A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire is Tennessee Williams’s most famous play, first

performed in 1947. A Streetcar Named Desire was also written in 1947 and
is a southern gothic play set in New Orleans. The plot follows the
relationship between Stella, her husband Stanley, and her recently
reintroduced sister Blanche.
A Streetcar Named Desire is set in post-World War Two New
Orleans.
A Streetcar Named Desire: summary

Genre Southern gothic, tragic drama

 The play revolves around the main character, Blanche

DuBois, who arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister,
Stella, and her brutish husband, Stanley Kowalski.
Brief summary  Blanche is a former schoolteacher from a wealthy family
of A Streetcar who has fallen on hard times and is struggling with mental
Named Desire health issues, alcoholism, and promiscuity. Stanley, on the
other hand, is a working-class man who is aggressive and
violent towards Blanche.

List of main Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski, Harold

characters (Mitch) Mitchell

Themes Illusion, fantasy, desire, gender roles, dependency

Setting 632 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, 1947

A powerful exploration of human desires, both physical and

emotional, and the consequences that arise when these
Analysis desires are left unchecked. It highlights the societal and
personal struggles of individuals in the post-war period,
and their inability to reconcile their past with their present.

The narrative begins as Blanche DuBois, a teacher from Mississippi, arrives

in New Orleans to stay with her sister despite the fact the two have been
estranged from each other. The reason for her arrival is nervousness
impacting her ability to work as well as the loss of the sisters' ancestral
home in the Old South, Belle Reve.
Conflict begins to arise between Blanche and her sister’s husband, Stanley,
as she is critical of the couple’s living quarters and of his Polish heritage. On
the other hand, Stanley immediately dislikes Blanche as he fears she has
cheated him out of the family inheritance.
Further conflict begins during a drunken poker game (The Poker Night being
the title of the only named scene in the play) in which Stanley hits his wife.
It is implied that this violence occurs regularly, but it is not seriously
addressed because of their animalistic sexual desires.
The next day Blanche tries to convince Stella to leave her husband, but her
sister dismisses the idea. Stanley, however, overhears the conversation and
is enraged. He begins to taunt Blanche about her past and she begins to
look more and more upset.
Blanche is left alone during the day and meets a young paperboy whom she
kisses, despite the fact that she is waiting for a man named Mitch to take
her on a date. During her outing with Mitch, Blanche behaves strangely and
uneasily, unnerved by Stanley’s threats. She reveals to Mitch the tragedy of
her first love.
Time passes and it is finally Blanche’s birthday. While Stella prepares dinner
for everyone, Stanley reveals elements of Blanche’s past to her, such as her
numerous sexual relationships and the reason she lost her job (an affair with
a student). Stanley has also told Mitch about Blanche and, for this reason,
he refuses to attend her birthday celebration. Stanley then gives Blanche a
one-way ticket back to Laurel as a birthday present.
Stanley is antagonistic to Blanche, especially at her birthday, which
reflects the difficult power relations between men and women in the
play.

