October 2010 – Script Analysis 2010

Categories for final Group Project

FINAL blog post- Dramatic Action, Character

Here is our final post for Dramatic Action and Character by Hannah, Camden and Sloane

DRAMATIC ACTION: A Streetcar Named Desire

Inciting incident- Blanche's arrival

Scene 1:

Part 1: What a snob!: Blanche is shocked to see Stella's new life and she and Stella reconnect.

Part 2 (when Stanley enters): Be Comfortable: Stanley briefly questions Blanche about her past.

Scene 2:

Part 1: It's all in the Details: Stanley tries to get Stella to side with him over the idea that Blanche has swindled them.

Part 2 (When Blanche enters): Nothing to hide: Stanley confronts Blanche about Belle Reve.

Scene 3:

Part 1: Poker Face: Mitch explains how he's different and how he'll be alone when his mother dies while the men play poker.

Part 2 (When Blanche and Stella enter): Rose colored glass: Mitch and Blanche get acquainted while Stanley gets more annoyed by Mitch's absence from the game.

Part 3 (When he throws the radio through the window): Off again on again: Stanley's frustration gets the best of him then he repents.

Scene 4:

Part 1: Intentional misunderstanding: Blanche tries to convince Stella to leave Stanley, but Stella resists.

Part 2 (when Stanley enters scene to speak): Stanley deserves a hug: Stella demonstrates to Blanche her unconditional love of Stanley.

Scene 5:

Part 1: A beautiful day in the neighborhood: Blanche imagines an ideal neighborhood but is interrupted with reality.

Part 2 (after Steve exits): Gossip: Stanley eludes to things he's heard about Blanche's past and Blanche denies them.

Part 3 (after Stanley exits): Wishful thinking: Stella reassures Blanche that her future will turn out all right.

Part 4 (after Stella exits): Dangerous liaisons: Blanche gives in to her desires in kissing a young man just before she goes on a date with Mitch.

Scene 6:

Part 1: Getting to know you (Blanche and Mitch): Blanche and Mitch come to the conclusion that they could be a couple.

Scene 7:

Part 1: The cat's out of the bag: Stanley reveals to Stella the truth about Blanche's past and plans to force her out of their lives.

Scene 8:

Part 1: King of the house: Stanley asserts his power over both the women.

Scene 9:

Part 1: Turn on the light: Mitch admits he no longer has a desire to marry Blanche.

BD: BD wonders

M: M identifies

BD: BD forgives

M: M complains

BD: BD humors

M: M rejects

BD: BD defends

M: Mitch questions intent

BD: BD pretends

M: M expresses skepticism

BD: BD relaxes

M: M accuses

BD: BD chides

M: M admits

BD: BD delays

M: M implies

BD: BD boasts

M: M mocks

BD: BD flirts

M: M rebukes

BD: BD deflects

M: M realizes

BD: BD suspects

M: M assembles argument

BD: BD defends

M: M confronts

BD: BD fears

M: M highlights

BD: BD worries

M: M distinguishes

BD: BD reprimands

M: M specifies

BD: BD admits

M: M resents

BD: BD reproaches

M: M justifies

BD: BD discounts

M: M contends

BD: BD mocks

M: M demands

BD: BD gives in

M: M distills

BD: BD begs

MW: MW offers

BD: BD escapes

MW: MW provokes

BD: BD crumbles

BD: BD reflects

BD: BD pleads

M: M admits

BD: BD appeals

M: M resolves

BD: BD challenges

M: M reasons

BD: BD lashes out

(There were a few short lines that had the same gist in this breakdown so we combined them. Only once or twice though.)

Scene 10:

Part 1: We've had this date from the beginning: Stanley forces Blanche to accept the reality she is living.

Scene 11:

Part 1: Taken: Everyone comes to an agreement that Blanche must go for their lives to become stable again.

CHARACTER:

Blanche:

Desire: To live a dream like life.

Will: Strong

Moral Stance: If no one knows it happened then it didn't.

Decorum: appearance is important, wears extravagant outfits, clean (bathes a lot), accessorizes, older, very feminine, proper speech, noticeably intoxicated sometimes, Blue jacket at beginning

Summary Adjectives: intense, on the verge of lunacy, nervous, hysterical, attractive, lovely, frazzled, fresh, adaptable, excitable, soft, morbid, sensitive, proper, alone, old-fashioned, anxious, solemn, nice, unlucky, deluded, cultivated, destitute, desperate, caught, wonderful, not respected, famous, refined, particular, flighty, refreshed, rested, tender, trusting, hoity-toity, empty, unfit, prim, a liar, name means "white woods," smoker, French, bohemian, fading, morbid

Stella:

Desire: To have normalcy in their home again.

