Streetcar named Desire

Scene 1
Atmosphere and literary devices to create it
1. What atmosphere does Williams create in the opening scene directions?
Williams creates this funky colourful environment that is New Orleans. It is where the
ethnicities mix and thrive, and the funky blues piano gives the poverty a sting of soul. It is
part of the city.
2. Focus on the language and images he employs to create this atmosphere.
The section is poor but it has its charm. There is focus on colours, for example houses are a
faded white and weathered grey, suggesting poverty, the sky is a tender blue, almost
turquoise, giving lyricism and gracefully attenuating the atmosphere of decay. It is exotic and
warm and there is a blues piano in the background setting the mood, taking the sting out of
poverty.
3. What is Elysian Fields? How might this allusion be symbolic?
Elysian Fields is a symbol for Greek afterlife. This may be Stellas afterlife after Belle Rves
tragedies and the sexual stuff that went on there. However, not everybody fits in here, for
example, Blanche does not.

Scenes 4 6
Characters: Blanche vs. Stella and Stanley; Eunice and Steve
1. Stella and Blanche respond differently to Stanleys violent actions during the poker
game the previous night, the end of scene 3. What does Blanche want to do? Who
is Shep Huntleigh? What does Stella want to do? What does Stella suggest is the
foundation of her marriage with Stanley? In what ways is Stella being asked to
choose between her sister and her husband.
Stella responds with excitement and passion to Stanleys violent nature. Blanche responds
by wanting to get away from him and to take Stella with her. Shep Huntleigh is a rich friend
of hers that Blanche wants to hook them up with so they can get away and get decent jobs.
Stella wants to stay with Stanley. She suggests that the foundation of their marriage is a
deep desire for each other. Stella is being asked to choose between Blanche and Stanley
because Blanche expresses her true opinion about him
2. At the end of scene four Blanche reveals her thoughts about Stanley. How does she
describe and characterize him? Where is Stanley while Blanche is talking? Does he
overhear her? If so, how do you think he would respond? When Stanley re-enters
the apartment at the end of the scene, Stella runs to him and hugs him. Why is this
significant? Does it suggest something about Stellas relationship with Stanley and
her relationship with Blanche?
Blanche characterizes him as an animal, as a sub-human and ape-like man. Through words
like gnawing, grunting, hulking, she makes him look and sound like an animal. Stanley
overhears this whole conversation as he is just outside. Obviously, he will be offended by
this look on him and react to Blanche with a greater hatred and try to win Stella over to his
side, because she is what determines the future consequences. When Stella runs and hugs
Stanley it is a significant symbol for choosing him over Blanche, since Blanche has just
characterized him as a beats. She still disregards her observations and warnings. Stellas love
for Stanley is greater than her love for Blanche, and so therefore no matter how much
goodness Blanche wants to bring to Stella, or how much better Blanche is for Stellas well-
being, and no matter if Stella knows this or not, she will always pick Stanley over Blanche.
3. Describe Blanches relationship with Stanley in scene five. How does this latest
conflict between them end? Are their conflicts in each scene becoming increasingly
more serious?
In this scene, Stanley confronts Blanche about her past, claiming he has proof of her sexual
innuendo back then. Now the roles shift. Before Blanche acted like she had this sort of
dominance over Stanley, but now she is scared of him and fears the information that he
holds and if it should get out, her future in an economically stable relationship will be ruined.
Yes, in each scene, the conflicts get more serious foreshadowing the rape, and also that
Stanley will be the winner in the end as Blanche stumbles and struggles more and more.
4. How would you describe the relationship between Steve and Eunice? Does their
marriage provide a different view of love in the play?
Steve and Eunices relationship is similar to that of Stella and Stanley. It is based on sexual
passion and violence, and they quickly make up after having fought because they are so in
love.

