A Street Car Named Desire: the Importance of Light
Casey Frankel
A Street Car Named Desire Paper: Light
Tennessee Williams provides readers with a powerful message through the use of an ordinary object. The reference to light in A Streetcar Named Desire illustrates how a mundane prop can have portentous implications. Light is used to incorporate a character’s acceptance of the truth and the way in which this theme develops the play. The presence of light signifies the truth and the light’s variations represent skewed acceptances of reality among the characters. The motif of light is incorporated from the very beginning. In Scene 1 when Blanche first arrives at Stella’s home, Blanche requests that Stella “turn that over-light off” for she “won’t be looked at in this merciless glare!” Before Stella even has the chance to greet her sister, whom she has not seen for a long period of time, Blanche turns on the defensive. Blanche’s immediate request to turn out the light signifies her efforts to hide from the truth. The reader may fail to receive the significance of this request for it occurs before any suspicion or speculation is made of Blanche. However, this reflects Blanche’s guilty conscience, for, as she knows, and as the reader soon comes to see, if the “light” is kept on, she will be seen in a way that shames her. It is interesting to reflect on the introduction of light as a motif after reading the play. By the end of the play, the reader is aware of Blanche’s real life and is able to understand all that she is “hiding” in the shadows. Blanche’s age is one thing that his hidden by the light. She refuses to tell others how old she is and she refuses to been seen in full light for her appearance reveals her physical aging. She claims to feel “more comfortable in the dark (Scene 9).” When Mitch goes to see Blanche, he is aware that she is lying to him about more than just her age. He points out that he has never seen her in the light and forces Blanche to step into the light so he can
A Street Car Named Desire Paper: Light
Tennessee Williams provides readers with a powerful message through the use of an ordinary object. The reference to light in A Streetcar Named Desire illustrates how a mundane prop can have portentous implications. Light is used to incorporate a character’s acceptance of the truth and the way in which this theme develops the play. The presence of light signifies the truth and the light’s variations represent skewed acceptances of reality among the characters. The motif of light is incorporated from the very beginning. In Scene 1 when Blanche first arrives at Stella’s home, Blanche requests that Stella “turn that over-light off” for she “won’t be looked at in this merciless glare!” Before Stella even has the chance to greet her sister, whom she has not seen for a long period of time, Blanche turns on the defensive. Blanche’s immediate request to turn out the light signifies her efforts to hide from the truth. The reader may fail to receive the significance of this request for it occurs before any suspicion or speculation is made of Blanche. However, this reflects Blanche’s guilty conscience, for, as she knows, and as the reader soon comes to see, if the “light” is kept on, she will be seen in a way that shames her. It is interesting to reflect on the introduction of light as a motif after reading the play. By the end of the play, the reader is aware of Blanche’s real life and is able to understand all that she is “hiding” in the shadows. Blanche’s age is one thing that his hidden by the light. She refuses to tell others how old she is and she refuses to been seen in full light for her appearance reveals her physical aging. She claims to feel “more comfortable in the dark (Scene 9).” When Mitch goes to see Blanche, he is aware that she is lying to him about more than just her age. He points out that he has never seen her in the light and forces Blanche to step into the light so he can