Will: Strong

Moral Stance: The relationship between a husband and wife is the most important

Decorum: Pregnant, shabby, simple/plain appearance, visibly content

Summary Adjectives: dainty, precious, insane, good, quiet, child, baby, "little woman," matter of fact, indifferent

Stanley:

Desire: To have a relationship with Stella where nothing gets in their way of happiness

Will: Strong

Moral Stance: lives by the Napoleonic Code, friends tell friends the truth

Decorum: was in the military (built), very sexual/manly, comfortable, silk pajamas, sweaty and a little dirty, noticeably intoxicated sometimes, collared bowling shirt, in first scene his sweat makes it stick to him, Master sergeant in the engineers corps (salesman, he's on the road a lot)

Summary Adjectives: unrefined, simple, straightforward, honest, primitive, animal, ape-like, whelp, lamb, stinker, bestial, common, forceful, dynamic, rude, American, cruel, fantastic, lucky, Polish, €˜different species,' civilian, an ape

Mitch:

Desire: To not be alone

Will: Moderate

Moral Stance: relationships should be based on honesty

Decorum: 6' 1 1/2" 207 pounds, heavily built, perspires a lot, can't wear light weight clothes, Blanche calls him €˜Samson'

Summary Adjectives: Alone, superior, sensitive, doubtful, anxious, solemn, imposing, natural gentleman, sincere, uncavalier, uncouth, fantastic, realistic, lucky, kind

CONCLUSION:

Having completed our portions of analysis, dramatic action and character, we have come to the conclusion that this play is about the acceptance of reality. We go on a journey with the main characters throughout the play in which every one of them must accept reality to live in harmony. Up until Stanley and Mitch force Blanche to really look at reality, she has been living a dream like life. Her home is called Belle Reve (beautiful dream) and in scene nine she blatantly states: "I don't want realism, I want magic!" Which implies that she is being taken away from the magical life she desires to live. We see a battle inside Blanche throughout the whole production between a realistic life and a dream, but ultimately in the end when she agrees to leave the house with the gentlemen doctor, she is accepting her reality; maybe not consciously, but by leaving she is accepting her future.

The same type of journey is seen with Stella and Mitch as well. Mitch has this ultimate desire to not live alone, he is in need of a companion, but after scene nine we see a transformation in Mitch when he realizes that not just anyone can fill that desire (Blanche). He could marry her, she in no way stops him from moving in that direction but we see him come to terms with reality when he says "I don't think I want to marry you any more" to Blanche. He has let all of her foolishness and lies slide by until he realizes that he could not live with someone like her and accepts his reality that he must continue to live alone.

Stella is another example of acceptance. She spends the whole play trying to be a mediator between Blanche and Stanley when it is only making her unhappier. For her life to return to something bearable either Stanley or Blanche must leave, but because she loves Stanley so much, Blanche is the one who is forced to go. Stella, like Blanche, roughly accepts this reality in the last scene of the play. Stella struggles with it, but in the end she does not stop it from occurring. She must cleanse herself of Blanche so her and Stanley can go back to being normal and live the marriage they had been living until Blanche showed up.

Stanley serves as a realistic ground throughout the play because he does not let Blanche put anything in front of his eyes. He sees through everything she has said and does and in a sense continually forces the play back down to reality. When he comes in, it is all business. There is no dream, there is no reason to appeal to both parties, life is what it is and Stanley knows that living in a dream is not going to change reality. He is the most continually realistic character throughout the play and sends the driving force of realism through his actions and desires.

All of the dramatic action leads up to these characters accepting reality and tossing out a life of dreams. It is their resistance from reality that drives the play, but their acceptance of reality that resolves it.

