Themes in 'A Streetcar Named Desire': Illusion v Reality pt 2
- Created by: Eleanor_kittle
- Created on: 03-02-19 19:46
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- A Streetcar Named Desire Themes: Tension Between Illusion and Reality
- '[blind with tenderness]'
- Metaphor
- Desire outweighs self-respect, anger and pain
- Stella evading reality
- Desire outweighs self-respect, anger and pain
- Metaphor
- '[narcotised tranquility that is in the faces of Eastern idols]'
- Intoxicating attraction towards Stanley renders her oblivious to the reality of her pain and the abysmal state of her relationship
- Unhealthy,addictive relationship
- Acceptance of peace with suffering
- Unhealthy,addictive relationship
- Intoxicating attraction towards Stanley renders her oblivious to the reality of her pain and the abysmal state of her relationship
- 'blue denim shirt' + 'unshaven'
- Working class appearance/description
- Mitch is no longer conforming to the stereotype forced on him by Blanche, and he realises that Blanche is not a true Southern Belle
- Working class appearance/description
- '[he tears the paper lantern off he light-bulb]'
- Violent stage direction
- Blanche's façade is finally torn down and seen by Mitch
- Suggesting a violent removal from her blissful ignorance
- Exposes Mitch's true nature as a primitive,violent working class man
- Suggesting a violent removal from her blissful ignorance
- Blanche's façade is finally torn down and seen by Mitch
- Violent stage direction
- 'I don't want realism...I'll tell you what I want. Magic!'
- Explicit rejection of reality and truth
- Wants to live a fantastical/surreal life
- Explicit rejection of reality and truth
- 'I tell what ought to be the truth'
- Idealist
- Believes in 1940's ideals and stereotypes
- Idealist
- 'soiled and crumpled satin evening gown'
- Costume
- Once a symbol of purity and part of the Southern Belle façade which Blanche wishes to follow, now a symbol of corruption and impurity whilst the façade is exposed
- Costume
- '[slams the mirror face down with such violence the glass cracks]'
- Violent rejection of the reality of her physical, moral and ,mental decline
- Blanche remains desiring magic and her façade
- Violent rejection of the reality of her physical, moral and ,mental decline
- 'I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley'
- Lack of female solidarity in 1940's America, Stella has financial and emotional dependence on Stanley as well as depending him to relieve her of her desire
- Stella's deliberate choice to evade reality of physical and sexual abuse
- Lack of female solidarity in 1940's America, Stella has financial and emotional dependence on Stanley as well as depending him to relieve her of her desire
- '[blind with tenderness]'
- 'red satin robe'
- Costume and colour imagery
- Attempt to impress chivalric saviour figure, abandonment of the Southern Belle façade and has adopted a new image of a femme fatale figure
- Costume and colour imagery
- 'die of eating an unwashed grape'
- Absurd image
- Dignified, clean, easy death with a sense of bourgeois elegance and affluence
- Lacks violence and potentiallypainless
- Dignified, clean, easy death with a sense of bourgeois elegance and affluence
- Absurd image
- 'nice-looking ship's doctor'
- Shallow, affluent, desire to be with an educated man
- Potentially sees herself as superior to those around her, especially those of the working class
- Retaining obsession of a chivalric saviour figure
- Potentially sees herself as superior to those around her, especially those of the working class
- Shallow, affluent, desire to be with an educated man
- 'at sea sewn up in a clean white sack'
- Colour imagery and sibilance
- Peaceful and gentle death, final attempt to recover her purity and dignity in death, finding peace
- Colour imagery and sibilance
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