A Streetcar Named Desire
Here is a link to the Discussion Board: https://www.turnitin.com/discuss_view_flat.asp?r=8.40227074410862&svr=07&lang=en_us&threads=1&ord=1&tid=436355
- Discuss the following themes and/or major concepts that appear in A Streetcar Named Desire:
- loneliness and our feeble attempts to overcome it
- illusion as an attempt to deceive and illusion as an approach to reality
- sexuality as a primitive, powerful force capable of creating or destroying life
- the clash of the primitive and brutish with the civilized, the rational, and the cultured
- the idea that one cannot escape one’s past
- the relationship between sex and death and/or desire and destruction
- loss of innocence
- Identify and point out the significance of some of the play’s symbols, including the following:
- the paper lantern over the naked light bulb
- the Varsouviana polka
- Identify the following motifs, and point out how they support some of the play’s themes and/or major concepts:
- washing and bathing
- alcohol and drunkenness
- light and shadows
- jungle imagery
- Is Blanche a tragic hero? Defend your argument.
- Explain the behaviors, beliefs, and motivations of the following characters:
- Blanche
- Stella
- Stanley
- Mitch
Just to clarify, you answer ALL of these questions and expand ONE of them into an essay. Questions to answer (and perhaps explore on the discussion board). Any of these can be expanded to an analytical essay. Or, you may select a scene to dissect.
- As the play opens, Blanche has just arrived at Stella’s neighborhood after having taken two streetcars, one named Desire and another called Cemeteries. Explain the symbolic significance of these two streetcars. What do they represent, and how do they emphasize some of the play’s major concepts and/or themes?
- Point out incidents in the play where desire and/or death are mentioned or suggested. Discuss how Williams synthesizes the two concepts and brings them together as one in the character of Blanche.
- Tragic heroes’ lives usually end in defeat or death because of a flaw in their character. As the tragedy unfolds, there is a sense of inevitability; that is, because of a “tragic flaw,” there seems to be nothing the hero can do to avoid the approaching disaster. Using this as your criterion, state why Blanche fits the description of a tragic hero.
- Point out examples from the text that suggest that Blanche suffers from a deep sense of loneliness. Describe the steps she takes, imprudent and prudent, to overcome this loneliness.
- Discuss the differing views expressed by Stanley and Blanche regarding Blanche’s illusions. How does Stanley view them? How does Blanche view them?
- By referring to incidents and comments in the play, prove the assertion that sexuality is a primitive, powerful force capable of creating or destroying life.
- State some of the ways in which Blanche represents the civilized, rational aspect of life and Stanley represents the primitive, brutish aspect of life.
- It is easy to see Stanley as the villain in this play, but is there any justification for his actions? Provide examples to support your opinion.
- Describe the type of relationship that Stanley and Stella have. What is it based upon? Considering the ending of the play, do you think they will remain together? Give reasons for your opinion.
- Elysian Fields is the name of the community where Stanley and Stella live. It is also an allusion: In Greek mythology, Elysian Fields is paradise, the place where heroes go after death. Why does Williams give this name to the area where the Kowalskis live?
- The DuBois plantation was named Belle Reve, which translates to “Beautiful Dream.” Given Blanche’s character, why is that a particularly apt name for her home?
- During the scene in which Mitch shows Blanche the inscription on his cigarette case, Williams references a sonnet by a poet that the audience will most likely recognize. What is the inscription on the cigarette case? Who is the poet? What literary term does this passage demonstrate?
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