Final Post

Dialogue

Stanley: He specifically speaks in very simple, blunt sentences. In fact, he doesn't say more than two words per sentence until he brings his friends home from bowling. His lines are often followed by exclamation points like his first four lines "Hey, there! Stella, baby" "Catch!" "Meat!" "Bowling!" The fact that he uses such blunt sentences so often and keeps his thoughts generally to the point shows us his masculinity and his desire to be "real" and never put on fronts. The fact that he constantly justifies his actions too through his moral stance "The Napoleonic Code" shows us that he is very rigid and has his own set of standards that he lives by regardless of how it makes others feel. He is unwavering and consistent. He weighs all thoughts and actions on his moral stance and is very much a stereotypical "tough guy."

Blance: She is a fascinating character because her dialogue really reveals a lot of sadness. When we understand her character and take into perspective her growth as a character throughout the play we come to realize that she is very superficial and concerned with appearance. We can see in her dialogue that she is very concerned with the social standards of what it means to "be a lady" and have men interested in her. Stanley constantly questions her as a character and tries to get her to see past her own superficiality and "bullshit."
She is frequently dropping in French words or quotes from French plays (including one from "La Dame aux Camelias" by Alexandre Dumas – she says this to Mitch, and I'm pretty sure she is remarking on how Mitch does not appreciate her)
It is also of note that the only references Stanley brings into the play are in the current, political genre. He talks about both Napoleonic code and Huey Long (elected governor of Louisiana in 1928), both of which are meant to reassert his dominance and relevant knowledge; however, he knows little of the art, music, language and poetry that Blanch often recites. Again, he appears less cultured and more barbarian.

Stella: She stands in between Stanley's and Blanche's in the sense that Stanley is blunt and barbaric and Blanche is educated and proper. Stella speaks in a familiar voice, never quoting any historic media or using overcomplicated words like Blanche, but also never retracting to the simplicity that Stanley verbalizes. She always supports Stanley. Blanche attacks her and Stanley in almost every conversation she has in the play, but Stella is strong and clings to Stanley with her every word. Regardless how offensive and hurtful Blanche gets with her, Stella still attempts to support her sister. She is caring and compassionate throughout and tries to always make the best of situations. Whenever Blanche speaks badly of Stanley or vice-versa, Stella tries to mediate and explain the good sides of both, in hopes of having them all get along.

Mitch:

We can learn a lot about the character Mitch throughout the play through his dialogue (his dialogue with Blanche says a lot about his character too. We can easily get the vibe that he is not particularly bright or ambitious in that he is very clumsy and is often teased by Blanche (such as when she speaks to him in French which she knows he will never understand, also when he uses bad grammar and slang "Kind of on your high horse ain't you€¦ I oughta go home"). He tries to behave as a gentleman to Blanche though, being very polite to her and trying to meet the social standards of what it was to be a gentleman during this time period. (Ie calling Blanche Ms DuBois and the beginning and acting awkwardly respectful)

We learn that he is also a lonely person through his dialogue who wishes to make his mother happy. We can see this in the fact that we hear of his mother a lot but never actually see her. She is just constantly referenced. (such as at poker night when they talk about the custard Stella sent to his sick mother)

Research:

In 1929, Williams is admitted to the University of Missouri where he sees a production of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts and decides to become a playwright, but two years later, his father forces him to withdraw from school and work in a St. Louis shoe factory where he meets a young man named Stanley Kowalski who became an obvious inspiration for Streetcar. Later, two of his plays, Candles to the Sun and The Fugitive Kind, are produced by Mummers of St. Louis. He eventually moves to New Orleans and changes his name from "Tom" to "Tennessee" which was the state of his father's birth. A prefrontal lobotomy is performed on Williams' sister Rose who had long suffered from mental illness. The operation, however, is a failure and leaves Rose incapacitated for the remainder of her life. Tennessee never forgives his parents for allowing the operation, which could lead to how horrible the thought of being in a mental institution was for Stella to put Blanche through. The Glass Menagerie then becomes a major hit and then Streetcar opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway, earning Williams his first Pulitzer Prize and establishing him as one of the top dramatists of the American theatre. Streetcar was written the same year that the WWII peace treaty had finally been signed.

FINAL ANALYSIS

I. Environmental Facts:

1. Geographical

· Set in New Orleans

· Exterior of a corner building on a street called "Elysian Fields"
*Elysian Fields-ancient Greek version of the afterlife; heaven.
between the river and the train tracks in a poor section of New Orleans with "raffish [crude] charm

· House #632

· Steve and Eunice live upstairs
Stanley and Stella live downstairs

· There are two rooms (kitchen and bedroom) and a bathroom.

