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A* essay - A Streetcar Named Desire, theme of truth - A Level English Lang & Lit
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Essay about the theme of truth in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. 38/45 marks, A* level A01 - 13/15 Ao2 - 17/20 Ao3 - 8/10
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Explain how and why Williams presents attitudes towards the truth at different points ofthe play.
(Extract from Scene 7)
38/45 - A* answer
Labelling, terminology - AO1
Context, including features of theatre - AO3
“A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams is a tragic play that explores themes of
social class, mental health and gender. Throughout the play, Blanche is presented as both
unwilling and unable to see the truth of situations, and often lies in order to be perceived in
a particular way, and to avoid judgement. She lies about her sexual behaviour, her
alcoholism, and why she lost her job. In contrast, Stanley is presented as being obsessed
with the truth, to the point of being harsh and unempathetic, bringing him into conflict with
Blanche and Stella. Stella is presented as being more empathetic and willing to avoid or
ignore the truth because she understands Blanche’s struggles with mental health and her
relationships with men.
In Scene 7, Stanley tells Stella the stories he has learned about Blanche, and goes into detail
about what he has discovered. He is shown to be frustrated at the lies that she has told in
the interrogative “You know she’s been feeding us a pack of lies here”, and in the idiom
“pulled the wool over your eyes”, which shows that he views Blanche as having acted
maliciously. His dedication to being sure of the truth is shown in the exclamative “But now I
got proof from the most reliable sources - which I have checked on!”. The use of the noun
“proof” , the adjective “reliable” and the verb “checked” show that he was worked to
uncover the complete truth.
While Stanley is revealing the truth about Blanche to Stella, Blanche is singing a song that
includes the line “It wouldn’t be make-believe / If you believed in me” repeatedly, showing
that her attitude towards the truth is less strict, and she concerned more about what other
people believe about her than what is actually true about herself.
In the stage directions, Williams shows the contrasting demeanors of Blanche and Stanley,
as Stanley’s laughter is described with the adverb “harshly”, whereas Blanche’s is described
with the simile “as if a child were frolicking”. The comparison to a child and the use of the
progressive verb “frolicking” show how Blanche’s lies and refusal to accept the truth allow
her to appear carefree and childlike. Stanley’s insistence on revealing the truth is seen as
harsh and inconsiderate.
While Blanche and Stanley have opposing attitudes to the truth, Stella is shown differently
than both of them. She is consistently more in touch with reality than Blanche, but is willing
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