Characters: Blanche, her personalities, illusions, her past and her relationship with Mitch
5. In scene five, Blanche again mentions Shep Huntleigh. Why does she write to him?
Is she honest? Why does she not tell the truth? Does this letter provide a good
example of what Blanche said about fibbing and illusions?
She writes to him because she is still trying to convince Stella that they must leave. Instead
of telling the truth that they are in economic difficulty, she paints a picture of them living a
luxurious life, desiring to visit him. She doesnt tell the truth because she is ashamed of this
economic difficulty and wants to appeal to this upper class male. This is a good example of
how Blanche lies to maintain an image and to get respect and whatever she desires.
6. In scene five, we see Blanche drinking again. Why does she drink? What is she
nervous about?
Blanche drinks to calm her nerves. She drinks when she tries to control her nervousness in
order to maintain appearances.
7. Can you explain the dynamics of Blanches encounter with the newspaper boy?
Why does Blanche flirt with him?
In this scene, we see the hypocritical nature of Blanche: though she has been criticizing Stella
and Stanleys relationship, Blanche herself has a great lust, as she exclaims, Ive got to be
good and keep my hands off children. This characterizes Blanche as a lustful woman, and
gives us some foreshadowing of what will be revealed when we learn of her past. Blanche
almost gives in to her old self after the encounter with Stanley regarding her past.
8. What does Blanche want from Mitch? Is she honest with him? Describe their
relationship at the end of scene five and during scene six. Is Mitch an aristocratic
southern gentleman? If not, provide examples from scene six to support your
answer. Do they love each other? How is their relationship different from the
relationship between Stella and Stanley?
Blanche wants economic stability from Mitch. She doesnt want to end up in great poverty
and so she is looking for a man to support her.
9. In scene six, Blanche explains her relationship with her husband. What does she
unexpectedly learn about him? How does she respond to this? What does her
husband do? How does Blanche respond to his death? Does this explain why the
polka music repeats in her mind? What does this music symbolize for Blanche?
She learns that her husband is gay, which is frowned upon during the time that this play Is
set. She firstly ignores it and goes to a party with her husband and his lover, but then she
exclaims to him, while the polka is playing, You disgust me. This makes the husband
commit suicide. He has been trying to cover up his homosexuality because he is ashamed of
it since it is so frowned upon in society. Blanche compares the husbands death to all light
disappearing in her light. The polka played when her husband killed himself, and since she
remembers this memory so vividly, the polka begins to play as a symbol of how she thinks of
her husbands death.

Symbols and imagery
10. Do you see any significance in the brief discussion of astrological signs?
In this brief discussion Blanche implies that she believes that ones astrological sign is part of
ones character. As she is the virgo, implying virginity, Stanley laughs at this ironic remark.
This is also what commences the discussion regarding Blanches past.
11. In scene six, Blanche describes her experience with love in terms of light imagery.
Yet scene six takes place mostly in the dark and in candlelight. Why? Why does
Blanche prefer the dim light?
Ever since her loss of innocence she has lived in darkness, symbolically, because she has not
been able to get a grasp of herself or love or any of the feelings she felt with her late
husband. Scene six takes place in darkness, maybe to emphasize this. Blanche prefers the
dim light because people cant see how she has aged and metaphorically you cant see the
things she has gone through when darkness enravels her.

Dramatic technique/style
12. Consider Williams use of scene/stage directions in each scene. Find specific
examples of sound/music, characterization, setting, atmosphere, etc. that develop
the readers understanding of the play (themes characters, conflicts).
All of Stanleys actions are usually rather violent. As the relationship between Blanche and
Stanley becomes more and more tense, Blanche becomes more and more nervous around
him, also evident of her actions. Music becomes louder if a scene is intense, either plot wise
or violently.

Scene 7 11
Characters: Blanche, her lies, illness, and personalities
1. At the beginning of scene seven Blanche is once again taking a hot bath, though its
hot outside. Why does she bathe so often and for such long periods of time? How
does Stanley feel about Blanches baths? Why does he feel that way?
Blanche, in a symbolic way, keeps taking a bath to wash her sins away. Stanley is annoyed
by these baths, literally because he cant use his own bathroom, metaphorically because he
does not believe that she can ever wash her sins away, and he doesnt approve of the lies
and games she has played in order to start a new life away from her shame in Laurel.
2. Stanley has found out the truth about Blanche. According to Stanley, what is that
truth? What are the two lies that he refutes? He mentions the Flamingo hotel.
What is it? How does it relate to Blanche? Why does Blanche in scene nine call it
the Tarantula Arms? Why has Blanche lost her teaching job? What are Stanleys
motives for telling Mitch about Blanches lies?
Stanley finds out that Blanche was one of the epic fornications of her family, she sexually
misbehaved to a great extent, so great that she got kicked out from the Flamingo Hotel that
oozed of sex and existed for the sole purpose of sex. Secondly, Blanche is not on a holiday
away from her teaching job, she was fired because she was sexually engaged with a
seventeen-year-old boy. This was foreshadowed by Blanches interaction with the paper
boy, where she explicitly states that she must behave herself and keep her hands off
children. Stanley tells Mitch about Blanches past because he claims he cannot go about
seeing his best friend everyday and let him be lead in by her web of lies.
3. While Stanley is talking to Stella about Blanche, Blanche is in the bathroom and the
audience can hear her singing. What is the significance of her song? Is it, too, a
description of Blanche? Does it present one side of Blanche that Stanley (and
Mitch) cannot understand?
The song that Blanche sings is an expression of her new found relationship with Mitch.
Williams creates a dramatic irony in this scene, because as Blanche sings of her
happiness, he crushes it all with the information he is dropping. Blanche keeps singing,
But it wouldnt be make-believe, if you believed in me.

