Streetcar extra themes Flashcards
(17 cards)
1
Q
7
Class conflict and industrialisation
A
- the decline of the aristocratic family, traditonally associated with the American South
- these families had lost their historical importance as the agricultural base of the Southern states were unable to compete with the new industrialisaion
- a labour shortage of agricultural wokrkers developed in the South in WW1 as so many of the areas men went to War
- many landowners faced with large areas of land and no workers moved to urban areas
- with increasing industrialisation (1920s-1940s), the structure of the work force changed
- more women, immigrants and black labourers entered the workforce and growing urban middle class was created
- women gained voting rights (1920) and old southern tradition of an agarian family aristocracy rules by men came to an end
2
Q
5
Gender
A
- some of blanches difficulties can b traced to the narrow roles open to females during this time
- she is an educated women, yet she is nonetheless constrained by the expectations of Southern society
- she knwos she needs men to lean on and to rpotect her and continues to depend even till end with the doctor
- he fear of rejection is seen when mitch learns of her love affairs
- mitch draws attention to the discrepancy between how women really behaved and what type of behaviour was publicy expected of them
3
Q
5
Violence and cruelty
A
- violence is fraught with sexual passion
- suggested violence between Eunice and steve hubbel, and there is the unnerving suggestion that violence is more common than we think
- appears the connection in blanches past between violence and desire in some way contributes to the events within the play
- williams is demonstrating how a cycle of violence combined with passion and desire is hard to break
- violence not only physically shown, also between light/dark, men/women, classes, desire
4
Q
5
Madness
A
- considering how Tennessee williams’ sister Rose was a recipient of a labotmoy, the theme of madness running through the play in the form of Blanches neurosis and self delusion, may revel some of the playwrights fears of the instability of his own mental life
- his lingering regrets and guilt about roses treatment may also be in stellas anguished crys as blanche is taken away
- Allans death causes her to hear the Varsouviana at various stages in her life
- taken to a mental hopsital (Blanche) due to her ‘insanity’
- paper moon. she wants a world of fantasy
5
Q
6
Sex and death link
A
- suggested blanches sexual history leads to her downfall
- streetcar through cemetries to Elysian fields represents the trajactory (negative journey) of blanche
- blanches fear of death/againg/lost beauty
- refuses to say her real age/appear in harsh light
- shes haunted by death of her ancestors
- sex led to her husbands death
6
Q
3
Desire
A
- Blanche- desire to be young/keep her secrets/clean
beauty/her desires lead to her downfall/hermartia
-desire to be wanted by anyone (even young men)
-Versouviana plays representing her desire for the past/desire for love/not face new reality - Stella- desire for stanley
-even when stan is abusive/rapes her sister, she allows for stan to win and for blanche to be sent to a mental hospital (againsto own beliefs, as shown through her crying)
-abandons her integrity, loyalty and identity for stan as he passion is too great
-puts stan > blanche
-blinded by the sexual chemisrty/canot see the red flags - Stan- desire for power/masculinity
-he has a desire to expose Blanche’s secrets as he has hatred for her
-radiates violence, brute animal magnetism
-his sexuality assers itself violently over girls
-able to manipulate stella with his sexual importance
7
Q
7
Fantasy and delusion
A
- joruney through cemetries to Elysian fields represents Blanches journey to her downfall
- blanche does not want realism (hence always hiding in darkness, not saying real age)
- blanche clings to false world of satin robes and paper lanterns (maintaining this appearance she can forget about reality)
- paper moon song, a song about a make believe world that becomes reality through love
- taken to a mental asylum
- delusions about Shep Huntleigh
- blanche loses touch with the world
8
Q
5
Masculinity and physicality
A
- shown in stanley and his violent, brute animal magnetism
-much emphasis on his physical body - asserts it physically and psychologically (phys, abuses stella and rapes blanche) (psych, finds out about blanches past to haunt her)
- he has a tender response to stellas pregnancy
- prime specimen of manhood but not a gentleman
-shows powerfully attractive and powerfully scary man, whereas mitch represents a more comforting man - mitch does assert bodily dominance, but not as physically or psychologically as bad as Stan
-stan is Alpha, mitch is Beta
9
Q
4
Bathing
A
- Blanche takes frequent baths throughout the play
to “soothe her nerves. - Blanche retreats to the water to attempt to
cleanse herself and forget reality. - Blanche’s constant washing is reminiscent of Lady Macbeth’s famous hand-washing scene in Macbeth (water removing emotions of guilt)
- the men dunk Stanley in the shower to sober him up so that he face the real world.
