Summary
A Streetcar Named Desire scene-by-scene summary
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
An in-depth, 50 page document summarising the plot and all key quotes of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams - excellent revision aid!
- Used to achieve an A* in Edexcel A-level English Literature
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Uploaded on
August 31, 2024
Number of pages
50
Written in
2024/2025
Type
Summary
Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Subject
English Literature 2015
Unit
Unit 1 - Drama
All documents for this subject (420)
STREETCARSCENEBYSCENE
Scene1
● PlayopenswithoneofWilliams’lengthy,poeticstagedirections
○ HedescribesthestreetsceneofElysianFields,inapoorareaofNewOrleans
■ Elysianfields=greekmythology-afterlifeforheroes
■ “Poor”buthasa“Raffishcharm”
■ “Faded”
■ “Gracefullyattenuatestheatmosphereofdecay”
■ “MusicofNegroentertainers”
■ “Bananasandcoffee”
■ “InthispartofNewOrleansyouarepracticallyalwaysjustaroundthe
corner-fromatinnypianobeingplayedwiththeinflatedfluencyofbrown
fingers”
■ “This‘bluepiano’expressesthespiritofthelifewhichgoesonhere
● Musicmotif-exampleofplastictheatre-recursthroughoutthe
play,usuallyduringmomentsofpassion
■ “ForNewOrleansisacosmopolitancitywherethereisarelativelywarm
andeasyinterminglingofracesintheoldpartoftown”= uniquenessof
NO-cosmopolitanhub
■ Romanticisestheneighbourhood-constantmusicgiveseverythinga
slightlydreamyquality
● Eunice+aNegroWomanaresittingonthefrontstoop-Stanley+Mitchcomesaround
thecorner.TossesthepackageofmeattoStella-emphasisesroleasprovider
○ Discussingsexualinnuendo-“sendouthisdogtolickher”,discussingBlueMoon
cocktail
○ Stanley=“roughlydressedinbluedenimworkclothes”,“ared-stainedpackage
fromabutchers”=WCmasculinity,immediatelyassociateshimwithprimalism+
animalism
■ Freudiansexsymbols
■ Bringingbacktohiscavefreshfromthekill
○ “Bellowing”-“Stella,baby!”,“Catch!”
○ Stella:“gentleyoungwoman”,“ofabackgroundobviouslyquitedifferentfromher
husband’s”
○ Stella:“criesoutinprotest”,“shelaughsbreathlessly”=symbolicoftheirsexual
relationship=hehurlshimselfphysicallyatherandsheacceptsdelightedly-raw
physical,animalisticlustisthekeytotheirrelationship
● StanleyandMitchleavetogobowling+Stellasoonfollowsthem
● EuniceandNegrowomencrowoverthesexualinnuendo-“CatchWHAT!”
,● BlancheDuboisenters,lookingoutofplace;
○ “Herappearanceisincongruoustothissetting”;“whitesuit”,“pearls”,“white
gloves”
○ “Herdelicatebeautymustavoidastronglight”
○ “Thereissomethingaboutheruncertainmanner,aswellasherwhiteclothes,
thatsuggestsamoth”
■ Actionssuggestsfluttering,mothisoftenattractedbylight+killedby
heatlater(whenMitchforcesBlancheunderthelight,thisbeginsher
destruction)
○ “TheytoldmetotakeastreetcarnamedDesire,andthentransfertoonecalled
Cemeteriesandrisefixblocksandgetoff-atElysianFields”=literal+
allegorical;shehasriddenDesiretotheendofthelineandhashitrockbottom
beforearrivinghere-thisisanambiguousafterlifeforher
■ Desireleadstodeath?
● DisbeliefthatsheisinElysianfields-Euniceassureshersheisintherightplaceandthe
NegroWomangoestofetchStella
○ “Theymustn’thave-understood-whatnumberIwanted”,“uncomprehendingly”,
“This–canthisbe–herhome?”
● EuniceletsBlancheintotheKowalski’sflat+triestomakesmalltalkaboutherbeinga
teacherfromMissipi,andwhattheygrewuptogetheronBelleReveplantation
(understandtheDubois’wealthwasbuiltonslavery→fallofBlanche=fallofOldSouth)
○ Nervousnessatquestionsindicatesshehassomethingtohide
● Blancheisrude;“WhatImeantwasI’dliketobeleftalone”
● Blancheisuncomfortablewithintheroomanddrinks;
○ “Verystiffly”,“legspressedclosetogether”,“handstightlyclutchingherpurseas
ifshewerequitecold”
○ “Springsup”whenshenoticesalcohol-“tossingitdown”-“carefullyreplacesthe
bottleandwashesoutthetumbler”=concealment,purity,desiretoescapereality,
keepinghersurfaceappearanceintact
● Stellaburstsintotheapartment-“joyfully”,embracewitha“wildcry”,“spasmodic
embrace”
○ “StellaforStar!”
○ “beginstospeakwithafeverishvivacityasifshefearedforeitherofthemtostop
andthink”:“Butdon’tyoulookatme–untilbathed”,“turnthatover-lightoff”,
“mercilessglare”
○ “Ithoughtyouwouldnevercomebacktothishorribleplace!WhatamIsaying!I
meanttobeniceaboutit”=alreadyshattersherillusionofkindness,frenzied
exclamationmarks
○ “Youhaven’tgivenmeachancetohoney”,“anxious”
● BlancheasksStellaforadrinktocalmhernervesbutalsoinsistsshe’snotadrunk;
○ Dramaticirony-themeofdeception
, ■ F iestliebeingaboutdrink=establishestheideathatBlancheisashamed
ofhermentaldistress.Internaldemonisationofherowncoping
mechanismsreflectsheradherencetoastrictideaofwhatawoman
shouldbe-ingrainedinherbybourgeoisupbringing
○ “Shakingallover”,“bottlenearlyslips”
○ “Don’tgetworried,yoursisterhasn’tturnedintoadrunkard,she’sjustallshaken
upandhotandtiredanddirty!