Characters: Blanche vs. Stella & Stanley
4. Describe Blanches birthday party in scene 8. What birthday present does Stanley
give her? Why does Stanley want Blanche to leave? How is her presence changing
his marriage? How does he hope his marriage will be after Blanche is gone? Discuss
the importance of sexuality and desire for Stanley. The party ends with Stella being
taken to the hospital. Why does she go to the hospital?
Dramatic irony takes place once again as what should be a joyous event is turned into a
gloomy and tense evening. Stanley gives Blanche a ticket back to Laurel. He wants her to
leave because she is poisoning the relationship between he and Stella. Blanches presence
puts Stella between Stanley and Blanche and because Blanche is her sister she automatically
feels a bit of a responsibility to Blanche, causing anger in Stanley. Also, Blanche is bringing
out Stellas previous social status roles. While Blanche is there, the couple cant be as
sexually active as they have been before, because Stella respects that Blanche is in the room
next door and so they cant make more noise. Sexuality makes Stanley feel manly and it is
the foundation of their marriage, because their attraction to each other is what gets them
through the figths. Stella is taken to the hospital because she enters labour from all the
stress of the evening.
5. What changes do you see in the relationship between Stella and Stanley? Between
Blanche and Stanley?
The relationship between Stella and Stanley has changed as an effect of Blanches stay in
New Orleans. Stella now demonstrates some of the values of her old social class. She dares
to be more independent from Stanley, criticizing him more directly if is sloppy or
misbehaves. This can also be seen as her language gets more formal as she interacts in an
argument with Stanley. Neednt is an example of a more formal expression than what we
have seen previously. As Stella becomes more formal, Stanley becomes more sloppy and
violent, further separating the couple. Before the couple was married, Stanley rescued Stella
from the boring upper class life and gave her colour, in the city of New Orleans, but now
they are being separated. At the end of this scene, the reader may believe that the
relationship between Stella and Stanley is doomed due to their differing personalities, but
the scene ends with Stella entering labour, thus regaining her dependence of Stanley as he is
the one who will take her to the hospital and raise the child with her.
A change can also be seen in the already heated relationship between Blanche and Stanley.
Blanche finally reacts to Stanleys stinging comments when he notes that the steam from the
bath is making the air hot and Blanche exclaims that she has apologized numerous times.
Similarly, Stanley does not withhold his violence. In the beginning of the play we favoured
Stanley over Blanche as his mean side hadnt been revealed yet, but as the play evolves, he
gains more and more control over Blanche and we now sympathize with her since she has
gone through so much pain and abuse through the years and Stanley doesnt give a fuck
about her.

Characters: Blanch vs. Mitch
6. How does Mitch respond to the news about Blanche that Stanley told him? Why
doesnt he want to marry Blanche anymore? Why does he tear off the paper
lantern? Why does Blanche not want him to tear it off? What does Mitch want
from Blanche at the end of scene nine? How does Blanche respond?
Mitch does not want to believe it at first. When he has gotten the truth confirmed from
several sources he is forced to believe it. Yet he doesnt react with anger, only with remorse.
He doesnt want to marry Blanche because she is too dirty to bring into the home of his dear
mother, and he doesnt want to live in a sea of lies. He wants to tear it off to properly see
her, literally and metaphorically too. He has never seen Blanche in daylight and since she has
lied about her age he wants to see how old she really is. But the tearing off of the paper
lantern also symbolizes how all of Blanches lies and her whole past is being set in the light
now where everything can be seen. Blanche does not want Mitch to tear the lantern off
because she is ashamed and repulsed by herself, and she wants to continue living the
fantasy where the death of her husband and the affairs are a million miles away. At the end
of the scene, Mitch wants to have sex with Blanche because he now knows that the real
Blanche should give it to him. Blanche responds with disgust at this act. Before, she thought
Mitch could be her saviour from the shadows but now she sees that he simply wants to take
advantage of all the stuff she has been hiding from in an act to set things equal.
7. What does Blanche say is the opposite of death? Explain how this is a significant
theme in the text.
She believes the opposite of death is desire. To get away from the horror of Allans death,
Blanche has fled it through lust and desire with intimate strangers. She has dreamt up
scenarios, which she has told people of her past in order to achieve what she wants and
desires. But now that Stanley has exposed everything to the real world. She can no longer
depend on her fantasies to escape. Now her fantasies control her, instead of the other way
around. Now she is afraid not only of the light, but also of the dark. And the only alternative
now seems to be death, because desire has run out.

