An essay exploring the common exam question about the overarching theme of desire in Tennessee William's 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. Written by a current university student that achieved an A* in English Literature A level by memorising these essays which are structured in an easily accessible, col...
Essay Plan: How does Tennessee Williams present the theme of desire in ‘A Streetcar
Named Desire’?
1) Blanche (the streetcar)
2) Stella (first scene)
3) Stella (after poker night)
4) Blanche (relationship with Mitch)
5) Stanley
Introduction:
Tennessee Williams’ domestic tragedy ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is set in the rather
down-at-heel neighbourhood of Elysian Fields in New Orleans and focuses
extensively on Blanche Dubois who has been dismissed from her job as an English
teacher for giving into desire and forming an illicit relationship with a seventeen-
year-old student.
Subsequently, she is in a position of destitution which is why she is visiting her sister,
Stella Kowalski, and brother-in-law, Stanley, for a protracted stay.
Point one:
From the outset of the play, the concept of desire is first introduced when Eunice
sees Blanche looking lost and out of place and asks her “What’s the matter, honey?
Are you lost?”
Blanche replies “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to
one called Cemeteries.”
We see therefore that Blanche has literally rode the “streetcar named Desire,” but it
could be argued that the streetcar has a metaphorical importance and functions as a
motif in the play, as her reason for being on the streetcar is because she figuratively
rode the streetcar before when yielded to her sexual desire to engage in an intimate
relationship with a student.
Furthermore, an ominous sense of foreboding is created by the streetcar called
“Cemeteries” which interestingly, links ideas of death and desire, and foreshadows
Blanche’s bleak fate in which she does not literally die, but is sent to a lunatic asylum
and loses all hope as a character.
Point two:
The concept of desire in the play is also relevant to the character of Stella.
After arriving at Stella and Stanley’s apartment, Blanche makes the melodramatic
revelation that she has “lost” their ancestral home of Belle Reve.
Blanche creates her own narrative of how the family estate was “lost” by projecting
the blame onto Stella and painting herself as an altruistic character in the self-
dramatizing triadic structure “I stayed and fought for it, bled for it, almost died for
it!”
In addition, she juxtaposes this with an image of her sister “in bed with [her] – Polak”
portraying her as a selfish individual driven by sexual desire.
Point three:
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 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 user784819318311031. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £8.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
