A Streetcar Named Desire Article Summary
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Published: June 27, 2007
Illusion versus Reality in Tennessee Williams’s Drama Entitled ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
The main theme of the literary piece concerns the protagonist, Blanche DuBois, whose main problem is not being able to accept the new world. She takes pride on being a Southern woman and having traditions. For her Belle Reve meant everything, and the loss of it led to her inner crisis, her insanity.
Stella, on the other hand, is not very attached to her past or proud of her origins. She is just the opposite of her sister Blanche, because she gave up her past for the present, which is valueless but true.
Stanley is the manifestation of the brutal real world treating women in a humiliating way. His introduction is the following: ‘Since earliest manhood the centre of his life has been pleasure with women...’ (Scene I.)
It goes without saying that Blanche, who desires to be loved and respected, becomes horrified seeing how her sister is treated by him, and how women are suppressed when Stanley’s friends gather for a poker party. ‘He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits... There’s even something…ape-like about him…Stanley Kowalski-survivor of the stone age...Maybe we are a long way from being made in God’s image, but…there has been some progress since then!’ (Scene IV.)
The play abounds in symbols. It is good for making the meaning, the contrast between Illusion and reality more clear. Some of them are the paper lantern, bathing, Elysian Fields, Shep Huntleigh, Belle Reve, the streetcars named Desire.
When Blance appears she would like to turn over a new leaf which can only be achieved by pretending to be innocent. The name Blanche (=white, pure) also supports this effort of hers. She succeeds in attracting Mitch and wants to be exceptional and decent in front of him claiming, that she has ‘old-fashioned ideals’ and that she takes their relationship seriously.
After Blanche’s arrival we only see her talking and if she is not seen on the stage it is obvious that she is bathing. While having a bath she still remains in the centre. This activity of her can refer to the will of being clean and pure again-if not for her then for the others. To wash down everything which is dirty, indecent, to make the others think she is not like them, independently of reality. It can also be an excuse for steering clearing of Stanley, who is the most suspicious among them.
Blanche very much insists on a colourful paper lantern which can cover the lamp, therefore making darkness or less lightness in the room. If she is not seen well and does not have to look in the eyes of the others she can play her innocent role and does not see the surroundings clearly. Being this the situation, she can go on living in her dreams or in the past. This is how she explains it to Mitch: ‘I don’t want realism. I want magic...I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth.’ (Scene IX.) This concept creates metophorical isolation around/in her.
Caring with the appearance or age and raking up the past is another sign of not being able to face reality. She is in contrast with Stella, who is not disturbed by having put up some weight or by not having elegant clothes or by not having her hair cut according to the last fashion, because her mind is occupied with her baby-to-be-born and their life with Stanley. Therefore, the main contrast between Blanche and Stella is the contrast between illusion and reality.
Since the death of her husband, Allan, Blanche, as a sign of being injured, has had some hallucinations. She regularly hears the “Varsouviana”, which was played at the very moment when Allan shot himself to dead. Although we hear this polka tune many times, the fact that this is Blanche’s imagination becomes trivial when she speaks to Mitch being drunk. The repetition of this music can refer to Blanche’s sorrow for her unfulfilled love and her Desire to live life to the fullest with someone who loves her.
The theme of reality and illusion can be considered on the same level as living one’s life according to emotions and not socializing; or disintegrating into the world. Blanche is not really able to socialize because she lost Belle Reve thanks to her uncaring attitude (and what is more, she valued her love letters above the papers from the Ambler& Ambler), and lost her job and reputation.
When Blanche came to visit Stella she took one of the streetcars named Desire. She visited her sister with great expectations, desires and hopes, but her non-realistic implements were not effective to swindle the others. Therefore, her desire to be loved was not satisfied, maybe if she had been realistic, honest and straightforward she could have realized her purpose.
Later on she comes to the conclusion that she deserved pain because of her life. Being a negative hero, she turns our attention to the dangers of brutality, inhumanity, indignity. In order to be authentic in expressing her ideas she has to be different than the average people (like being crazy or insane). This is the only way to see the negative forces of the world, to see reality.
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