Tennessee williams’

A Streetcar Named Desire

STAGE DIRECTIONS
Scene 1 KEY
“Poor,” but with “rakish charm”
“Easy intermingling between races”
Elysian fields is the final resting place for gods and heroes in Greek mythology. It is a stark contrast to the
place where Stella and Stanley live.

BLANCHE’S VALUES
Snobbery: “Where were you! In bed with your – Polack!”
Poetic Manner: “I took the blows in my face and my body”

BLANCHE’S APPEARANCE
• “Her appearance is incongruous to the setting,” that of a summer cocktail party
• She wears white, symbolizing purity, as well as her name
• Blanche is compared to a moth. Moths are drawn to artificial light and are known to flitter around. This
could suggest Blanche’s movements and the things she seems to appreciate.
• “delicate beauty,” “uncertain manner”

STELLA & STANLEY

1. “Since his earliest manhood, the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking
of it”
2. “Where’s the little woman?” and “Catch!” ….” Meat!”
3. “A gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her
husband’s.” Also: “A different species”

STANLEY AS CAVEMAN
“He heaves the package at her” – Stanley throwing raw meat to Stella

TITLE REFERENCE
The idea expressed is that desire can lead to one’s literal or figurative death.

BLANCHE & STELLA

1. “Why, that you had to live in these conditions!”
2. “Such as his civilian background”
3. “I let the place go? Where were you! In bed with your – Polack!”
4. “I took the blows in my face and my body!”
5. “Will Stanley life me, or will I be just a visiting in-law, Stella? I couldn’t stand that.”

SPEECH FEATURES
Stella: “Well” or “Not now”
“It’s just incredible, Blanche, how well you’re looking.”
Blanche: “You hear me? I said stand up!” or “You sit down, now, and explain this place to me!”
“What? Two rooms did you say?”

BELLE REVE
Belle Reve is French for beautiful dream. Its loss could signify the end of Blanche’s dream life or fantasy.
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A Streetcar Named Desire
SOUND IN THE PLAY
Scene 2 KEY
Like the woman in the song, Blanche is now a “captive maid,” as she has nowhere else to go except Stella and Stanley’s
apartment.

MOTIFS: BATHS
1. It allows Stanley and Stella to have a conversation about Blanche without her knowing
2. It symbolizes Blanche’s desire to cleanse herself, literally and figuratively

SYMBOLISM
The rhinestone tiara could represent Blanche in many ways. The tiara is attractive and sparkly, just like Blanche. A tiara
usually signified royalty, which is how Blanche perceives herself. However, rhinestone is fake, which could represent the
truth behind Blanche’s representations. Blanche also lives in a world of illusion, and rhinestone gives an illusion of
glamour and beauty.

ALLUSION
The Napoleonic Code is the French civil code established under Napoléon in 1804. Stanley brings up the Napoleonic
code, which says that what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband, and vice versa. However, Stanley is mistaken in
his understanding of the Code, as Belle Reve would not be considered moveable property, so therefore he would have
no claim.

SPEECH FEATURES
Blanche: “Excuse me while I slip on my pretty new dress!”
Stanley: “I’m not going to no Galatoire’s for supper!”

TERM OF ADDRESS
Responses will vary, but most will likely respond that it shows Stanley’s chauvinistic view of women.

BLANCHE & STANLEY

1. We know that Stanley and Stella were arguing about Blanche and the idea of Belle Reve being lost. Blanche
doesn’t know this yet.
2. “Look at these feathers and furs that she came here to preen herself in!”
3. “Now let’s cut the re-bop!”
4. “She sprays herself with her atomizer; then playfully sprays him with it.”
5. “You men with your big clumsy fingers.”

GENDER ROLES
• Stanley expects Stella to have supper ready for him each night, representing the idea of a woman at home to
cook and clean for her husband.
• Men are to give women orders, with women being inferior.
• This shows the idea of women as property of their husbands.

ALLUSION
This is a quote from the bible: “And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” - Matthew 15:14 (Martin).
Blanche and Stella are both blind, because Stella is unable to see anything but the good in Stanley, and Blanche is relying
on her for support.

CHARACTER
Stella means “star.” Stars often guide people and tell them which direction they are going. Blanche is hoping that by
visiting Stella she will find direction and support.
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A Streetcar Named Desire
MOTIFS: POKER
Scene 3 KEY
1. Game controlled by chance and fate. To be good at the game you should bluff.
2. Represents the fight for power

CHARACTERIZATION
• The word “hen” in this reference has a negative connotation when referencing women. It suggests he views
them diminutively.
• “Eunice, I want my girls to come down with me!” This suggests his possession of Stella, as if she is his property.
• Baying suggests howling and a hound is a dog who is trained to hunt. This animal imagery could suggest Stanley
is like a dog hunting for his prey. A second definition of hound is also a mean or despicable person, which could
also fit Stanley.
• Stanley asking for water and the guys throwing him in the shower could represent a baptism of sorts, where he
asks to be cleansed of his sin.

