Structure

Question 1

Episodic Structure

Answer 1

• It consists of scenes (11) rather than acts, which creates a fluid and naturalistic unfolding of events
• The lack of acts intensifies the unrelenting emotional intensity.
• No breaks means the action is tight, fluid and focused, reflecting the emotional claustrophobia that Williams experienced during his childhood.

Question 2

Linear Narratives w/Flashbacks

Answer 2

• The play follows a chronological order but Williams includes flashbacks to reveal Blanche’s traumatic past, which shows that the past continually haunts her present

Question 3

Cyclical Structure

Answer 3

• The play begins and ends with Stanley in control, highlighting that the patriarchy remains dominant and unchallenged
• Blanche’s arrival in scene 1 and removal in scene 11. This not only highlights her failure to escape the male dominated patriarchy but also her inability to escape the truth of reality through fantasy.

Question 4

Foreshadowing

Answer 4

“They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, then transfer to one called cemeteries.”

• This is symbolic of Blanche’s entire arch; desire-ruin-emotional death
• This foreshadowing of Blanche’s tragic downfall suggests that women will forever be stuck in a patriarchal system. Williams may be suggesting that unless society changes, women like Blanche will continue it be broken by it.