Sybolism of the Streetcar in a streetcar named desire

« Symbolism of the Streetcar It's tragically clear from the start of the play that Blanche Dubois' sexual history will be the cause of her downfall.

And the names of the streetcars which she's ridden to find her way to Stella and Stanley's place have deeply symbolic meanings which reflect the trajectory of Blanche's unhappy life. First of all, Blanche hops aboard a streetcar headed for Desire.

This is entirely appropriate, as Blanche's sexual desire is the governing emotion in her life, an emotion that has got her into serious trouble in the past.

It was Blanche's headlong pursuit of sexual desire that led to her being kicked out of Belle Reve, the Dubois family home.

It also trashed her reputation in town, where she was ostracized due to her scandalous sexual escapades. After alighting from the streetcar named Desire, Blanche gets onboard another one —only this one's called Cemeteries and drops her off at a street called Elysian Fields.

The symbolism here is hard to miss.

Blanche's desires have already led her to a kind of social death, and she will become even more dead to society after her bruising experiences of life at the Kowalskis'. In ancient mythology, the Elysian Fields were the final resting place of the souls of dead heroes.

And although Blanche may not be a heroine as such, and whatever we may think of her behavior, there's no doubt that she's shown a great deal of tenacity in facing up to her many problems. It is with the introduction of Blanche, however, that the full-meaning of the streetcar’s name becomes evident.

Williams’s stage directions introducing the character of Blanche evoke the image of a woman who has seen better times and who is aging more quickly than her years would otherwise suggest.

Notice in the following playwright’s note the description of Blanche: Her appearance is incongruous to this setting.

She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat, looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district.

She is about five years older than Stella.

Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth. As “A Streetcar Named Desire” progresses and the audience is provided increasing glimpses into Blanche’s background, the meaning of the streetcar’s designation becomes clearer.

Blanche and Stella come from upper-class Southern backgrounds in which the culture and.... »