SYMBOLISM
1. The scarlet red wrap suggests fire and desire. It is a stark contrast from the pale blue wrap she wore before.
2. The paper lantern could suggest Blanche wanting to cover up her true self and her past.
3. The radio shows a clear power struggle between Stanley and Blanche, with Stanley ultimately winning when he
throws it out the window. This violent act foreshadows what is to come later in the play.

STRUCTURE
Stanley calls her out on her flirtations, while Mitch seems to be enamored with them. This shows how Stanley is not
easily swayed, while Mitch is more sensitive.

HISTORICAL ALLUSION
The battle was a massacre of US General Custard's army by the Native Americans. Mitch’s comment on Stanley's fight
with Stella shows how violent and cruel their fight was. Mitch and Stanley met while fighting in WWII.

STELLA & STANLEY

1. Eunice: “I hope they do haul you in and turn the fire hose on you, same as the last time!”
2. “Then they come together with low, animal moans.”
3. “There he throws back his head like a baying hound and bellows his wife’s name.”
4. “You lay your hands on me and I’ll—”
5. “Her eyes go blind with tenderness”

GENDER ROLES
• Women are too dainty and pure to be around a game that involves lying and gambling.
• Women aren’t to interfere with men’s activities.
• Mitch telling Blanche this after Stanley’s attack on Stella implies how violence against women is something so
common that it’s not a big deal.

CHARACTER
Blanche’s use of euphemism here is her way of trying to act innocent.

BLANCHE AND MITCH

Blanche lies about her age, her drinking, and her reason for visiting. She does this to make herself seem more attractive
to Mitch.
 Tennessee williams’
A Streetcar Named Desire
STAGE DIRECTIONS
Scene 4 KEY
1. The sound mimics Blanche’s feelings after the night’s events
2. Stella is reading comic books. It could symbolize her childish behavior and desire to make light of the serious
situation she’s in.
3. Narcotized means drugged. Stella’s “narcotized tranquility” suggests the drug-like effect Stanley has on her.
4. Stella’s facial expression alludes to that of idols found in Asia, like Buddha, implying her state of peace.
5. Gaudy implies tacky, implying that Stanley himself is also tasteless. The pygamas left from the night before also
emphasizes his sexuality.

SYMBOLISM
Blanche compares (using a pun) her perception of Stella’s relationship with Stanley – desire, to a Streetcar line operating
at the time – Desire. She uses the “rickety” streetcar as a metaphor for Stella’s marriage, which in her view is bound for
disaster. Blanche’s tragic flaw could be desire.

RHETORICAL DEVICES
• Rhetorical questions: “But live with? Have a child by?”
• Parallel phrasing: “Maybe he’ll strike you or maybe he’ll grunt and kiss you.”
• Polysyndeton: “Swilling and gnawing and hulking!”

STANLEY
1. The steam train symbolizes Stanley’s anger as he overhears Blanche talking about him to Stella. The train is
moving forward, as Stanley is trying to do with his life, unlike Blanche who is stuck in the past.
2. “Stanley hesitates, licking his lips” and “he turns stealthily about.” These phrases suggest Stanley will use the
information he overhears to his advantage.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
“Cadillac convertible; must have been a block long!” Hyperbole seems appropriate for Blanche, as she lives in a fantasy
world and likes to present things as she would like them to be, not as they are.
 Tennessee williams’
A Streetcar Named Desire
CHARACTER
Scene 5 KEY
Blanche is like a butterfly in that butterflies are fragile, as so is Blanche’s mental state. Butterflies are also very beautiful
and Blanche likes to present herself as such.

LITERARY ANALYSIS
1. Blanche’s astrological sign of the Virgo (virgin) is ironic because she that’s how she tries to present herself,
despite not being so pure. Stanley’s sign of the Capricorn (goat) is fitting because a goat is the epitome of
masculine virility.
2. Blanche looks in the mirror and is confronted by her reality, which is not matching up with her desires.
3. The spilling of the soda on the white dress symbolizes the loss of purity and innocence.