· There is a bar within earshot

· bowling alley down the street

2. Date

· Sc. I: Early May evening

· Sc. II: 6:00 the evening after Scene 1.

Sc. III: Early morning: 2:30
Sc. IV: Later that morning
Sc. VI: 2 AM the same evening as Scene 5.

· Sc. VII: Late afternoon in mid-September .

· Sc. IIIV: 45 minutes after Scene 7.

· Sc. IX: "A while later that evening."

· Sc. X: "A few hours later that night."

· Sc. XI: Weeks later after Scene 10.

3. Economic

· Shabby, faded, everything is falling apart

Blanche DuBois: dressed in a white suit appropriate for an upper-crust social event
Blanche is broke after losing Belle Reve

· Stanley and Mitch are in denim "work clothes"

· Blanche is shocked that Stella has no maid

· Stanley controls the household finances (Stella does not receive a "regular allowance"; possible that this is the norm?).

· Coming off the heels of WWII, Great Depression, etc

4. Political

· Stanley's adherence to the Napoleonic Code and the ideals of Huey Long

· Technical Revolution and the rise of the working class are in full swing.

· The script was published in 1946, which was just after the conclusion of World War II and during the Technological Revolution (second Industrial Revolution). Americans idealized the middle/lower class men who served in the war. The characteristics which make a great soldier (strong, savage, detached) became accepted within the home and family. Also, Americans' attitudes towards the upper class was unfavorable. Following the Great Depression, after a period of high unemployment rates, many Americans disliked the affluent who were unaffected.

· Stanley represents the working class. He is a decorated soldier. His behavior is acceptable, even when he is violent. In contrast, Blanche cannot catch a break. Blanche's old southern values have been replaced by the values of the Technological Revolution.

5. Social

· Stanley treats Stella badly: yells at her

· Blanche DuBois: dressed in a white suit appropriate for an upper-crust social event

· Blanche and Stella are originally from Laurel, Mississippi

· Blanche is a school teacher

· Stella is pregnant

· Stanley and Mitch are 28-30 years old, and in denim "work clothes"

· Stella looks 25 and has "a background obviously quite different from her husband's" (4)

· Stella, Eunice and Blanche are white

· Blanche is around 5 years older than Stella. They are sisters.

· Stanley is Polish, and a Master Sergeant in the Engineers Corps

· Blanche has an acquaintance named Shep Huntleigh, who she dated in college. Shep has become fairly wealthy through the oil business. Social

· Stanley controls the household finances (Stella does not receive a "regular allowance"; possible that this is the norm?).

· Stanley is a Capricorn.

· Blanche (claims she) is a Virgo.

· Blanche can speak at least a few phrases of French; Mitch cannot

· Blanche has "old-fashioned ideals."

· Mitch's mother worries that he will not marry before she dies

· Stanley and Mitch work at the same plant and play on the same bowling team

6. Religious

· Blanche references God and being made in His image; implies that she is a Christian.

· Stanley's adherence to the Napoleonic Code and the ideals of Huey Long

· Coming off the heels of WWII, Great Depression, etc

· Blanche seems to put some sort of stock in astrology.

· Blanche believes in the power of self-deception to shape subjective reality.

· Blanche claims that "deliberate cruelty is not forgivable."

· The characteristics which make a great soldier (strong, savage, detached) were valued at this time.

II. Previous Action:

· Blanche lost Belle Reve estate after the deaths of her and Stella's remaining relatives. It was lost on a foreclosed mortgage.

· She has taken a leave of absence from teaching "for her nerves" but later it is discovered it was because she slept with a 17 year old student.

· Stella is pregnant.

· Blanche was married before to a man named Allan, but after she discovered he was homosexual, he committed suicide.

· Steve has been engaging in behavior giving Eunice cause to suspect him of infidelity

· Mitch and Stanley served together in the "Two-forty-first."

· Blanche was kicked out of The Flamingo Hotel for her promiscuous behavior, and ruined her reputation in Laurel.

III. Polar attitudes of main characters:

Blanche:

Starts the play with a superior ability to ignore the aspects of her reality she does not like, by masking herself in a web of lies. By the end of the play, the web has untangled, and she falls into insanity to avoid acknowledging the stress of her past behavior.

