle Reve: The Dubois' ancestral home, now a 'beautiful dream'.
Streetcar: Represents Blanche's desires that drive her life.

Light: Blanche avoids bright light, symbolizing her fear of being seen clearly and the exposure of her fading beauty and hidden past.
- She uses paper shades and avoids going outside during the day.
- The light represents truth and reality, which she avoids.
Colored Lights: Represent Stella and Stanley's vibrant sex life.
White Suit: Blanche's initial clothing symbolizes her attempt to appear clean and maintain her reputation.
- Soiled clothes: Represent humiliation and defeat.

Blues Piano: Represents New Orleans, cultural melting pot, and a melancholy atmosphere.
- The piano goes into a 'hectic breakdown' as peace disintegrates.
Varsouviana Polka: Represents Blanche's grief and guilt over Allen Grey's death and her weakening grip on reality.
- Filtered into distortion: Symbolizes Blanche's disordered mind.
Paper Moon: Symbolizes that fantasy can become reality if it is a shared dream.
Trains: Associated with Stanley, representing his masculine, mechanical nature and impending threat.

Bowling and Poker Games: Symbolize Stanley's macho, forward-driving nature and his dominance.
- Poker game reflects the power dynamic when Blanche arrives.
Bathing: Blanche's constant bathing symbolizes her need to cleanse herself which is ironic since she bathes when Stanley reveals her past.
Shower: Stanley's shower after hitting Stella represents remorse and cleansing.