ASND - Themes Flashcards
3 Fantasy vs reality points
- Social realism
- Boundary between exterior and interior
- Fantasy is important
Social realism
Blanche DuBois is romantic protagonist and she and Stanley have an overarching tension.
Antagonistic relationship
Stanley Kowalski
- Practical
- Military man “Master Sergeant is the Engineer Corps”
- Firmly in physical world
- Wants to unravel Blanche’s fabrications
“Shot?”
“No I barely touch it.”
Deluded fantasy
Boundary between exterior and interior
- Williams’s use of a flexible set:
street can be seen at the same time
interior of house to be seen —> no domestic sanctuary - Altercation outside foreshadows violation about to take place in the home
Fantasy is an important tool
- At the end of play Blanche is able to retreat fully into her fantasies to escape to her own world
- away from harsh blows of reality
“I don’t know you - _________. I want ______ - _______ - please!”
“I don’t know you - I don’t know you. I want to be - left alone - please!” then escapes to kindness of strangers quote
“Whoever you are ____________.”
“Whoever you are I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
“Please don’t get up.”
“Nobody’s going to get up, do don’t be worried.” In her fantasy men stand for her (old world view)
“I don’t _______. I want _____!”
“I don’t want realism. I want magic!”
2 Relationship between sex and death points
- Her sexual history is the cause of her downfall
- Dependence on men
Sexual downfall
- Streetcar journey
Streetcar –> ________
Cemeteries –> ___________________
Elysian Fields –> ____________________
Streetcar –> Desire = sex
Cemeteries –> Tragedy of death in family + her reputation
Elysian Fields –> Land of the dead in Greek Mythology
Dependence on men
- Expose and critique the treatment of women during the transition from the old to the new south
Blanche is hypocritical =
telling Stella to leave Stanley even though she is contacting ‘Shep Huntleigh’ for financial support and only finding happiness through Mitch
Marrying Mitch =
escaping destitution - only survival
she is unattractive candidate due to her sexual history
By relying on men ______________________
Blanche puts her fate in the hands of others.
2 Motifs
LIGHT
BATHING
Light
Blanche can’t be seen in bright lights – expose her age
Chinese paper lantern
covers up the truth and shadows
“I like the dark. _____________”
“I like the dark. The dark is comforting me.”
Almost personifies the darkness - fantasy
Mitch: [He tears__________________]”
‘He tears the paper lantern off the light bulb.’
Stanley:[He crosses to _________ and seizes__________, tearing it _____________, and extends it towards her.
‘He crosses to the dressing table and seizes the paper lantern, tearing it from the light bulb, and extends it towards her.’
When he takes the latern [She cries____________.]
‘She cries out as if the lantern was herself.’