1. How do I (the character) feel about my world?

a. The world is for the socially elite. As long as one has some semblance of dignity and one can truly maintain your reputation, the world will be fine. Social class is of utmost importance, along with every aspect of class. The money, appearance, and knowledge of the upper classes should not be ignored and I must make sure that I can continue my reputation as a lady; I know that everyone will respect me and take care of me. At this point in my life I don't exactly know where I can turn; my family connections are dead or in poverty and my estate is ruined. I have had my weak moments in the past, but I know that I am still a woman to be respected and treated daintily and nothing can change that.

2. How do I feel about my relationships?

a. As far as men are concerned, they should pay attention to me and provide for me simply because of who I am and where I came from. I love Stella and I only want the best for her, but I'm still angry that she left Belle Reve. Stanley is low class and Stella deserves better. Even so, I want to know what makes him tick. Mitch is sweet, but will never be any more than just a friend. He lacks the true qualities of a gentleman. Shep Huntleigh, on the other hand, is everything that I ever dreamed that he would be, and if I can make sure that he is my husband, then we can live the perfect life together.

3. How do I feel about myself?

a. I am sweet and sensitive and I always want to put my best foot forward. I can only hope that people feel the same about me, and I hope that my social standing will remain constant throughout the rest of my life.

4. How do I feel about my prospects?

a. At this point, prospects do not look so promising. My husband has committed suicide and I must now live with my freshly impoverished sister. As soon as I can find a husband who can provide for me I will be able to live the rest of my life comfortably.

NaÃ¯ve-If you appear to be innocent and naÃ¯ve, no one will question you.	Untrue-Living in lies will end your reputation.
Innocent: Women should not give in to their desires.	Guilty: Once women have given in to their desires, the attempts to cover them up will be futile.
Hopeful: It is still possible to live in the past.	Desperate: Once you have crossed certain boundaries, there is no going back.
Beautiful-The art of being a southern belle will bring me a future.	Ashamed and Disheveled- Southern gentility is dead.

Stella:

Stella begins the play hoping to help her sister, and ends the play having given up on her. She also has fluctuations with her relationship with Stanley: She seems relatively content at the beginning of the play, attempts to leave him in the middle for a brief period, returns to him, and ends the play purposefully ignoring his rotten behavior so that she can attempt to be happy with him.

1. How do I (the character) feel about my world?

a. I used to live in the Laurel, Mississippi on a grand estate, but now I essentially live in the slums of New Orleans. I know this life isn't what was supposed to happen to me, but I don't mind it at all. I'm madly in love with Stanley and I know, no matter what he does, that he loves me back. It annoys me that Blanche feels that she can judge my life based on what she thinks I should be. I am perfectly fine where I am.

2. How do I feel about my relationships?

a. Stanley is the most important person in my life. I don't like being out of his presence for a second and I feel horrible when he's not with me. Blanche is my sister and of course I love her, but she needs to figure out what's going on in her life and not judge me.

3. How do I feel about myself?

a. I feel like I'm doing all right with my life as of right now. I couldn't move away from here even if I needed to. I love Stanley and I need to be with him and I'm carrying his child, so there's no way that I could leave this alone.

4. How do I feel about my prospects?

a. Stanley is going places. He knows that he's going to be somebody important and I believe him wholeheartedly. I'll be there for him when he becomes successful.

Imagination-Living the dream is possible.	Determination- Reality is difficult but you must learn to live with it.
Floating-Devotion is given to the person who loves me the most.	Loyalty-I must support everything that Stanley stands for.

Stanley:

Stanley does not change much throughout the play. He is violent and head strong at the beginning, and violent and headstrong at the end.

1. How do I (the character) feel about my world?

a. I have the ambition and drive to go where nobody else can go. I may seem crude to some people, but they just don't understand me. I've always been lucky and I know that that will make me successful later on in life. I live in the now, I never think in the future and I don't let events in the past bother me.

2. How do I feel about my relationships?

a. Stella is the only thing I care about. I'm going to do whatever it takes to take care of her, but sometimes she doesn't understand that I'm in charge and I have to remind her. Sometimes I get a little out of control, but it's what I'm supposed to do. I don't trust Blanche and I think that she's trying to cut Stella out of the Belle Reve money. She's a drunk and a liar and I'm going to figure out what's happening behind her Southern Belle mask.

3. How do I feel about myself?

a. I'm pretty proud with what I've been able to accomplish and I know that there's something special and unique about me.

4. How do I feel about my prospects?

a. The future is bright for me. I know what I want and I know how to get it, and there's never anything that stands in my way. I know that I'll eventually end up on top no matter what.

