Themes within 'A Streetcar Named Desire': Illusion v Reality pt 1
- Created by: Eleanor_kittle
- Created on: 03-02-19 18:56
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- A Streetcar Named Desire: Tension Between Illusion and Reality
- 'white suit'
- Technique:Colour imagery
- Analysis: introduction of Southern Belle façade
- Innocence, chastity, moral purity, affluence
- 'Yes?...Yes...Yes.'
- Monosyllabic replies
- Evasive, hiding her dark and promiscuous past from Eunice
- Attempt to start a new life in her Southern Belle façade
- Evasive, hiding her dark and promiscuous past from Eunice
- Monosyllabic replies
- 'rhinestone tiara she wore to a costume ball'
- Antithetical images
- Symbolic of Blanche's façade of affluence, depicts her nostalgia of a wealthier life, which she is haunted by and can't let go
- Antithetical images
- 'coloured paper lantern'
- Stagecraft/motif
- Throughout the play, remains a symbol of fear of exposure and Blanche's deep-rooted fear of reality
- Stagecraft/motif
- 'I can't stand a naked lightbulb'
- Photophobia
- Naked bulb signifies lack of wealth/lack of care for rich decoration, implies Blanche's insecurity about hiding her impurity and impoverished state
- Photophobia
- 'Shep Huntleigh'
- Motif
- Functions as Blanche's fantasy of a chivalric Southern gentelmansaviour
- Clings onto in order to keep herself grounded and hopeful of escape
- Significant that she remains reliant on a man for help
- Clings onto in order to keep herself grounded and hopeful of escape
- Functions as Blanche's fantasy of a chivalric Southern gentelmansaviour
- Motif
- '[without waiting for him to accept] + 'My Rosenkavalier!'
- Allusion to opera and skilful juxtaposition
- Opera - 'the knight with the roses
- Emphasises Blanche's desire to be bourgeoisie by affiliating herself with middle and upper class leisure activities
- Forcing Mitch to conform to chivalric Southern gentleman figure whilst she had previously been preying on a young boy
- Reality = predatory, promiscuous woman
- Opera - 'the knight with the roses
- Allusion to opera and skilful juxtaposition
- '[Blanche is singing in the bathroom a saccharine popular ballad which is used contrapuntally with Stanley's speech]'
- Juxtaposition in stagecraft
- The tension between illusion and reality, an unveiling of her façade
- Dramatic irony is catalysed by Blanche's maintenance of her façade in the bathroom, which is contrasted by Stanley destroying her façade
- The tension between illusion and reality, an unveiling of her façade
- Juxtaposition in stagecraft
- 'Say,its only a paper moon'
- Juxtaposition
- Optimistic tone, wish for Mitch's trust, blissful ignorance
- Juxtaposition
- 'scarlet satin robe'
- Colour imagery
- Comparison to white, seductive - façade is crumbling
- Colour imagery
- '[he tears the paper later off the light-bulb'
- Violent verb
- Literally and metaphorically tears Blanche's façade down
- Fear of reality/exposure removal from blissful ignorance,defenceless
- Literally and metaphorically tears Blanche's façade down
- Violent verb
- '[moves in awkward imitation, like a dancing bear]'
- Zoomorphic simile
- Comical, absurd, and animalistic image
- The zoomorphic image 'bear' implies that Mitch can be primate and dangerous just like Stanley
- Portraying Mitch's attempt to conform to the Old Southern gentleman stereotypeand to Blanche's chivalric Old Southern gentleman saviour figure fantasy
- The zoomorphic image 'bear' implies that Mitch can be primate and dangerous just like Stanley
- Comical, absurd, and animalistic image
- Zoomorphic simile
- 'white suit'
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