Stella is shocked over such a cruel gift and looks like she might consider
leaving Stanley. However, Stella's labour begins and interrupts their
argument. When they have left Blanche alone, she starts to drink heavily
but is interrupted by Mitch, who wants to confront the allegations about her.
Mitch then tries to assault Blanche as the statements about her sexual
habits are confirmed, but she shouts 'fire' in hopes of attracting attention.
Stanley returns home from the hospital and finds a very drunk Blanche. The
pair confront each other until Blanche tries to escape from his presence by
smashing a bottle, but he carries her to the bedroom and rapes her.
More time passes; Stella and her neighbour are waiting for Blanche to leave
the bathroom. They discuss how Stella cannot accept Blanche' revelation
about what Stanley did to her that night. As Blanche enters the room she
seems fragile as she talks about her delusions and fantasies. A doctor and a
nurse arrive to try and take Blanche to an institution but she struggles and
fights back until she is finally subdued. As Blanche leaves, Stella cries with
her newborn child in her arms.
A Streetcar Named Desire: characters
The main characters of A Streetcar Named Desire include Blanche DuBois,
Stella Kowalski, and Stanley Kowalski.
Main characters
Although many of the characters have key parts in the production, these
characters are essential to the plot.
Blanche DuBois
Blanche DuBois is one of three central characters. Her relationship with the
others sparks the narrative of the play. Although she appears well put
together, she gradually begins to unravel and reveal insecurities and mental
fragilities triggered by her life experiences.
She and her sister are from the Old South but are forced to adapt to the New
South’s way of life. The meaning of her name is rather ironic, as Blanche
means 'white' and DuBois means 'from the wood', which suggests that she
is innocent and pure when the reality is otherwise.
Stella Kowalski
Stella is Blanche’s younger sister. She is protective of her older sibling and
tries to care for her while they live together. She is married to Stanley
Kowalski and is deeply attracted to him, despite his violent nature.
Throughout the play, she acts as a passive bystander and recipient
of action due to her dependence on Stanley as a woman.
Stanley Kowalski
Stanley Kowalski is a descendant of a Polish immigrant and a follower of the
American Dream. He is a simultaneously violent and sexual individual, which
attracts his wife but also creates a rift in their relationship. He has a fixation
on Stella’s heritage and her rich history and is disappointed to find out that
any inheritance has been lost.
Minor characters
Some of the minor characters include:

Minor
characters
in A Streetcar Description
Named
Desire

Mitch acts as a love interest for Blanche, as he is more sensitive

and kind than Stanley’s other friends. After all, he is caring for
Harold (Mitch)
his dying mother. Mitch is taken in by Blanche’s illusions and
Mitchell
falls in love with her, but he experiences a change of heart when
he learns of her past.

This pair are Stella and Stanley’s neighbours and act as a

foreshadowed parallel to their relationship. Steve is as abusive
Steve & Eunice
to Eunice as Stanley is to Stella. Steve often plays poker with
Hubbel
Stanley and his friends, while Eunice enjoys taking part in
gossip.

Pablo Gonzales Pablo is a poker friend of Stanley’s, Steve’s, and Mitch’s.

Young Man Although a very minor part, the response Blanche has to the
young man is significant. Her blatantly sexual desire for such a
 youthful character gives an insight into Blanche’s insecurity
over her age and the reasons for her relationship with her
student.

Allan Grey was Blanche DuBois’s first love, whom she married as
a teenager. However, during their marriage she found him in
bed with another man and, when she aggressively confronted
him about this (after some time) he fled the room and shot
Allan Grey
himself in the head. Throughout the production, Blanche’s
thoughts are externalised as the music (The Varsouviana) the
pair danced to before Allan died plays onstage and ends with a
shot sound.

Shep Huntleigh is a millionaire that Blanche fantasises about.

Shep Huntleigh The two used to date each other at college. Blanche has seen
him again recently in Miami, sparking her fantasy.