STRUCTURE
• Steve and Eunice’s argument parallel’s Stanley and Stella’s argument.
• Williams could be showing how common domestic violence was during this time period or in New Orleans.
• Stanley laughs at the argument, making fun of Eunice’s name. This shows an acceptance of this type of behavior.
Stella responds that Eunice getting a drink instead of the police after the fight is more practical, which shows her
willing to be abused by men and a failure to do anything about the situation. Blanche asks if Steve killed Eunice,
which shows how severely she takes this type of behavior.

CHARACTER
The young man serves as a reminder to Blanche of her young husband who died. In kissing him, Blanche is trying to
relive her past.

IRONY
Blanche’s letter details lunches and outings in the Garden District (the moneyed part of New Orleans), which is a direct
contrast to the reality of her situation in Elysian fields.
 Tennessee williams’
A Streetcar Named Desire
STAGE DIRECTIONS
Scene 6 KEY
1. An amusement park recalls an idea of artificiality, as the fun and games had there aren’t real. It could
suggest that Mitch is looking for fun and games and not something serious – or that he doesn’t know
how to be serious.
2. Carrying a Mae West statue could imply that he is after Blanche for her sex appeal. The fact that it’s a
statute could also suggest that he wants a woman who is seen and not heard.

ALLUSION
It could suggest that Blanche currently feels isolated and betrayed by her sister, therefore looking for a
replacement.

TITLE REFERENCE
The connotation of grinding implies sexual desire. Blanche asks Mitch this question to see if he is still
interested in her.

BLAME GAME
Blanche blames Stanley for her problems, calling him her “executioner.” This shows how she doesn’t take
responsibility for her actions. It could also foreshadow Stanley’s ultimate act in scene 10.

RHETORICAL DEVICES
• Repetition: “suddenly” implying for Blanche the events that transpired happened so quickly, that she
was blindsided.
• Parallelism: “I wasn’t holding him out, I was slipping in with him.” The parallelism shows that just as
Allen was having issues, so was Blanche. They both had an inability to cope.
• Metaphor: “He was in the quicksands and clutching at me.” The quicksand is being compared to the
situation Allan had found himself in. He was figuratively sinking.
• Simile: “It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had been half in a shadow.”
The blinding light is being compared to reality.
• Single word utterances: “Deluded.” The use of this word as its own sentence emphasizes how Blanche
feels deceived.

BLANCHE
1. The locomotive could symbolize the emotion Blanche is feeling. The headlight of the locomotive could
also symbolize the truth being shown. Blanche’s action of covering her ears and crouching shows her
inability to deal with both her emotions and the truth.
2. The searchlight symbolizes harsh reality – the truth for Blanche. Since this was forced upon her, she
hasn’t been able to stand dealing with reality, thus avoiding harsh light.
BLANCHE AND MITCH
• MITCH: “We was together in the Two-forty-first.” BLANCHE: “I want to create--joie de vive! I'm lighting
a candle.”
• Blanche exploits Mitch’s ignorance when she speaks in French, asking him if he wants to sleep with
her. He clearly doesn't understand French, so there is no answer.
• “It was the other little--familiarity--that I--felt obliged to--discourage.” Blanche’s use of euphemisms
shows her trying to act as if she’s innocent.

CHARACTER
Blanche needs someone like Mitch, someone to take care of her. When he appears, it seems to be an act of
divine intervention for Blanche. The connection also shows Mitch to be proper and pure.

SOUND EFFECTS
The Varsouviana is a Polka song that plays in numerous instances throughout the play. In this scene, we learn
that the song was playing when Blanche was dancing with her young husband, Allan, who later committed
suicide. The songs frantic pace mimics Blanche’s mental state.
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SOUND DIRECTIONS
Scene 7 KEY
Blanche is singing a song about things being a “Barnum and Bailey world.” The song is almost ironic in a way,
because of Blanche’s refusal to deal with reality. The song is juxtaposed with Stanley telling Stella the “truth”
he has learned about Blanche’s past. The song functions to show illusion versus reality. The piano music
represents life in the Quarter.

SYMBOLISM
A birthday cake is symbolic of a new beginning, another year. For Blanche, the new beginning will start when
she is back on the bus to Laurel. For Stanley, the cake symbolizes the new beginning that will occur when
Blanche has left and he is left with his wife and their new baby. The white cake is appropriate, as Blanche is
often association with the idea of purity (even her name).

IDIOMS
“The cat’s out of the bag,” “She pulled the wool over your eyes as much as Mitch’s,” and “your sister was one
of the places called ‘out of bounds.” These idioms add some spice to the information Stanley’s trying to tell
Stella.

POSSESSION
“Can I please get in my bathroom?” This shows that he views things as solely his, and has no desire to share
with his sister-in-law, Blanche.