Determined -If you know what you love then you'll be able to get it in the end	Unmotivated-Social class has nothing to do with internal class: money is not important.
Passionate-The love between a man and a woman will never die.	Brutish-Sex is nothing more than an animalistic urge.

Mitch:

At the start of the play, Mitch is very polite and respectful to Blanche, believing her to be a pure woman. By the end of the play, he has become disrespectful after learning of her past, but also depressed at her mental state

IV. Significance of the Facts in the Total Meaning of the Play:

This is a play about reality versus fantasy. Blanche spends the majority of the play attempting to ignore her reality by creating a fantasy world. Stanley is the realist, and picks apart Blanche's fantasies every step of the way, eventually dominating her by raping her, demonstrating reality's triumph over fantasy. The given circumstances of the play help demonstrate this struggle by giving it a context. Blanche used to live in a wealthy home, she lost her money, her husband, her virtue, and her youth. Without those given circumstances Blanche would have no need to hide herself lies, because her reality would not be so painful. Stella parallels Blanche, and her given circumstances, though fairly similar, lead to a different conclusion. Stella, too, has lost her fortune, but she gave up her higher class background to be with Stanley. They live in a cramped apartment in a cheap neighborhood, but unlike Blanche, who tries to dress it up, Stella accepts it. She is also pregnant when the play starts, a manifestation of the positive side of her life, and why she is willing to accept her reality: her attraction to Stanley.

The given circumstances also create the social climate of the time, which is very important in creating a context for Blanche, Stella and Stanley's behaviors. Stanley is a decorated soldier, and lives like a soldier: strong and savage when need be. He is a "man's man" making him the head of the house. This gives him leave to treat the woman of the house how he sees fit. Including both beating on Stella and raping Blanche. Stella forgives Stanley, which is believable considering the amount of her life she has already sacrificed for him, including wealth and living close to home. Blanche is supposed to abide by the values of a good woman: innocence and beauty, but sacrifices her innocence to feel beautiful and comforted after her husband commits suicide. Thus, she is not a good woman and deals with the consequences as previously stated: by creating a web of lies to live behind. These values emphasize the double standards of gender roles, with a man getting away with abuse and rape, while a woman who has consensual sex, but with many men, is completely destroyed.

Conclusion- Idea and Metaphor

Title– A Streetcar Named Desire

Besides the literal meaning of the title of the play it also serves as a metaphor. Desire is the drive that behind human action. People go where their desire takes them. The fact that there is a streetcar (representing modernization) shows that despite the advent of society and civilization people are still driven by their basic desires.

Metaphor for the play

Modern-day cavemen

Though the play takes place in the industrialized New Orleans, the men all still have the mentality of cavemen. They are aggressive hunters acting on their baser instincts.

Philosophical Statements

Key idea that can be seen throughout the text of "A Street Car Named Desire." These philosophical statements can be categorized as Gender Roles, Poker, Life and Death, and Animal Metaphors.Gender Roles

1. "Have you ever heard of the Napoleonic code?"

2. "You men with your big clumsy fingers."

3. "I've never met a woman that didn't know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they've got."

4. "Some men are took in by this Hollywood glamor stuff and some men are not."

5. "You can't beat a woman and then call'er back!"

6. "When men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen."

7. "A man like that is someone to go out with – once – twice – three times when the devil is in you."

8. "And men don't want anything they get too easy. But on the other hand men lose interest quickly. Especially when the girl is over – thirty. They think a girl over thirty ought to go – the vulgar term is – €˜put out.'"

9. "The one (law of nature) that says the lady must entertain the gentleman €” or no dice!"

10. "A man with a heavy build has got to be careful of what he puts on him so he don't look too clumsy."

11. "Hughey Long €˜Every Man is a King'"

12. "A cultivated woman, a woman of intelligence and breeding, can enrich a man's life €” immeasureably!"

13. "I always did say that men are callous things with no feelings, but this does beat anything. Making pigs of yourselves."