A Streetcar Named Desire: themes

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play that explores many themes surrounding
humanity, such as desire, death, and gender, as well as the ways that
humans suffer and cope with their suffering through delusions and
dependency.
Illusion, fantasy and reality
An essential theme to the play is that of the illusions and fantasy each
character projects and internalises, as well as the contrasting reality.
Blanche is totally absorbed in her fantasies, which are so powerful that they
absorb others (like Mitch). In order to preserve these self-delusions, she
controls the lighting with a paper lantern to appear more youthful and
pretends to be a stereotypical Southern Belle.
Desire
Desire is a significant motivator for the characters in the play and even acts
as a hamartia for some. It is their sexual desire in particular that causes this.
Definition: Hamartia is the tragic flaw of a character that ultimately causes
their downfall.
Blanche's hamartia, for example, is the sexual desire that has stained her
reputation. Stella's sexual desire also traps her in a toxic relationship
because she is attracted to Stanley's violence and strength (even though it
harms her). Allan Grey also suffers from his sexual desire because he cannot
come to terms with his sexuality being exposed, pushing him to suicide.
Masculinity and femininity
Much of the conflict in the play occurs between the competing and
cohabiting poles of Stanley and Blanche that encompass hyper-masculinity
and hyper-femininity. Tennessee Williams explores this theme by imposing
stereotypes on each of the characters, such as Stanley’s aggression and
Blanche’s vanity. However, Williams also highlights a limit to these
stereotypes through Blanche’s swaying from the ideal of femininity by
exploring her sexuality.
Dependency
For many of the characters, their dependency acts as a coping mechanism
for different difficulties they face. Blanche in particular is affected by
numerous mental health issues and fragilities. She deals with them through
dependency: on fantasy, self-projecting illusions, and alcohol.
Similarly, other characters have dependencies on idealisms or other people.
Stanley, for example, is dependent on the American Dream. Like many, he
hopes for a life that is richer and happier because he is in the United States,
a country idolised for its social mobility and freedom.
The American Dream is a concept that all Americans are truly equal and
thus they can achieve any aspirations that they desire through hard work.
Stella is also dependent on her husband. Owing to the fact that America was
a highly patriarchal society in the 1940s, without Stanley it would be near-
impossible for her to sustain a comfortable life for her and her child. Stanley
even gives her an allowance after their arguments as a sort of retribution
pay.
A Streetcar Named Desire: genre
A Streetcar Named Desire is exemplary of the Southern Gothic genre.
Williams explores the transition between the Old and New South through his
symbolic characters, as Blanche represents the Old South, Stella the
transition, and Stanley the New South.
Williams uses the Southern Gothic genre to mourn a time with less of the
commercialisation and materialisation that the New South symbolises for
him. The genre is further explored by other significant writers like Harper
Lee, Donna Tart and Toni Morrison.
A Streetcar Named Desire: facts and influences
A Streetcar Named Desire was an incredibly successful play first performed
on the 3rd December 1947, under the direction of Elia Kazan (who also
directed Williams' 1955 play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). It won several
prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New
York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play in 1948.
Williams' plays often bring a 'darker, more violent side' 1 to the theatre,
and A Streetcar Named Desire is no exception. He analyses the
simultaneous fragility and cruelty of mankind through his characters of
Blanche, Stella, and Stanley, while also criticising the institutions that
surround American society.
The play is influential in its timelessness, especially considering that it has
continued to be performed internationally (even in 2020 in the UK, with its
cast of Gillian Anderson, Ben Foster, and Vanessa Kirby in the lead roles).
A Streetcar Named Desire - Key takeaways
 Tennessee Williams's play, A Streetcar Named Desire, first premiered
on Broadway on 3 December 1947 under the direction of Elia Kazan.
It was incredibly successful, winning several awards, and was even
cinematised.
 A Streetcar Named Desire is about the relationship between three
characters- Stella, Blanche and Stanley. Stella and Blanche are both
sisters whose family is from the Old South, while Stanley is from an
immigrant family.
 The play contains many themes such as desire, relationships between
genders, sexuality, dependency, and the fragility of mankind.
 There is only one title scene in the play, called The Poker Night.
 The play follows the genre of southern gothic and is set in New
Orleans.

Frequently Asked Questions about A

Streetcar Named Desire
Where is A Streetcar Named Desire set?

A Streetcar Named Desire is set in the French Quarter of New

Orleans, however, we only really see the block of flats that the
Kowalskis live in.

What is A Streetcar Named Desire about?

A Streetcar Named Desire follows the tale of two sisters,

reunited, and the conflicts that follow, created by the
introduction of one to the other’s spouse. But it is also about the
beauty and the ugliness of mankind in its simultaneous fragility
and violence.

When was A Streetcar Named Desire written?

A Streetcar Named Desire was written in 1947 and was first

performed on 3 December 1947.

What kind of play is A Streetcar Named Desire?

A Streetcar Named Desire is a tragedy. It follows the narrative of
a character (Blanche) as she descends into a downward spiral.

What is the main theme of A Streetcar Named Desire?

The play contains many themes such as desire, relationships

between genders, sexuality, dependency, and the fragility of
mankind.