Streetcar Named Desire

There are nine types of heroes in this world, each of them with their own unique stories, plots, cliches etc. Among those is the classic tragic hero, one who is destined to fail no matter what. In a Streetcar Named Desire, the tragic hero is Blanche Dubois, an aging Southern Belle living in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. In this essay it will be discussed what makes Blanche a tragic hero and how she compares to a typical tragic hero.

Established as one of the most prolific playwrights of the 20th century, Tennessee Williams used his writing as a form of therapy. The author came from a troubled background consisting of alcoholism, mental breakdowns, and general unhappiness; Williams exploited these unfortunate events and allowed them to motivate his literature. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois’ struggles represent the reality of people’s lives, “an enduring concern of [Williams’] throughout his writing career (Henthorne 1). Blanche captures our focus with her seemingly sincere and fragile nature, but it is later revealed that this is just an illusion within her own mind. She resides in a world of fantasy to shield herself against the harsh threats of reality and her own fears. Blanche’s main objective in the play is to keep herself from falling apart in a world of cruelty through alcoholism and illusion. Through the characterization of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams depicts the coping mechanism of fantasy and its detrimental repercussions by exploring the specific experiences that eventually impede her happiness.

Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is a web of themes, complicated scenarios, and clashes between the characters. Therefore, it might’ve been somehow difficult to find out who the protagonist of this play is if it wasn’t for Aristotle’s ideas of a good tragedy because neither of the main characters, Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois, is completely good nor bad. According to Aristotle’s Poetics, a good tragedy requires the protagonist to undergo a change of status which only happens with Blanche Dubois.

Desire – power and status. antithesis is death, moth, Stanley and Blanche, domestic violence, (chauvinistic), desire to be loved. She was bought to New Orleans literally by a streetcar that was named ‘Desire’, and also by desire in several other ways: her sexual desires and reliance on her body for pleasure meant her reputation and dignity were damaged at the Flamingo hotel and in Laurel where she was forced to leave her job as a school teacher, apparently taking an interest in younger boys; this kind of sexual desire is still something of a drive for her, yet she is not aware of its dangers; and her continuing desire, in an American Dream-like fashion, to re-find the gentility that Belle Reve and her dainty previous lifestyle beheld. It is

In the opening two scenes of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams, the audience has its first and generally most important impressions formulated on characters, the plot and the mood and tone of the play overall.

The past can often be difficult to face. Individual’s will put off the inevitable for just a glimpse of fantasy to escape their adverse past lives. Although trying to outrun the past is futile, the allure of a new and idealistic life keeps them running. In Tennessee Williams’ modern play “A Streetcar Named Desire” the character of Blanche Dubois attempts to cover up her adverse history with a pseudo glamorous lifestyle. However the facade does not last long and she is forced to deal with the truth and guilt of her past.

In Tennessee Williams play “A Streetcar Named Desire” madness continues to get progressively worse in the lives of the main characters Stanly, Stella, and Blanche. Because of low self esteem and her delusional thought process Blanche is most affected by the madness. Blanche’s delusional life style leads her to compulsively lie, live a promiscuous life style, and alcoholism. Blanche tries constantly to deal with her own madness, but her delusional mental state is constantly effect by the people around her. Although she causes most of the problems in her life some of her madness is justifiable. By the end of the play Blanche can no longer fight off the madness and is sent to an insane asylum. Even though most of the madness that occurs

The story of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, talks about how the husband Stanley treats his wife Stella like a slave. Most guys can be either alpha or gentleman in the story. Now American audiences would mostly agree that there are struggles of marriage, abuse, mental health, and most guys are imperfect in this world. I do agree play A Streetcar Named Desire will work for the modern American audiences because most people can relate to it.

Tennesse Williams was a man who had a unique and creative mind, with which he created many famous plays that still resonate with audiences today. The play “Street Car Named Desire” illustrates Williams’ harsh upbringings and complex relationships that symbolise the reality of the world we live in. This is evident through the themes of denial of reality, effects of brutality and human desire. These themes are conveyed through the relationships of Stella and Blanche’s sisterly relationship, Stanley’s brutality towards others and characters all in need for desire.

Tennessee Williams’ main theme for A Street Car Named Desire is that the adaption and integration the relationship between Blanche and Stella is important and its function is apparent: Tennessee establishes a contrast between the two sisters. The two were born into the same life style but now live very different lives. For example, in scene One when Stella says that “The best I could do was make my own living, Blanche”(2157), Williams invites his audience to interpret the social shift which Stella has gone through. She has been compelled to adapt her lifestyle in order to integrate in this male-dominated, “new way” of society she lives in. In contrast Blanche, is self-immersed in a world of fantasy – or ‘make-believe’ as she suggests herself

The talented playwright and writer Thomas “Tennessee” Lanier Williams III was born to an unhappy family on March 26, 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. He was the second child of Edwina and Cornelius Coffin Williams. His father was a traveling shoe salesman who would spend most of his time away from home. C.C. Williams’ behavior at home was violent due to his fierce, physical temper and hard-drinking practices. He disdained both Tennessee and Edwina. Williams’ mother, who was locked in an unhappy marriage, focused the majority of her overbearing attention on him due to his frail health. Williams and his two siblings, Rose Isabel and Walter Dalkin, would spend their early childhood with their maternal grandparents in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The family moved numerous times due to Edwina’s constant search for the ideal home environment as well as C.C.’s heavy drinking habits and turbulent behavior. Both historians and critics observe that Williams found his writing’s inspiration through his dysfunctional family.

Scene X is arguably the most structurally and thematically significant scene of A Streetcar Named Desire, presenting the final confrontation between Blanche and Stanley and concluding with Stanley, in his brutal rape of his wife’s sister, emerging as the undisputed victor. Williams uses language, sound, visual symbolism and violent stage directions in this passage to explore all the play’s key ideas, thus securing it as the dramatic climax of Streetcar. One of the primary concerns dealt with in this scene is that of death and desire, which has been a preoccupation of the play since its beginning. In Scene I, Williams explicitly links sex and death as Blanche arrives at the Kowalskis’ having taken two streetcars named “Desire” and “Cemeteries”.

Lila was dressed by the time she received the text form the killer. More like letter than text, with paragraphs detailing what he wanted to do to her, and what he had hoped to instill in her. And his demand, that she fuck her husband for his viewing pleasure. Damn, this son of a bitch was cocky as hell. And why shouldn’t he be? He had done this with three women before her, rather successfully.

Once upon a time, Jimmy and Freddy were walking through their families’ farm in Tennessee. While they were walking, the boys noticed a disagreeable skunk-like smell. They looked at each other with confusion, and starting looking around. Jimmy checked the bottom of his shoes and Freddy sniffed himself. Freddy looked down to his shoes and noticed a purple plant that was about 2 feet tall. He asked Jimmy, “HEY! What’s that?” Jimmy replied, “I have no idea! Let’s take it home and find out, Detective Freddy!”

With words explaining the articles that surround him, a man erects and relates his reveries and this world which he imagines. The time and this constant movement feed his quest for the truth with proofs and doubt. And, the tawny girl cruises the Amazons, ravelling her way through her interlacing fronds.