Notes on A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire: A Modern Tragedy
Setting and Classical Tragedy
- The play is analyzed through its dramatic methods and contextual information related to the genre of tragedy.
- The setting contrasts "Belle Reve" (beautiful dream) with "Elysian Fields" (Greek afterlife), indicating a metaphorical transition from an idealized past to a harsh reality.
- Elysian Fields holds metaphorical significance.
- Aristotelian tragedy components include the unity of time, focusing on Blanche's downfall without complex subplots.
- The lack of privacy in the setting ('[this building contains two flats]') intensifies intimacy, catalyzing Blanche's decline.
Nietzschean Influences: Apollonian vs. Dionysian
- Referencing Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, Blanche embodies Apollonian ideals, valuing beauty and illusion, aligning with the Old South.
- Blanche's desire for illusion: “I don’t want realism…I want magic”.
- Stanley represents Dionysian excess, evident in “his car, his radio, everything that is his”.
- Blanche has Dionysian tendencies through sexual immorality and alcohol dependence, contributing to her tragic fate.
Blanche as a Tragic Heroine
- Blanche embodies the classic "tragic hero" archetype, marked by a fatal flaw recognized too late (anagnorisis).
- Blanche's statement on not telling the truth: “I don’t tell the truth. I tell what ought to the truth”.
- She experiences a fall from grace and carries a past filled with death and loss.
- Blanche suffers exploitation due to her vulnerabilities, illustrated by “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”.
- Her monologue: “I,I,I, took the blows in my face and body”.
- Key events leading to Blanche’s downfall include:
- Her marriage to Allen and his subsequent suicide after she discovers his homosexuality, symbolized by the Varsouviana polka tune (“the polka tune…when Allen [a distant revolver shot is heard]”).
- The loss of Belle Reve.
- Relationships with Mitch and Stanley.
Modern Tragedy and Gender
- Modern tragedy often features feminine heroes.
- Williams favored female protagonists.
- Sophocles' 'Antigone' also features a female protagonist.
Blanche’s Hamartia
- Her inability to overcome her tragic past.
- Her desire for love.
- Her lack of self-awareness and self-esteem.
- Her sustained delusions.
Blanche’s Escapism
- Blanche uses alcohol to escape reality.
- Blanche seeks solace in alcohol, “rushes” to the liquor cabinet "panting for breath”. Note the dramatic irony in her statement: “I’m not accustomed to have more than one drink”.
- The revelation about her sordid affairs at the Hotel Flamingo.
Blanche’s Delusions and Insecurities
- Her need for attention and desire to hide flaws.
- Low self-esteem fuels her delusions; “I was fishing for a compliment”.
- Light motif: “I like the dark it’s comforting to me”.
Melodramatic elements
- Her gestures are reminiscent of 19th century melodrama, “[she touches her forehead shakily]”.
Tragedy and the Common Man
- Referencing Arthur Miller's "Tragedy and the Common Man" (1949), the play reflects an individual’s struggle to secure their rightful place in society.
- This relates to personal dignity.
- Blanche insists on being treated with dignity, unable to tolerate “a vulgar action” or “a rude remark”.
Desire as a Catalyst for Tragedy