9
Q
3
Femininty and dependence
A
- blanche and stella represent 2 types of femininity but both depend on men
-both see their relationships with men as the only source of fulfillment and happiness
-blanche suggests stella should leave stan, yet then proposed financial support from Shep (dependence)
-blanche sees mitch as a way to rejuvinate her life - eunice and stella show reliance on men as even though there is violence in their relatinships, they do not want to leave
- depend on men for self image
-blanche sees marriage to mitch as means of her escaping destitution
10
Q
3
Alcohol and drunkeness
A
- stan and blanche drink frequently in the play
-when stan is drunk, his masculinity is then exaggerated = he grows violent/physical/brutal - stan makes a show of drinking but blanche hides hers (Claims she uses it rarely. uses it as an escape mechanism)
- for both characters it links to destructive behaviour (stan commits domestic violence and Blanche deludes herself)
11
Q
4
Light
A
- afraid to reveal her true age, the light will show the truth
- covers up bulbs with chinese paper and refuses to go on dates in the dat with Mitch
- light symbolises reality of Blanches past
- states her husband was like having the world revaled in bright vivid light, since his death the light reminds her of him
12
Q
3
Race
A
- blanche seems to dehumaise stan “pig” “Polack”
- race was a huge role in context of this time
- comparisons between Stan and the sisters
13
Q
7
Tragedy
A
- A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character (Blanche)
-downfall (Harmatia), is brought about by a combination of a flaw in their character/fate (her desires lead to her harmatia) - play lends itself to analysis from both traditional aristotelian and more political, materialist perspective
- a tragic hero (protagonist) (good), and is usually a high born/someone with significance in tragedy (their actions have consequences for community and not just themsleves)
-a plot built around a downturn in the protagonists part (Blanche) - a progression from order to disorder, harmony to chaos
-the action of tragedy seems to unfold with horrible inevitability
-unhappy endings = tragic catastrophe - an antagonist, a figure who stands out against the protagonist
-the protagonist often has some moment of self knowledge near the end of the play - the audience feel sorrow and pity (pathos) at the end of a tragedy but leave the theatre morally enlightened and enobled by their vicarious experience of tragic suffering
- play warns s to guard against the ordinary flaw that brought down the hero
-give us a feeling of catharsis (realisation)
-blanches flaw was her desires (for a man/love/secrecy/beauty/dependance)
14
Q
8
Fate
A
- title. a streetcar on rails, cannot rear off from its designated destination. blanche is riding to her fate on the streetcar journey. from the start. her fate is sealed
- fate sealed through characterisation of blanche (her inability to deal with reality/her inability to deal with her new environment such as by dimming the surroundings)
-stanleys characterisation is also used to convey they fact her fate is sealed as he represents the reality which triumphs the idea of her fantasy. he also represents the idea of new americans in the South, stans way of life are now in control
-Elysian fields is made up of a cosmopolitan mix which blanche is alien to, she will not last/it is also far more industrial - claustrophobic apartmentcreates more tension between characters (setting determining fate)
- blue piano suggests sadness and loss, even starts at the beginning and throughout implying this sadness rules
- mitch tearing down the paper lighting/noise of locomotive/lights from train on her/transparent wall in rape scene all show how setting portrays fate)
- her sexual desire that caused her to leave Laurel caused her to move to this alien apartment/place
- stellas desire for stanley meant she had to end her relationship with stella/and end her own aristocracy
-stans desire for power/masculinty leads him to rape blanche - williams also incapeable to hold a relationship and moved from one sexual relation to another
15
Q
7
Animalism
A
- williams focuses on stans beastiel behaviour to show how ‘normal’ behaviour of people of modern america is agressive
- first seen when he hurdles a bloodies pack of meat to stella (Also sexual aspects)
his group called ‘apes’ by stella - jungle sounds in the rape scene
- emphasises physicality of Stanley
- hunting his prey. predatory aspects about him
-howling like a wolf for stella - lashes at blanche as she isnt giving him the treatment stella gives him
- animalistic stage directions
16
Q
5
Reality
A
- light represents reality (hence why blanche does not stand in it)
- represents the working class, stanley, who symbolises the truth -illuminates truth (light)
- blanche does not want it, she wants magic
- play deals with many issues such as class/womens roles/abuse/immigration/mysogeny
- stanley seen as ugly truth (his new south personality is inevitable and blanche cannot handle that this fate is reality)
