Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar named Desire was written by Tennessee Williams, during the restless years following World War II. The play was based on the life of a woman named Blanche Dubois. Blanche was a fragile and neurotic woman, desperate for a place to call her own. She had been exiled from her hometown Laurel, Mississippi after seducing a seventeen year old boy. After this incident, she decided to move to New Orleans with her sister Stella. She claimed she had to move, in result of a series of financial calamities which have recently claimed the family plantation, Belle Reve. Her sisters husband, Stanley Kowalski is very suspicious seeing that Blanche seems like an ambitious woman. Therefore, he decides to investigate her. He wanted to make sure Blanche didn't sell the plantation for her own good. As he begins to find out more about her past, all of Blanches lies catch up to her. Soon, her circumstances become unbearable.

Blanche Dubois the main character of the play, was an English teacher in Mississippi. She presents herself as a very prim, proper, and prudent person. She once proudly told her sister Stella that her name in French meant white woods. Blanche Dubois is also overly concerned with her appearance, accessories, bathing and age. She was very disturbed by the light, and usually preferred to be in the dark. Many believe it was to prevent people from noticing her real age. Deep inside she was hurt and destroyed. All of this pain was caused by the death of the love of her life. She was married to a young man named Allan, and they loved each other very much. Until one day Blanche found out that Allan was sleeping with another man. Once she confessed to him she knew his secret he committed suicide. Ever since, Blanches' life was never the same again.

Blanche Dubois always felt she was loved and admired by many. However, things changed after her husbands tragic death. Life was not easy for her, as she became lonely and slept with different men. Her loneliness led her into moving unexceptedly with her sister Stella. However, this only caused more troubles in her life. She was not very well liked by her brother in law, Stanley Kowalski. Stanley was from Poland, and had very little education. He was also a very strong, good looking man. He was loyal to his friends, passionate to his wife, but extremely cruel to Blanche.

From the moment Blanche reached New Orleans, she had problems with Stanley Kowalski. He did not believe in her, and insisted she was a fake. He consistently told his wife that Blanche was betraying her and sold Belle Reve to use the money for herself. He confronted Blanche and asked her for all the paper works of the property. Stanley did not trust her and they were always screaming and insulting each other. They were always at odds, since they had opposing ideals, and ways of life. During the end of the play, something terrifying happened, Stanley raped Blanche.

Blanche Dubois was not only in conflict with Stanley, but she was also in conflict with herself. Ever since her husbands death she lived a harsh life. She drinks, smokes and tells many lies. Blanche also suffers from delusions of hearing polka tunes and gunshots. She was very unhappy, until one day she met Mitch. Mitch and Blanche began to see each other frequently, as she tried to keep up the "facade of virginity, innocence, and properness." They open up to each other, and she tells him of her husbands ultimate suicide. They were both in need of someone, and felt that they were good for each other. However, soon their happiness ended. Stanley informed his friend about Blanches past and their relationship ended. He told her that she was not clean enough for him and left her.

A Streetcar named Desire was based on many important themes. One of these themes was trust and dishonesty. Stanley Kowalski always spoke to his wife about the Napoleonic Code. He told her that what affects her, affects him as well. Therefore, he was not willing to have Blanche abuse their trust. He did not trust Blanche or the story that she lost Belle Reve. He also abused Blanches trust by going through her trunk in search of proof.

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