A Streetcar Named Desire 16/07/13 9:58 AM
Synopsis
Drawers
Analyse the relationship between Blanche and Stella, discussing and
analyzing their differences. Who do you think is most suited to the modern
world and why?
In your response you can refer to:
Stage directions
Stella and Blanche’s appearances (or comments about)
Language
Attitude to Belle Reave and their current setting
Stella and Blanche have a very conflicting and fickle relationship. This
contradiction is usually fueled by Blanche and her fluctuating and
opposing mannerisms and comments. Blanche is so attached to her image
and the concept of Bell Reave that she covers up her flaws and guilt
through her compulsive lies. Stella has moved on from the Bell Reave and
the ‘deep Southern’ concept; she is more open to the changing world than
Blanche is. Because of Blanche’s hysterical and compulsive nature
towards Belle Reave and her image, Stella would seem more suited to the
modern world through her flexibility and the society she lives in.
Blanche is a character who lives in and is attached to her past. She arrives
in ‘a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white
gloves and hat’. In the New Orleans “modern culture” her clothes would
have been appropriate for a ‘summer tea or cocktail party in the garden
district’. The clothes that she wears conveys a lot about her personality.
The white clothes that Blanche wears are symbolic of purity and class.
However, this symbol indicates elements of irony and juxtaposition
towards Blanche’s personality. The fact that this image is portrayed
through the image of clothing may also suggest a symbol of façade.
Another important aspect of Blanche’s clothing is that it obviously
contrasts with the New Orleans environment. The symbol of facade shows
that Blanche is desperate to portray her image as pure and higher classed
in order to cover up her flaws. One way in which she does this is to make
herself look superior to the New Orleans community. Stella on the other
hand has a different approach to the New Orleans lifestyle. She is
described as a ‘gentle young woman’. Stella has left behind her past and
has managed to adapt to the modern world. Compared to Blanche, she is
more comfortable in her image and her place in New Orleans.
In the same set of stage directions, Blanche is said to have an ‘uncertain
manner’ ‘that suggests a moth’. Like a moth, Blanche is drawn to and
craves her own disaster. She is drawn to the flames which could
potentially ruin her, however is unaware, or only subconsciously aware, of
this danger. Blanche also mentions about a ‘streetcar named desire’
twice. At first she mentions to Eunice in Scene 1 that “they told [her] to
take a street-car named Desire, and then transfer to one called
Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields!” Later, she
criticizes Stella on her obsession for Stanley where she again mentions
the streetcar. In this second mention, we learn the significance of the title:
Blanche: ‘What you are talking about is brutal desire—just—Desire! The
name of that rattle-trap street-car that bangs through the Quarter, up one
old narrow street and down another…’
STELLA
Haven’t you ever ridden on that street-car?
BLANCHE
It brought me here.
Again, the symbol of the moth reappears. Blanche is unable to control and
take ownership of her desire. She is unable to think clearly about the
decisions she makes and it leads her down the path of insanity. This
therefore makes Blanche unsuited to cope with the modern world.
In conclusion, Stella is a lot more suited to the modern world than
Blanche. Blanche is stuck in the past and is unable to be more open to
change. She is overcome by her own desire which leads her to insanity
and her downfall. These are the characteristics of a person that are
certainly and upmost detrimental to one’s ability to cope with change.
A Streetcar Named Desire - Speech Draft 16/07/13 9:58 AM
Gender + Domestic Violence
16/07/13 9:58 AM