desire- streetcar named desire
Desire –theme question 5
“A streetcar named desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams “in 1947. Blanche Dubois is the central character who comes to New Orleans to live off her sister’s kindness after losing their family home because of her difficult past. Tennessee Williams develops the theme ‘desire’ with the help of characterization through Blanche, symbolism and other stylistic devices which foreshadow her fate. Desire is one of the most prominent themes in this play. Each character is deeply affected by desire. Stanley and Stella’s relationship is built on it and Blanche’s inability to control her desire leads to her eventual downfall.
Blanche is an aging southern belle who fear is losing her beauty. She believe by constantly seducing men younger to her she would be avoiding death and return to the world of teenage bliss when she was married before her husband’s suicide. In scene one Williams suggest that Blanche’s sexual history cause her downfall. Blanche arrived at her sister’s house by taking the streetcar named ‘desire’ to a place called Elysian Fields. This metaphorical journey is symbolic in foreshadowing her own fate which is self destruction. Elysian Fields is the land of the dead . Blanche’s long pursuit of satisfying her sexual desires leads to the loss of Belle Reve and her expulsion from society in general. Blanche believes that sex is her escape from death and she has gotten herself into a vicious cycle, something dies she turns to sex and something dies again and so on and on throughout the play, Blanche is haunted by the deaths of her ancestors, which she attributes to their “epic fornications.” Her husband’s suicide results from her disapproval of his homosexuality. Tennessee Williams message is that indulging in ones desires leaves to forced departures. “Death […], death was as close as you are. […] The opposite is desire” this quote in scene 9 foreshadows blanches fate.
Williams develops desire mainly through blanches character.
“A streetcar named desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams “in 1947. Blanche Dubois is the central character who comes to New Orleans to live off her sister’s kindness after losing their family home because of her difficult past. Tennessee Williams develops the theme ‘desire’ with the help of characterization through Blanche, symbolism and other stylistic devices which foreshadow her fate. Desire is one of the most prominent themes in this play. Each character is deeply affected by desire. Stanley and Stella’s relationship is built on it and Blanche’s inability to control her desire leads to her eventual downfall.
Blanche is an aging southern belle who fear is losing her beauty. She believe by constantly seducing men younger to her she would be avoiding death and return to the world of teenage bliss when she was married before her husband’s suicide. In scene one Williams suggest that Blanche’s sexual history cause her downfall. Blanche arrived at her sister’s house by taking the streetcar named ‘desire’ to a place called Elysian Fields. This metaphorical journey is symbolic in foreshadowing her own fate which is self destruction. Elysian Fields is the land of the dead . Blanche’s long pursuit of satisfying her sexual desires leads to the loss of Belle Reve and her expulsion from society in general. Blanche believes that sex is her escape from death and she has gotten herself into a vicious cycle, something dies she turns to sex and something dies again and so on and on throughout the play, Blanche is haunted by the deaths of her ancestors, which she attributes to their “epic fornications.” Her husband’s suicide results from her disapproval of his homosexuality. Tennessee Williams message is that indulging in ones desires leaves to forced departures. “Death […], death was as close as you are. […] The opposite is desire” this quote in scene 9 foreshadows blanches fate.
Williams develops desire mainly through blanches character.