FLOWER METAPHOR
“Blanche is no lily.” Lilies symbolize purity and refined beauty. Stanley here claims Blanche isn’t so pure after
he has discovered the “truth” about her.

STANLEY
1. The simile here compares Blanche to poison, implying that she has infected those around her.
2. The metaphor here compares a shark tank to a relationship with Blanche. Stanley makes this
comparison to imply that any involvement with Blanche is risky and potentially life threatening.
3. The metaphor compares Blanche to royalty – and act that Stanley complains about Blanche putting on
in his apartment.

CHARACTER
“Peals of laughter are heard as if a child were frolicking in the tub.”

ANIMAL IMAGERY
The two birds are a canary and a flamingo. Canaries are song birds typically kept in cages, while flamingos are
known for their bright colors. The comparison of Blanche to a canary suggests her singing in the tub, while also
the idea of her being trapped in a cage (the apartment). The flamingo suggests Blanche’s wild behavior and
attitude, like the bright pink of the bird.
STANLEY AND STELLA
1. “Having waited one hour I guess one second should pass in a hurry.”
2. “It’s pure invention!”
3. “Her future is mapped out for her”
4. “Maybe he was, but he’s not now going to jump in a tank with a school of sharks—now!”
5. “I think Blanche didn’t just love him but worshipped the ground he walked on.”
6. “Blanche is sensitive and you’ve got to realize that Blanche and I grew up under very different
circumstances than you did.”

BLANCHE’S FUTURE
Stanley’s quote implies the tragedy for Blanche’s circumstances. There is nowhere else for her to go literally
and figuratively.

SYMBOLISM
• For Stanley, it symbolizes a ticket to freedom and the ability to have his wife’s full attention again.
• For Stella, it symbolizes the choice she will have to make over whether to choose to believe her sister
or her husband.
• For Blanche, it symbolizes being trust into reality.

SOCIO-HISTORIC CONTEXT
“The beautiful and talented young man was a degenerate.” A degenerate implies an immoral or corrupt
person. This shows how homosexuality was viewed in the 1940s, as morally wrong, criminal.
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A Streetcar Named Desire
VIEWS OF STANLEY
Scene 8 KEY
Hero: He served his country during WWII, represents new immigrant population trying to achieve American
Dream
Villain: He physically abuses his wife, he is deliberately cruel to Blanche (bus ticket), excessive gambling and
drinking

IMAGERY
1. “get the colored lights going”
2. “I pulled you down off them columns and how you loved it”

CHARACTER
Blanche refers to Mitch as her “beau.” Beau is a French word meaning beautiful, but also means boyfriend or
male admirer. Blanche’s use of this word shows her attempt to appear more cultured and sophisticated.
Blanche’s comment about experience with men is ironic, as it’s her “experience” with men that has gotten her
into her current predicament.

STANLEY
1. “That’s right, baby.”
2. Huey Long was a politician in Louisiana who championed the common man and was known for his
expression, “Every man is a king.” It makes sense for Stanley to like this statement, as he is trying to
make sure it’s known that he is in charge of the household.

SOCIO-HISTORIC CONTEXT
Stanley’s impassioned speech about being “100 percent American” shows growing patriotism after WWII. It
also shows a demand for respect for the country’s many immigrants.
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A Streetcar Named Desire
MITCH’S CHARACTER
Scene 9 KEY
• “Let’s turn the lights on here.”
• “Mitch stares at her dumbly.”

MONOLOGUE ANALYSIS
1. “Strangers,” “empty heart”
2. “intimacies,” “somebody”
3. “A cleft in the rock of the world.”
4. “An old tin can tied to the tail of a kite.”
5. “She refers to the men as victims, bit she’s the victim herself.
6. “She darts back into the apartment, slamming the door.”

DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES
Costume shows Mitch’s new attitude towards Blanche through his “blue denim shirt and pants. He is
unshaven.” This is a stark change from his polished look earlier in the play. Blanche’s red satin robe shows her
loss of innocence.
The Varsouviana is described as “rapid, feverish,” mimicking her mental state.
The Mexican flower seller could possibly symbolize the death of Blanche’s illusions. She could also serve as an
element of foreshadowing the events of Scene 10.
The tearing of the paper lantern symbolically shows Mitch tearing down her facade, her illusions, and forcing
her to deal with reality (the harsh light).

SYMBOLISM
The fire could symbolize passion, a destructive force, or a warning.

