These notes helped me achieve an A* in all of my English essays and for my final exams and I promise it will get you there too!
The notes include:
- Scene summary
- Highly detailed section on Themes and Ideas
- Detailed section about Characters, Symbolism and Dramatic techniques.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Scenes summary
Scene 1
• Stella goes to watch Stanley and Mitch bowling
• Blanche arrives at Elysian Fields and waits inside for her sister
• Stella returns and they greet each other
• Blanche talks about losing Belle Reve and the deaths of her family members
• Stanley meets Blanche; there is an awkward tension as it’s clear that they’re very different types
of people
• Blanche reveals her husband died when they were young
Scene 2
• Blanche is bathing
• Stanley demands to know what happened to Belle Reve
• Stella attempts to defend Blanche
• Stella leaves and Blanche finishes bathing
• Stanley confronts Blanche, and Blanche attempts to flirt with Stanley
• Stella’s pregnancy is revealed
Scene 3
• The poker night: Stanley and his friends play poker, and are drinking
• Stella and Blanche returns from an evening out
• Blanche meets Mitch
• Stanley becomes violent with Stella
• Stella and Blanche retreat to the apartment upstairs
• Stella returns to Stanley and they make love
Scene 4
• Blanche and Stella discuss the previous night; Blanche is shocked at Stella’s acceptance of
Stanley’s behaviour
• Blanche criticises Stanley
• Stanley is secretly listening to Blanche’s criticism
Scene 5
• Upstairs, Eunice and Steve fight
• Stanley hints at the knowledge of Blanche’s promiscuous past
• Blanche flirts with a young man who collects newspaper subscriptions
• Mitch arrives and they go on their date
Scene 6
• Blanche and Mitch come back from their date
• They have a conversation that highlights their differences
• Blanche tells the story of how her husband committed suicide after she discovered him in bed
with a man
,• Mitch comforts her and they discuss marriage
Scene 7
• Months later; it is mid-September and Blanche’s birthday
• Stanley reveals Blanche’s past to Stella
• Blanche realises that there is a change in atmosphere
Scene 8
• Stanley, Stella and Blanche celebrate the latter’s birthday with a meal; Mitch hadn’t arrived
• Stanley becomes violent again, before presenting Blanche with a bus ticket back home as a
supposed birthday gift
• Stella complains at his cruelty, but then goes into labour
• Stanley takes her to the hospital
Scene 9
• Both Blanche and Mitch have been drinking
• Mitch visits Blanche and tells her he knows about her past
• Blanche tried to explain but he dismisses her and attempts to rape her
• She shouts “Fire!” and he leaves
Scene 10
• Blanche is in a drunken state; her mental instability is shown through her actions
• Stanley returns home from the hospital and celebrates the birth of his child
• Stanley uncovers Blanche’s true nature and proceeds to rape her
Scene 11
• Stella packs Blanche’s suitcase; she does not believe the story of the rape
• Blanche dresses in preparation for what she believes is a trip with an admirer
• The Doctor and the Matron arrives
• Both Stella and Mitch are distressed
• Blanche is taken away
• It is hinted at that Stanley has sex with Stella in an attempt to comfort her
, Themes and Ideas
• Domestic abuse
o shown between all the couple in the play – Stella and Stanley, Eunice and Steve, Blanche and
Steve – which implies that domestic abuse is common throughout all American households
o reflects Williams’ upbringing and how his father was an alcoholic who beat his mother
o main critic: Susan Koprince, discussed domestic abuse in Streetcar
o Helene Deutsch, a Freudian psychologist, said abused women were masochists – they
provoked the abuse and enjoyed it
o critics’ views changed over time; at first, no one remarked on it as it was accepted as the
norm
o Susan Koprince remarks that domestic violence in households was ignored until the 1970s
o modern readings finally declare that Stanley is “not just a charming man prone to violence”
o Lenore Walker’s book, The Battered Woman (1979) introduced the domestic violence cycle –
tension building, acute incident, period of loving contrition – this theory is reflected in the
play
o quotes:
▪ “[Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.]” “I hate it when he does that in
front of people.”
▪ “[Stanley charges after Stella.]”
▪ “[There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out.]”
▪ Stanley: “My baby doll’s left me!” “[He breaks into sobs]” “I want my baby!” “Stell-
ahhhhh!”
• Racism
o all the ethnic minorities had a lack of identity – as if they don’t contribute to society, despite
how all of them had ‘service’ jobs
o Blanche shows how, despite the abolishment of slavery, there was still white superiority and
a racial difference: “couldn’t we get a coloured girl to do it?”
o the poker group makes jokes about an “ole n-word”
▪ in the production we watched, the racial slur was replaced by the word “farmer” – shows
how views have changed over time
• Homosexuality and homophobia
o Williams was homosexual and ashamed of it – he was called a “sissy”
o many psychologists and psychiatrists considered homosexuality a mental illness in 1940s
o The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a sociopathic personality
disturbance
o the only gay character, Allan Grey, doesn’t appear for long – is more of an omnipresent
character and part of someone’s backstory rather than an actual character
o J.M. Clum: “invisible homosexuals […] in Williams’ plays […] always die a grotesque death […]
as a victim of rejection by those closest to them.”
o Christopher Isherwood and others maintain that he hated being a homosexual and could not
accept those who came to terms with their sexual orientations
o John. S. Bak: “Blanche betrays her loyalty to Allan by exposing his homosexuality, just as
Stanley does her promiscuity.”
o Stella: “this beautiful ad talented young man was a degenerate.”
o Blanche: “there was something different about the boy,” “unable to stop myself – I’d
suddenly said – ‘I know! I know! You disgust me…’”
• Sexism – male dominance and female submission
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jainasoni. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.34. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.