A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE A METAPHOR OF AMERICAN SOCIETY

A streetcar named desire is a master piece from the american writer Tennessee Williams, but more than just a play it is an abstract image from American 4o's society that Tennessee makes through the personalities of his main characters. What is even more interesting about this play is how the writer make an association between characters to make a drama that can be directly linked to United States society of the time.

Through all the second world war united states gain wealthiness, becoming an arrogant and selfish society where the richest people lived by and for an image. Some of the citizens that make part of the highest social level, become so obsessed with showing off and pretending, that when the economical situation wasn't good they couldn't realize their reality.

The relation between Stanley, Stella and Blanche is a perfect example of how Tennessee Williams, make out a metaphor of the american society inside his play. Blanche Dubois represents the american high class society of 4o's decade, that society that lived for an image, prejudices and status. Stanley Kowalski represent the brutal man of the time, full of prejudices and with lack of manners, what can be related to a lower social class and for it its representation inside the play. Finally we find Stella Kowalsky role, she could be the prefect representation of a mixed between Blanche's and Stanley's social level, showing too the role of a submissive woman.

Analysis of scene 10, A street car named desired. By Tennessee Williams.

Scene ten recreates one of the most important scenes in the sexual tension theme, both blanche and Stanley are bursting rage and anxiety, and this is spoken throughout dialogs and mostly by the stage directions. The last stage direction assembles the discharge of strain desire between these two characters. “She moans. The bottle top falls. She sinks to her knees. He picks to her inert figure and carries het to the bed. The hot trumpet and drums from the four deuces sound loudly.” The author builds these directions with a clear objective, stimulate the reader’s senses. In this case Tennessee Williams establishes an impressive visual description of the situation, nevertheless he just escorts the reader to conclude himself, and he doesn’t reveal the exact fact.

William indicates the ways the characters acts to show how they are, as we can see with Stanley, he show by his acts the macho´s personality that he has, as an example we can se the animal body language. Like a snake, Stanley flicks his tongue at Blanche through his teeth. He corners her in the bedroom, refusing to move out of her way, then “springs” at her, calling her a “tiger” as he captures her. Blanche´s silent resignation as Stanley carries her to the bed indicates the utter defeat of her will.

Also in these seen we can evidence the way Stanley has physical defeat of Blanche, as an example of the way he terrorizes her by shattering her self- delusions.( Pg: 123, Stanley said: Yep. Just me and you, Blanche. Unless you got somebody hid under the bed. What´ve you got on those fine feathers for?) Stanley treats her bad insinuating that he sleeps with a lot of guys and frequently. By other way Blanche´s most visceral experiences are the delusions and repressed memories that make feel Blanche bad.

by: Maria Fernanda T.

Laura Santos.

Laura Rodriguez.

The "Blue Piano" in A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennesse Williams

Tennesse Williams uses a very important element in his stage directions: music. The music in the play comes from the "Blue Piano" in the Four Deuces, a bar close to the apartment building in which the Kowalskis live.

The first question one may ask about this "Blue Piano" is "what does it do?"

The author practically gives us the answer in page 3: "It expresses the spirit of the life which goes on here."

From the start, this statement gives us the clue that the music from the Blue Piano will highlight the mood for certain scenes. An example can be observed in Scene 2 when Stanley reveals to Blanche that Stella is having a baby (page 43). At that moment, the music from the Blue Piano rises in volume.

Just like the Blue Piano expresses the spirit of life, the Varsouviana music expresses death. Blanche was dancing the Varsouviana at the moment when she told her husband he "disgusted" her, and then he ran away and shot himself. Throughout the play, when Blanche remembers or tells the story of her dead husband, the Varsouviana can be heard. Curiously, there are moments where the only one that can hear this music is Blanche, like in Scene 9, page 114. Mitch even states that Blanche is "Boxed out of her mind."

Tennesse Williams employs the Blue Piano as part of his stage directions to highlight moments in the play that contain references to life and emotion, as well as death. He also uses music to set the mood for certain scenes, making music in the play a very important motif.

By Juan David Bonilla & Mauricio Castillo

Scene 2

A Streetcar Named Desire
Scene 2

In scene two we can see a difference from scene one. During the first scene emphasizes the sexual attraction that Stella and Stanley moved to each other despite differences of class, as the second scene shows lack of respect between Stanley and Stella with the arrival of her sister.
Invoking the Napoleonic Code allows Stanley to justify their feelings toward the right of inheritance of Stella. In doing so, demonstrates that it is ignorant of legal excuses, Belle Reve, located in Laurel, Mississippi, outside the jurisdiction of New Orleans. However, the repeated references to Stanley on the Napoleonic Code to highlight the fact that his conflict with Blanche is also a test of strength between sexes

During this scene there can be seen the difference between Stanley's and Blanche's view of money, Blanche comes from a way of living in which she only knows how to spend and Stanley knows how to make things cheaper and win money

Javier Ayala

Jorge Lince

A Streetcar named Desire (Scene 5)

Scene five shows several devices such as violence, lies , vanity, loneliness and jealousy among others.
Eunice and Steve are the clearer examples of violence as they start a nonsense fight because Steve peeks at a blondie who was passing by the Elysian Fileds. Eunice's jealousy became uncontrolable and struggled with his husband until the police has to be called to stop them. Blanche DuBois exemplifies vividly how lies and loneliness merge in one causing terrible consequences. The novel's protagonist is so vane that she even gets to invent a ficticious rich man to whon she srites letters saying she was staying in Dallas in a millionaire's mile representing the loneliness she felt inside.

A Streetcar Named Desire - Scene 1

Blanche, hoping to remake her life, looks for Stella’s help; but what she found wasn’t what she was expected, because Stella’s new way of life wasn’t similar to the one she had before. "Blanche: I'm looking for my sister, Stella DuBois. I mean - Mrs. Stanley Kowalski" pg 15. But not only Stella´s life have changed; Stanley was now part of it. This new character had the unique objective of discovering Blanche`s secrets and avoiding her happiness, they are completely incompatible.

Blanche wasn’t very happy because Stella left the house and went to a poor family. However, even though Blanche was mad because of Stella`s decision, she was sorry of what she said to Stella before she left. "Blanche: ... I thought you would never come back to this horrible place" pg 19.

Stanley and Blanche’s way of being is totally different; it is evident when they spoke. Stanley is serious, humble and he doesn’t pay attention to Blanche. Blanche is vain; she always needs attention, mostly from men. So this may be a reason of what Stanley feel disgusted about Blanche’s personality. "Staley: ... How long you have for, Blanche? / Blanche: I-don't know yet. / Stanley: You going to shack up here?" pg. 31

Luis José Espejo Serna
Diego Tavera Concha
Juan Diego Lahidalga
Juan Francisco Luna Lasso

The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.

Joanna & Jose

I study at Cooper Union…
(Cooper Union: The Great Hall of The Cooper Union has stood for more than a century as a bastion of free speech and a witness to the flow of American History and ideas… in Cooper's famous auditorium that the politics and legislation necessary to build a humane city took shape.)
But I left.
-Jose

It's nice how he try to talk in Spanish. Its funny cuz sometimes we sound like that… talking english.
Jose looks like Luis, you know, all disoriented and stuff, but, he has a lot of talent. Luis got it too, but he doesn’t want us to know.
Jose, congrats, your pieces are very interesting and authentic. I love the skateboard, I can’t imagine someone who has that tenacity.
http://www.myspace.com/sipestar/photos/22177319#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A33541031%7D

Joanna shows us her site. It contains lots of interesting pictures. If you want you can see it here:
http://www.joannanovelli.com/
There’s a lot of interesting stuff.