Color In A Streetcar Named Desire
A Study in Color: A Streetcar Named Desire
Throughout A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams associates various colors with his characters in revealing their elements of honesty, societal status, and otherwise hidden parts of their lives to shed a light on expectations that the social order forces on different classes and types of people in American society. Blue is mentioned intermittently with Blanche and consistently in association with Stanley’s cold, lower-class status. Blanche’s main color, however, is white in accordance with her namesake and, ironically, her lying habits.
What does blue mean? Is it winter, coldness and sadness? Stanley’s character can certainly be attributed with these negative connotations; his low class profession, …show more content…
In Stanley’s case, the piano is mentioned after he tells Blanche about Stella’s pregnancy: “You see, under the Napoleonic code--a man has to take an interest in his wife's affairs—especially now that she's going to have a baby. [Blanche opens her eyes. The "blue piano" sounds louder.] (39; sc. 2)”, right before he rapes Blanche: “[The bathroom door is thrown open and Stanley comes out in the brilliant silk pyjamas. He grins at her as he knots the tasseled sash about his waist. She gasps and backs away from the phone. He stares at her for a count of ten… [The barely audible "blue piano" begins to drum up louder. The sound of it turns into the roar of an approaching locomotive.] (129; sc. 10), after Stella leaves him: “Eunice! I'll keep on ringin' until I talk with my baby! [… He hurls the phone to floor. Dissonant brass and piano sounds… and the outer walls appear in the night light. The "blue piano" plays for a brief interval.]” (59; sc.3), and after he overhears Blanche talking badly about him: “He acts like an animal... Don't--don't hang back with the brutes... Stanley hesitates…The women are still unaware of his presence…Stella has embraced him... Over her head he grins through the curtains at Blanche. As the lights fade away, with a lingering brightness on their embrace, the music of the "blue piano" and …show more content…
Near the beginning of the book Blanche is heard singing of “a land of the sky blue water, They brought a captive maid! (27; sc. 2).” Blanche’s reference of “sky blue” indicates a struggle between Stanley and Blanche-- the mixing of blue and white-- and the maid, Stella, is a captive in so much that she must ultimately choose between Stanley and her sister. Another mention is the addition of the pale blue blanket wrapped around Stella’s child at the very end of the book. This symbol is in reference to Stanley’s overall victory over Blanche when it comes to Stella’s
Throughout A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams associates various colors with his characters in revealing their elements of honesty, societal status, and otherwise hidden parts of their lives to shed a light on expectations that the social order forces on different classes and types of people in American society. Blue is mentioned intermittently with Blanche and consistently in association with Stanley’s cold, lower-class status. Blanche’s main color, however, is white in accordance with her namesake and, ironically, her lying habits.
What does blue mean? Is it winter, coldness and sadness? Stanley’s character can certainly be attributed with these negative connotations; his low class profession, …show more content…
In Stanley’s case, the piano is mentioned after he tells Blanche about Stella’s pregnancy: “You see, under the Napoleonic code--a man has to take an interest in his wife's affairs—especially now that she's going to have a baby. [Blanche opens her eyes. The "blue piano" sounds louder.] (39; sc. 2)”, right before he rapes Blanche: “[The bathroom door is thrown open and Stanley comes out in the brilliant silk pyjamas. He grins at her as he knots the tasseled sash about his waist. She gasps and backs away from the phone. He stares at her for a count of ten… [The barely audible "blue piano" begins to drum up louder. The sound of it turns into the roar of an approaching locomotive.] (129; sc. 10), after Stella leaves him: “Eunice! I'll keep on ringin' until I talk with my baby! [… He hurls the phone to floor. Dissonant brass and piano sounds… and the outer walls appear in the night light. The "blue piano" plays for a brief interval.]” (59; sc.3), and after he overhears Blanche talking badly about him: “He acts like an animal... Don't--don't hang back with the brutes... Stanley hesitates…The women are still unaware of his presence…Stella has embraced him... Over her head he grins through the curtains at Blanche. As the lights fade away, with a lingering brightness on their embrace, the music of the "blue piano" and …show more content…
Near the beginning of the book Blanche is heard singing of “a land of the sky blue water, They brought a captive maid! (27; sc. 2).” Blanche’s reference of “sky blue” indicates a struggle between Stanley and Blanche-- the mixing of blue and white-- and the maid, Stella, is a captive in so much that she must ultimately choose between Stanley and her sister. Another mention is the addition of the pale blue blanket wrapped around Stella’s child at the very end of the book. This symbol is in reference to Stanley’s overall victory over Blanche when it comes to Stella’s