A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche Dubois Analysis

Foreshadowing

Blanche means "white", which symbolizes purity and innocence. Dubois means "of wood", which symbolizes the strong, durable nature of wood. Blanche is ironic as she is far from innocent, and unstable.

The three streetcars are named Desire, Cemeteries, and Elysian Fields.

<p>The Varsouviana Polka</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stanley's actions are driven by his need for dominance, often using physical and violent actions to assert his masculine power, in a way that suggests a primitive and instinctive drive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cleansing/Purification (A), New Beginnings (B), Escape (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Lying (A), Delusion (C), Excessive Bathing (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Exposing her intelligence (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A fleeting attraction based on lies and delusion (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The loss of Belle Reve</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Blanche realizes that nobody was as loving and trusting as she was when she was a girl. She believes that people like Stanley have abused her, and forced her to change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Blanche uses baths as a ritual to cleanse herself of the guilt and pain of her past, seeking to purify herself and start anew.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Blanche is an anti-heroine with narcissistic tendencies, using alcohol as a coping mechanism for past guilt.

Blanche comes from a wealthy Southern aristocratic family, with a sophisticated demeanor.

Blanche frequently bends the truth to fit her stories, particularly with Stella and Mitch.

Blanche is acutely aware of her aging and seeks constant validation and admiration.

Blanche feels isolated and desperately seeks companionship.

Blanche uses flirtation and seductive behavior to gain attention and affection.

Blanche escapes reality through fantasies and illusions, often influenced by her past.

Stanley is a crude, masculine character who embodies the opposite of Blanche's values.

Stanley feels threatened by Blanche's social class and influence over Stella.

Stella is Blanche's sister, easily influenced by Blanche, but also deeply supportive.

Blanche's husband, Allan's suicide, triggered by her disgust, is a major source of her trauma in the play.

A recurring song that symbolizes the trauma and guilt Blanche feels over Allan's death.

Blanche's trunk represents her past life, containing both treasures and painful memories.

Stanley treats Blanche's possessions with violence, reflecting his dominance and disdain.

Belle Reve, Blanche and Stella's lost plantation, is a symbol of lost Southern aristocracy and privilege.

Blanche's repetitive bathing symbolizes her attempts to purify herself and escape her past.

Light in the play represents reality, while darkness represents Blanche's illusions and escape from it.

These locations are symbols of Blanche's journey through life, loss, and eventual exile.

Blanche's references to Poe hint at her fascination with themes of death and the supernatural in literature.

Tennessee Williams's personal experiences, including those of his sister, influenced Blanche's character.

The play reflects the socio-economic changes in the American South after the Civil War.

The play explores themes of masculinity, femininity, and societal expectations, using Nietzschean and Marxist lenses.

A Streetcar Named Desire received various interpretations, reflecting different views of the characters and themes.

Blanche's dialogue reveals her motivations, insecurities, and conflicts, adding layers to her character.

Blanche, though outwardly delicate, is actually manipulative and deceitful, causing her downfall.

Mitch's relationship with Blanche is based on illusion, and later is shattered by the truth.