Themes-in-A-Streetcar-Named-Desire

ThemesinAStreetcarNamedDesireTennesseeWilliamsisregardedasaleadingAmericandramatistsinceO’Neill.Hisreputationwasestablishedonceandforallafterhis“AStreetCarNamedDesire”wasperformedin1947.ThefirstplayingofthisdramainNewYorkin1947createdasensationimmediately,andthenitsetuparecordforgiving855performancesinsuccession.What’smore,AStreetcarNamedDesirecoppedtwoimportantawardsintheAmericantheaterworld—DramaCritics’sCircleAwardandPulitzerPrize.AlthoughWilliams’protagonistin“AStreetCarNamedDesire”istheromanticBlancheDubois,theplayisaworkofsocialrealism.Realisticdramaisamostpowerfulforminliterature.ThisplaytellsastoryinNewOrleans,butitsthemesareuniversallyacknowledged.ThecomplexityofAStreetcarNamedDesireisnottheplotofitsstory,butitssocialbackgroundandthecreatingmotiveoftheautherTennesseeWilliamswhoputshisownpersonalexperiencesintothisdrama.Thesetwopointsleadtorevealtheessentialelementsofthedramaandreflectavarietyofthemesinit.Therewillbedifferentthemeswhenwereaditfromslightlydifferentangles.Firstofall,themostobviousandremarkablethemeofthisdramaisthatfantasyisunabletoovercomereality.Thecharacteristicofindulginginfantasiesisembodiedinmanycharactersinthisplay.Ofcourse,Blancheisthemuchmoretypicalone.Sheavoidsrealitybyindulginginfantasieswhichisreflectedthroughthewholestoryline.Attheverybeginningoftheplay,whenBlanchearrivesintheKowalskihousehold,shepretendstobeawomanwhohasneverknownindignity.Buthereratherthanpretending,Blanchesimplyindulgesinherownfantasies.Asanagingsouthernbelle,shelivesinastateofperpetualpanicaboutherfadingbeauty.Throughouttheplay,Blancheavoidsappearingindirect,brightlight,especiallyinfrontofhersuitor,Mitch.Shealsorefusestorevealherage,anditisclearthatsheavoidslightinordertopreventhimfromseeingtherealityofherfadingbeauty.BlanchecoverstheexposedlightbulbintheKowalskiapartmentwithaChinesepaperlantern,andsherefusestogoondateswithMitchduringthedaytimeorwell-litplaces.Inscenenine,MitchpointsoutBlanche’savoidanceoflightwhenheconfrontsherwiththestoriesthatStanleyhastoldhimofherpast.MitchthenforcesBlanchetostandunderthedirectlight.ThisactmeansBlancheisfinallybroughtbacktoreality.Blancheemphasizesrepeatedlythatshebelivesmagicratherthanreality.Blanche’sinabilitytotoleratelightmeansthathergrasponrealityisalsonearingitsend.However,fantasiesstillcan’tcoverthetruth.Inthemiddleoftheplay,BlanchekeepstryingtoconvinceStellatoleaveStanleyforabettermanwhosesocialstatusequalsStella’s.BlanchesuggeststhatsheandStellacontactamillionairenamedShepHuntleighforhelpescapingfromNewOrleans.Nevertheless,alltheseareBlanche’sreveries.SheconsidersShepHuntleighasachivalroussoutherngentlemanwhocanrescueandprotectherfrompovertyandthebadreputationthathauntsher.Infact,thiskindofsoutherngentlemennolongerexistinreality.AlthoughBlanchehasseenthatMitchisfarfromherideal,shedateswithhimtosatisfyherfantasyforanideallover.Thebreakingoftheirambiguousrelationshipatlastreflectesagainthatfantasyisunabletoovercomereality.Inthelastsceneofthisplay,Blanchespeakstothedoctorwhocomestotakehertoaninsaneasylumandthesewordsareherfinalstatement:Whoeveryouare—Ihavealwaysdependedonthekindnessofstrangers.Blancheindulgesherfantasiesevenwhensheloseshermind,whichisevenmoreseriousthanbefore.SheregardsthedoctorasthegentlemanwhocomestorescureherandwhomshehasbeenwaitingsincearrivinginNewOrleans.Blanche’sfinalwordsindicatethatshehastotallydetachedfromrealityandsheseeslifeonlyaccordingherownwishes.Actually,italsoindicatesthatBlanchewillnevermakesherfantasiestobetrue.Thispointonceagainprovesthethemethatfantasyisunabletoovercomereality.Thesecondthemeisaboutguiltyfeelingwillleadstoself-destructionwhichisalsoepitomizedinBlanche.Herguiltyfeelingscomefromthreeaspectsofherpastexperiences:herhusbandshootshimselfbecauseofhercontemptuponhishomosexualstatus;themanorwhichisinheritedfromagetoageislostinthehandofBlanche;shedemagestheimageofladyanddestroysthetraditionalethicsofsouthernnobles.Blancheisfilledwithself-accusation,guiltandregret.ThroughoutAStreetcarNamedDesire,Blanchebathesherselfrepeatly,whichasshesaysitcancalmhernerves.Shetriestoremoveherdisgracefulpastinthenewplaceandthesebathsrepresenthereffortstocleanherimpure,sordidpastandreputation.Besides,Blanchealwaysdrinksaloneandtriestokeepitasecret.Onlywhensheisdrunk,shecanforgetherguilts.However,Blanchedoesn’trealizethatherbathingcanneverwashoffherpastandalcoholwillleadherselffurthertothevergeofbreakingdown.Tosomeextent,wecansayBlanchebringsmiserablefatebyherself.Concealmentofherselfbringsmoreclearmemoriesofhernegativepartoflife.Withanendingofoutofhersenseatlast,itisrathercausedbyherself-destructionthanStanley’srudebehavior.Thethirdthemeisaboutwomen’stragedy.AccordingtotheVictoriansocialcodes,womenarecompletelysubmissivetomen,andtheydonothavetheirindependentidentities.BothStellaandBlanchethinkthatwomancannotleadarespectablelifewithoutdependingonaman.AsfortheheroineBlanche,shefirstlydependsonherfatherwhomakesherearlylifecarefree,andthenwhenherfatherleavesher,shebeginstorelyonherhusband.However,afterthesuicideofherhusband,shelosesherspiri