A Streetcar Named Desire quotes Flashcards
(18 cards)
What does the symbolic meaning of Blanche’s arrival on the “streetcar named Desire” suggest?
It symbolises how desire leads to emotional destruction and death — foreshadowing Blanche’s tragic downfall.
What does Blanche’s discomfort with bright light reveal about her character?
Her fear of light shows her desire to hide reality and maintain illusions about herself and her past.
What quote shows Blanche’s need to mask the harshness of life with fantasy?
“I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic!”
How does Blanche explain her behaviour after the death of her young husband?
“After the death of Allan—intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with…”
What does this quote suggest about Blanche’s emotional state: “I need kindness now”?
It reveals her vulnerability and desperation — she’s not seeking romance, but emotional survival.
How is light used symbolically when Blanche discusses Allan’s death?
The “searchlight” being turned off represents the extinguishing of love and truth, plunging Blanche into darkness and guilt.
What quote shows Stanley’s brutal role in Blanche’s downfall?
“We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!” — showing his predatory attitude and final destruction of Blanche’s illusions.
What is the significance of Blanche’s final line, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”?
It encapsulates her tragic reliance on others for self-worth and her retreat into delusion at the play’s end.
How does Williams use Blanche to symbolise the decline of the Old South?
Blanche represents gentility, manners, and artifice — crushed by Stanley’s raw modern masculinity and realism.
What does Blanche mean when she says: ‘I don’t want realism. I want magic!’?
She prefers illusion to reality, reflecting her tragic flaw. Williams uses antithesis to reveal her internal conflict. Contextually, this highlights post-war society’s rejection of vulnerability, especially in women like Blanche.
What is the significance of Blanche’s final line: ‘I have always depended on the kindness of strangers’?
It’s deeply ironic—her dependence has led to abuse. The cyclical structure ends with self-delusion. Williams critiques society’s failure to protect emotionally vulnerable women.
How does Blanche describe femininity when she says: ‘A woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion’?
She acknowledges femininity as performative. The meta-theatrical line reveals awareness of her own constructed persona, critiquing gender expectations in a patriarchal society.
What does Stanley mean by: ‘Every man is a king! And I am the king around here’?
The declarative and regal metaphor asserts masculine dominance. Williams shows Stanley’s need for control and reflects the rise of post-war working-class masculinity.
Why is the line: ‘We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning’ significant?
It foreshadows Blanche’s rape. The euphemism sanitises brutality. Williams critiques how violence is embedded in patriarchal power and desire.
How does Stella justify staying with Stanley: ‘There are things… in the dark… that make everything else seem unimportant’?
Euphemism and ellipses suggest repressed guilt and sexual dependency. Williams critiques emotional complicity in abusive relationships.
What is the symbolic meaning of: ‘They told me to take a streetcar named Desire… and transfer to one called Cemeteries’?
Extended metaphor for Blanche’s decline: desire leads to destruction. Williams uses expressionist geography to show her tragic trajectory.
Why does Blanche say: ‘I can’t stand a naked light bulb’?
Light symbolises truth and exposure; ‘naked’ suggests shame and fear of ageing. Williams critiques the societal pressure on women to appear eternally youthful and desirable.
What does the stage direction ‘He tears the paper lantern off the light bulb’ symbolise?
Mitch violently removes Blanche’s illusion, exposing her to truth. The lantern represents the fragility of feminine self-construction in a cruel world.