THEME
Blanche’s fake naivety is shown when she says to Mitch, “I don’t know what there is to drink. I—haven’t
investigated.” This is not true, as Blanche has been drinking the alcohol in the apartment all summer.
 Tennessee williams’
A Streetcar Named Desire
MOTIFS: GLASS
Scene 10 KEY
The glass could signify the shattering of illusion, as well as violence. Two previous references to glass occur in
Scene 1 where Blanche gets herself a glass of whisky and in Scene 2 when Stella explains to Stanley that
rhinestone is “next door to glass.”

THEMES: DESIRE
• “We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning.”
• “Come to think of it—maybe you wouldn’t be so bad to interfere with.”
• “Help me! Caught in a trap. Caught in”
• “So you want some rough-house! All right, let’s have some rough-house!”

ALLUSION
The allusion implies giving people who aren’t worthy a piece of yourself. Blanche suggests she hasn’t been
appreciated by Stanley and by Mitch.

COSTUME
First, Stanley appears wearing a “vivid green” bowling shirt. The bright color signifies power. When he
switches to the silk pajamas he wore on his wedding night, it signifies his sexual dominance as it was likely he
wore this the night he consummated his marriage to Stella.
Blanche’s costume:
• The white suit presents her as pure and proper
• The red satin robe presents her as sexualized
• The gown and tiara show Blanche as trying to maintain the idea of purity, but failing since her gown is
“soiled and crumpled”

SOUND
1. The locomotive could be a warning sound, as well as symbolizing Stanley’s aggression.
2. The “inhumane jungle voices” symbolize how distorted things are, mimicking the inhumane act Stanley
commits in this scene.

STRUCTURAL TECHNIQUES
The struggle mimic’s Blanche’s struggle with Stanley. The woman is violated and no one seems to care.

STANLEY’S IMAGERY
1. The imagery here almost compares Blanche to a bird, one who is putting on an act.
2. The idiom Stanley uses here means to end an argument.
3. The “red letter night” means that it’s a moment of significance for both Blanche and Stanley.
4. This idiom means to put on the glamour, to splurge.
5. Stanley is comparing Blanche to Cleopatra in her behavior. This implies that she requires a lot of
attention.
INTERPRETATIONS
1. Answers may vary. Most students may say the rape was planned given Stanley’s character.
However, you could argue that it was a spontaneous act with his quote, “come to think of it…”
2. Some critics have argued that the rape is an act of poetic justice, as Blanche openly flirted with him
earlier in the play. Her flirtation, however, does not mean she asked to be violated, nor does it
make Stanley’s actions okay.

THEME: CRUELTY
Stanley has been deliberately cruel to Blanche when giving her the bus ticket and during the rape scene. You
could also argue that Mitch was deliberately cruel to Blanche when he also tried to attack her at the end of
Scene 9.

SYMBOLISM
In Scene 2, when Stanley rifles through Blanche’s trunk, this foreshadows Stanley’s act.
 Tennessee williams’
A Streetcar Named Desire
THEME: THE PAST
Scene 11 KEY
1. The bells could symbolize a religious awakening.
2. The water could symbolize an act of baptism.

ALLUSION: DELLA ROBBIA

The allusion works to make a comparison between Blanche and the Virgin Mary. Blanche is trying to reclaim her
innocence.

SYMBOLISM
Tearing the remains of the paper lantern symbolizes Stanley’s final act of violence against Blanche, as an emotional rape.
Blanche is compared to a lantern, something fragile that tries to cover up harsh reality.

STANLEY’S LUCK
Stanley escapes unscathed in the play. He is not punished for his actions of domestic violence and nothing changes for
him.

THEME: LOYALTY
Blanche lied and wasn’t truthful to Mitch.
Stella has a baby and a husband, wants to keep her family together.
The word “couldn’t” shows Stella’s conscious choice to believe her husband over her sister.
Stella uses the euphemism of the “country” instead of an asylum. This shows she still wants to try and protect Blanche.

BLANCHE
1. Blanche walks out of the room “as if she were blind.” The blind walk with their head held high, focused straight
ahead. This shows Blanche has holding on to whatever dignity she has left, with her head held high.
2. Blanche’s last line is ironic, because those “kindnesses” have caused her downfall.

MITCH’S REACTIONS
• The repetition of the word “you” shows that Mitch blames Stanley for what happened between him and
Blanche.
• This could show Mitch’s regret.
• Mitch was another person who let her down. Blanche was left with no one she could depend on.

CHARACTER
Stanley hasn’t changed at all. He’s happy Blanche is gone so he can resume his physical relationship with his wife.

MOTIF: GAMBLING
The juxtaposition illustrates the idea of illusion vs. reality.
The last line shows that for characters like Stanley, this has all been a game – one that he has won. It also shows how life
goes on and things remain the same.