SND - opening scene Flashcards
‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a play written by Tennessee Williams. It involves our protagonist Blanche, who visits her sister Stella and her new brother-in-law Stanley in New Orleans over the summer period. The opening scene unveils to the audience the characters, themes that will be explored through the use of word choice and language.
‘the houses are mostly white frame, weathered grey, with rickety outside stairs and galleries quaintly ornamented gables’
‘weathered’ ‘ rickety’ - word choice - suggests the area has not been taken cared of or maintained well in years, like buildings not getting repainted so they are becoming withered and that the stairs are ‘rickety’, emphasising that they are severely run down and have been used for many years and need replacing.
However, ‘galleries’ - word choice - highlights that the area has not always been run down and that it was once a respected place and was owned by wealthy people.
Blanche is dressed in a ‘daintily white suit’
‘white’ - word choice - has connotations of purity and formality which highlights on how she feels superior to others and this contrasts with the area that she is in.
it also emphasises on how her wearing this white suit is a facade and that she is trying to hide the fact that she is not as pure as she portrays herself to be as she hides the truth about her promiscuous past back in Laurel.
‘there is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth’
a moth is a fragile, self-damaging species
blanche is being compared to the moth and this highlights how she is also a very delicate individual who is impulsive and participates in self-destructive behaviour
moths are attracted to the light, yet it is most likely their downfall and this foreshadows behaviour and even her fate later on in the play
Stage directions Stanley is ‘roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes’
‘roughly’ - word choice - suggests that he carelessly throws his clothes on and he does not think twice about his appearance and does not keep himself well maintained.
this contrasts with Blanche’s ‘daintily white suit’ as it shows that they both come from very different distinct backgrounds.
It also foreshadows the clashing relationship and the rivalry between Stanley and Blanche.
Stage directions Stanley is ‘carrying a red-stained package’
‘red’ - word choice - connotations of blood, anger, violence and aggression, hints at Stanley’s personality.
foreshadows Stanley’s hostile and violent nature and how this worsens throughout the play and overall sets an unsettling atmosphere around this central character