● AsksStellatoexplain;“Whatareyoudoinginaplacelikethis?”
○ B:“I’mgoingtobehonestlycriticalaboutit!Never,never,neverinmyworst
dreamscouldIpicture–OnlyMrEdgarAllanPoe!”“OutthereIsupposeisthe
ghoul-hauntedwoodlandofWeir!”-intertextuality,horror–S:“Nohoney,those
aretheL&Ntracks”=romanticisationvsrealism
■ Sheromanticisesthesituation,envisioningherselfasaningénueina
tragicnarrative
■ BisunabletounderstandS’sdecisiontoleavethepastbehind=embrace
progression;classism
○ S:“It’snotthatbadatall!NewOrleansisn’tlikeothercities!”
● Stella’squietnessmakesBlancheanxiousStellaisn’tgladtoseeher
○ “You’veallIgotintheworld,andyou’renotgladtoseeme”=loneliness
○ S:“YouneverdidgivemeachancetosaymuchBlanche.SoIjustgotinthehabit
ofbeingquietaroundyou”-tension,domineeringrelationships
○ S:“WellIthoughtyou’dvolunteerthatinformation”-aboutwhysheisnotat
school-“resigned”
○ B:“nervesbroke”sotakingaleaveofabsence
● Bwon’thaveanotherdrinkbecause“No,one’smylimit”-liar
● B:“youhaven’tsaidawordaboutmyappearance” -“daylightneverexposedsototala
ruin!”
● BtoS:“You’rejustasplumpasalittlepartridge!”,“messychild”,“youhaveamaid,don’t
you?”,“TWOrooms?”
● B:“Ineverhadyourbeautifulself-control”
● Blanchetakesanotherdrink
● B:“YouknowIhaven’toutononeounceintenyears.IweighwhatIweighedthesummer
youleftBelleReve.ThesummerDaddiedandyouleft…”
○ Blancheisinastateofinertia-hasn’tchangedsincethen
● B:“Istillhavetheawfulvanityaboutmylooksevennowthatmylooksareslipping!”
○ Importanceofappearances-Stellaconstantlyaffirmingthatherlooks“haven’t
slipped1particle”
● BlancheworriesshewillhavenoprivacyfromStanley,makesdisapprovingcomments;
“liketheIrish/onlynotso–highbrow?”,“I’mafraidyouwon’tthinkthey’relovely”,“mixed
lot”,“heterogeneous–types”
○ Stella-“laughs”alongwiththis;establishesherroleasamediatorbetweenB+S
, ■ D espiteherloveshewillstillmockhisstatuswhenaroundacharacter
thatputsherbackintothatcontext
● BlancheneedstobewithS:“IwanttobeNEARyou,gottobeWITHsomebody,ICAN’T
bealone!–I‘mNOTverywell”
● BworriesSawillnotlikeher-Sesaystheywillgetalongfineiftheydon’t“comparehim
withmenthatwewentoutwithathome”becausehsis“adifferentspecies”
○ BisbothdisdainfulofSa+afraidofhim;heholdspowerthoughBseesherself
assuperior
● Saisadecoratedsoldier-but“IassureyouIwasn’tjustblindedbyallthebrass”
● B:“civilianbackground”
● SehasdesireforSa;“Icanhardlystanditwhenheisawayfromanight…”/“Whenhe’s
awayforaweekInearlygowild!”–B:“gracious”-feignedsouthernrespectability-“And
whenhecomesbackIcryonhislaplikeababy”
○ B:“IguessthatiswhatImeantbybeinginlove”
● BlancherevealsshehaslostBelleReve-steadilymountinghysteria;
○ “Youleft!Istayedandstruggled!”,Stella“lookedoutforyourself”
○ “Istayedandfoughtforit,bledforit,almostdiedforit!”=desperationtoclingon
tothepast
○ “Theloss–Theloss..”
○ “Itooktheblowsinmyfaceandmybody!Allofthosedeaths!Thelongparadeto
thegraveyard!”
○ “Youjustcamehomeintimeforthefunerals,Stella.Andfuneralsarepretty
comparedtodeaths.Funeralsarequiet,butdeath-notalways.”
■ Goesintographicdetailofprocessofdeath-“Don'tletmego!”,“struggle
forbreathandbleeding”
○ “Deathisexpensive,MissStella”
○ “TheGrimReaperhadputhistentonourdoorsteps”
○ “Ilettheplacego?Wherewereyou.Inbedwithyour–Polak!”
■ LossofBelleReve,‘beautifuldream’=lossofBlancheandStella’s
previouswayoflife;ratherthanfacetheconsequencesofheractions,
sheblamesStellaforchoosingWCStanleyovertheDuBois=reminiscent
ofslave-ownersnottakingresponsibilityforharmsindeepSouth
● Stellarushestothebathroomcrying
● Menreturnfrombowlinganddiscusstheirplansforpokertomorrownight
○ Can’tholditwithMitchbecause“mymother’sstillsick”
● Eunice-“hollering”-“Breakitupdownthere!Imadethespaghettidishandateitmyself”
=doesn’tconformtofemalestereotypes
● Stanley:“animaljoyinhisbeingisimplicitinallhismovementsandattitudes.Since
earliestmanhoodthecentreofhislifehasbeenpleasurewithwomen–withthepower
andprideofarichlyfeatheredmalebirdamonghens”“appreciationofroughhumour,his
loveofgooddrink”,“gaudyseed-bearer”,“Sizeswomenupataglance,withsexual