Characters: Blanche and Blanche vs. Stanley
8. What does Blanche mean when she says, I dont want realism. I want magic. I try
to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I dont tell truth, I tell what
ought to be truth.
She does not want to accept the situations as they are, perhaps because she has gone
through so much pain and wants to break way from it all. She tells them of a dreamy world
instead of a real one. This is part of the major theme, fantasy versus reality.
9. Why did Blanche have so many intimacies with strangers?
Blanche sought comfort in strangers after the death of Allan. Her heart was empty and
empty sexual intercourse was the only thing that seemed to fill her heart. Acceptance from a
stranger, that is.
10. In scene ten Blanche and Stanley are alone in the apartment. Why is Stella not
present? Blanche again mentions Shep Huntleigh. He, too, has taken on a symbolic
meaning for Blanche. What does he represent to her? Why does she tell Stanley a
lie about Shep Huntleigh? What does Stanley mean when he asks Blanche, Shall
we bury the hatchet and make it a loving-cup? Why does Blanche say no?
Stella is at the hospital due to give birth sometime in the morning. To Blanche, Shep
Huntleigh has become her last hope of an escape from the twisted reality. She tells Stanley
that Shep Huntleigh has contacted her to take her away on a cruise in the Caribbean in order
to make it sound like she wasnt defeated, and she will not return to nothingness, she will
live beautifully. Stanley means that in a drunken state they can both stop trying to dig up
things on each other and engage sexually. This is understood because of the way he whistles
when he sees Blanche sitting on the bed in the dress. Blanche obviously declines because
she does not wish to bury the hatchet with the man who exposed her to the light and has
taken away all hope from her. Because the telegram from Shep Huntleigh is a lie so she
knows very well that she has not won Stanley has, so far.
11. What happens between Blanche and Stanley at the end of scene ten? What results
of this can be seen in scene eleven? Why has Blanche gone mad? Where is she
being sent? Why has Stella decided to send Blanche there? Has Stanley and Stellas
marriage changed?
At the end of the scene, Stanley rapes Blanche.
12. Scene eleven begins with another poker game. This time Stanley is winning and
Mitch is losing. Is this significant? Does the card game also have possible symbolic
meaning? Describe how the relationship between Stanley and Mitch has changed.
Last time poker was played in the household a violent fight broke out from Stanleys part
due to his drunkenness and his loss in the card game. Last time Blanche wanted the men to
notice her. This time, Blanche is in madness and she doesnt want the men to notice her. But
yes, it is significant that Stanley is winning over Mitch. Stanley won the game of luck, Mitch
lost. Mitch is so heartbroken to see Blanche a crazy woman and will maybe never forgive
Stanley for breaking her like that. The last line of the play This game is seven-card stud
symbolizes that the whole event has been full of bluffs and lies. The card game symbolizes
the whole plot.
13. How does Blanche initially respond to the Doctor and the Matron? Why does she
later offer her hands to the Doctor? What does Blanche mean when she says,
Whoever you are I have always depended on the kindness of strangers?
Describe the relationship between Stanley and Stella at the end of the play, after
Blanche has left.
At first, Blanche does not want to be taken away by the doctor because she expects it to be
Shep Huntleigh, showing up to collect her. Her last words are significant because they are
what has lead Blanche to such a horrible life. When she has depended on the kindness of
strangers, they have only been good to her in return for sex. It shows how detached from
reality Blanche really is.
Stella feels forced to believe that what Blanche says is a lie, because of Blanches sudden
insanity and because Stanley is her way to survival and now she has a baby and she doesnt
want to ruin this relationship.

Images and Symbols
13. Discuss the expressionist elements that Williams uses in scene eleven. What do
they suggest about what Blanche is thinking and feeling?
14. What do you think is the symbolic meaning of the Mexican woman selling flowers
for the dead in scene nine?
The Mexican woman represents how Blanche may as well succumb to the dead because she
has no desire anymore.