Addison Hinson

Wanda Lebrun

English 2110

November 29, 2017

A literary Analysis of Tennessee Williamss A Streetcar Named Desire

On December 3rd 1948 at the Ethel Barrymore theatre, Tennessee Williamss most well

know dramatic work previewed. This tells the story of Blanche, who had recently lost her

familys home to debt collectors, and how she moves in with her sister Stella and Stellas

husband Stanley; things get heated and tensions rise during this. It was a show that helped launch

the theatrical and film career of a young Marlon Brando, and won Jessica Tandy a Tony award

for best leading actress in a show. The script itself even won the Pulitzer prize for drama. A

Streetcar Named Desire is arguably one of Tennessee Williamss most notable and popular

works. In the next few pages, I will delve into his work and analyze A Streetcar Named Desire to

demonstrate why this work was and will continue to be such a popular piece of literature.

On March 26th1911, Thomas Lanier Tennessee Williams III was born in Columbus,

Mississippi. As a young child, he suffered from a case of diphtheria which almost ended his life;

it left him weak and confined to his house. This caused Thomas to be very quiet and reserved,

much to his fathers discontent. After failing to connect with people his own age and failing a

military course his junior year, Thomass father pulled him out of college and made Tennessee

join him at the International Shoe Company factory. The monotonous job bored him and left

him overworked; however, the boredom inspired Tennessee to write more. It is said that his time

in the factory and one particular coworker inspired and later became a part of the character of

Stanley Kowalski. Later in life, Williams moved to New Orleans in order to write for the Works
Progress Administration (created by president Franklin D. Roosevelt. He lived in the French

Quarter which was the setting for his 1977 play Vieux Carre. In the winter between 1944 to 1945

he created his first major hit The Glass Menagerie, which started its run in Chicago and later

moved to Broadway. His next major play was A Streetcar Named Desire, securing his reputation

as a great playwright.

Not all of Tennessee Williams plays were as successful or as renown as A Streetcar

Named Desire. Some of his other shows include The Rose Tattoo, Orpheus Descending, The

Night of the Iguana, Sweet Bird of Youth, and Summer and Smoke. He also wrote Cat on a Hot

Tin Roof . Many of his significant works such as Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie

transitioned from the Broadway stage to the big screen. On February 25th 1983 Williams was

found dead in his Suite at the Hotel Elysee. It was reported that Williams had choked to death

from inhaling the plastic cap of a bottle type that would be for eye solution or nasal spray. In his

will Tennessee wrote that his final wishes be respected and that he would be buried at sea

however, his family had him buried at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Tennessee

Williams lived to be 71 and is considered one of the foremost playwrights (alongside Eugene

ONeill and Arthur Miller) of 20th Century American Drama.

A Streetcar Named Desire follows the story of Blanche DuBois, her younger sister Stella

Kowalski, and Stellas husband, Stanley Kowalski. It takes place in the French Quarter in New

Orleans in early May. Blanche has just lost her house because she has defaulted on paying off the

house and is forced to temporarily move in with her sister. It is clear from the start that

Blanche does not approve of her sisters marriage or her sisters husband; she finds him to be

rough and loud. In turn, Stanley does not care for Blanches uppity mannerisms. As their time

spent together grows longer, they start to clash. Stella and Stanley talk about how uneasy and
manic Blanche can be. One day, Stanley starts to question Blanche about her past marriage, and

Stanley starts to question if he and Stella were cheated out of their inheritance. Stella reveals her

pregnancy to Blanche. Blanche and Stanleys detest for each other grows. When Stella goes into

labor, Stanley goes to confront Blanche about her lies and stories. Towards the end of the scene,

it is heavily implied that Stanley rapes Blanche, sending her into a psychotic breakdown. The

final scene is Stella packing up Blanches bag, sending her to a psychiatric hospital.

It is quite obvious that the characters of Blanche and Stanley are intended to be foils for

each other. From the moment they meet each other, they are very standoffish and altogether rude.

One may wonder in this show, who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist. Brenda Murphy,

the author of Critical Insights: A Streetcar names desire, quotes Tennessee Williams saying

there are no good or bad people. Some are a little better or a little worse but all are activated

more by misunderstanding than malice. A blindness to what is going on in each others hearts.

Williams wrote these characters very cleverly, in that you can find something in all three of them

that you can see in yourself. They all love each other in different ways and sometimes those

ways cause tension. Stella loves Stanley so much that she forgives and even dismisses the fact

that he hit her. Blanche loves Stella so much that she tries to get her out of the situation shes

in, even though Stella doesnt think shes in any kind of situation.

The initial point of action in this piece happens early on in the show in scene two. It sets

up the initial confrontations between Blanche and Stanley but having Stanley confront Stella on

what has happened to the DuBois family house Belle Reve. It essentially sets up the whole

through line of the show, it starts the conflict between Stanley constantly questioning Blanche

and in a way turning Stella against her sister. It also sets up the exposition of the show, it starts

by setting up the point where you find out Blanche loses the house and helps move the story into
the next few scene of Stanley trying to get Stella to find out the truth about what has really been

going on and what Blanche hasnt been telling her.

The climax of the show takes place in scene 10, when all the rising action of the show

(Blanche and Stanley confrontations throughout the play) escalates. In the final few moments of

scene 10 Blanche and Stanley go from having what seems like a decent moment into a fight; its

ironically the calm before the storm. Stanley coming off the high of his future child about to be

born confronts Blanche who herself is in a dazed state of reality. Blanche who is confused about

what is happening starts to tell Stanley of how her past millionaire lover when Stanley abruptly

confronts her about her lying. Stanley starts to taunt her, and chases her around the house. The

scene ends with Blanche being picked up by Stanley and carried off into the bedroom; where it is

heavily implied that he ends up raping her. The scene itself was originally and has been a very

controversial scene for many reasons for many reasons. One reason is based on the last line of

the scene We've had this date with each other from the beginning! this is spoken by Stanley to

Blanche. What does this line mean? We never do get an actual answer in the script so we can

only infer that this is possibly Stanley getting revenge on Blanche after all she has been putting

him through. In Stanleys mind this is him getting even with Blanche.

This idea would make sense as we know Stanley to be very barbaric and animalistic. To

see think of him seeing this sexual assault as a revenge plan is very believable. It shows a lot of

who Stanley is as a character. Stanley essentially causes Blanches breakdown because of this

happening, to the point where when Blanche tries to explain to Stella what happened Stella

doesnt believe Blanche. It shows how much control Stanley takes over the two sisters.

The falling action of the show takes place in the scene following the rape. The scene

starts out as a normal poker night at the Kowalski house but then we realize something is off. We
realize that something is off in the house, we see Stella starting to pack up Blanches things.

Blanche is being taken away to a mental institution due to her weak mental stability from her

breakdown. This is also the last scene in the show, it leaves us with a somewhat open

denouement. Although it is clear that Blanche is going to the mental hospital, it leaves us

uncertain what is to become of her. It also makes us wonder about what happens to Mitch, we are

left to wonder if he ever does find someone to settle down with or if he is left alone. We

wonder what happens to the Kowalskis, how does Stella re-act to her sister having a complete

breakdown and having to be taken to an asylum. Tennessee Williams is very clever in that the

shows ending is just how the show started. Its the same in which the show starts in that its an

attempt to continue in to their normal life. Showing how much control Stanley has over the

Kowalski house. Its almost quite sexiest showing that Stella bows and listens to everything

Stanley says and bows down to him.