The most prevalent category of philosophical statements in "A Street Car Named Desire" is the general statements about the role of men and women. These statements all refer to specific ways that men and women are expected to act. As for men, the reference to them as kings implies that they are the primary actors in the society who determine how things should be. On the other hand, women are seen as the secondary actors in the society, and their roles are to "entertain the gentleman" (9) and "enrich a man's life." (12) However, unlike the men's role, there seems to be a contradiction in the women's role. On one hand, it is stated that the important thing about women is their "intelligence and breeding" as can be seen in quote 12, while on the other hand, it is stated that the important thing about women is their sexual appeal, as evident in the reference to being "good-looking" in quote 3 and the reference in quote 8 about how women are "put out" when they reach thirty. There is a gap between how the society tells women to act, and the reality of women. This is because the men are the primary actors, and the rules of society were created by men. This leads to the idea that "There are specific roles for both men and women, but the role of women contradicts with the reality because it is a male-dominated society."

Poker

1. "When men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen."

2. "Nothing belongs on a poker table but cards, chips and whiskey."

3. "Poker should not be played in a house with women."

Poker is a symbolic activity that Tennessee Williams uses in "A Street Car Named Desire." In the play, poker is not only a gamble, but also a stage for the males to compete with each other and try to prove their superiority. It is a symbol for politics. Quote 1 suggests how poker is a stage for significant actions, while quote 2 and 3 describe the exclusiveness of the game. The fact that women are excluded from this game reinforces the idea that "In the society, men are the primary actors and women are the secondary actors."

Life and Death

1. "And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths – not always."

2. "Death is expensive, Ms. Stella."

3. "There is so much – so much confusion in the world."

4. "People have got to tolerate each other's habits, I guess."

5. "No matter what happens, you've got to keep on going."

6. "To hold front position in this rat-race you've got to believe you are lucky."

7. "But, honey, you know as well as I do that a single girl, a girl alone in the world, has got to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she'll be lost!"

Another major category of philosophical statements in "A Street Car Named Desire" is Life and Death. There are several quotes that refer to the nature of life and death in the text. Of these quotes, the recurring theme seems to be about how humans should deal with life. Quote 4, 5, and7 all refer to how one should deal with life, and the conclusion is that one has to accept whatever happens and cope with it. This submissiveness of female characters can be seen throughout the play, and in relation to the conclusion of the above categories, one can say that it is because of the fact that males are the dominant actors who determine how things should be in the society. Females do not have the power to change this structure, and any sufferings that they receive, they simply have to endure them and cope with them.

Animal Metaphor

1. "That shut her up like a clam."

2. (Old farmer, hen and rooster joke.)

3. "Is he a wolf?"

4. "You hens cut out that conversation in there."

5. (Like a dancing bear)

6. "He was as good as a lamb"

7. "Yes, something – ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I've seen in – anthropological studies! Thousands and thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is – Stanley Kowalski – survivor of the stone age! Bearing the raw meant home from the kill in the jungle."

8. "Night falls and other apes gather! There in front of the cave, all grunting like him, and swilling and gnawing and hulking! His poker night! – you call it – this party of apes! Somebody growls€”some creature snatches at something – the fight is on!"

9. "Same canary-bird, huh!"

10. "Parot"

11. "He says you been lapping it up all summer like a wild-cat."

12. "I stayed at a hotel called The Tarantula Arms!"

13. "But he's not going to jump in a tank with a school of sharks."

In terms of metaphor, one will immediately notice how many metaphors to animals there are in the text of "A Street Car Named Desire." The comparison of animals with humans implies that humans are also fundamentally primitive. Another important idea that is evident in these metaphors is the two different kinds of metaphors for women. On one hand, women are compared with canary birds and clams, while on the other hand, they are compared to Tarantulas and sharks, those predator animals. When one focuses on the reason why there are two different kinds of metaphors for women, it becomes clear that image of women shift from weak animals to predators when they do not follow the social order of male dominance. For example, Blanche pursues happiness through her own power, instead of depending on one man. She does not play the role as a woman that the male-dominated society expects her to play, and this is when she is described as those predator animals. This is because she has become a threat to the male-dominated society by trying to be independent. The concluding idea is that "Humans are primitive animals. Men are accepted to express their primitive nature, though women who do the same are seen as dangerous."

Action

Each of the main characters' actions reveal ideas crucial to the play.

Stanley's actions (playing poker, drinking, having sex with Stella, raping Blanche) are fueled by his primal desires (compete with men, dominate women). Because Williams presents us with a society created and dominated by men, Stanley's male desires can be fully expressed without inhibition or fear of any negative consequences. Stanley is free to satisfy all of his desires by taking direct action, completely unopposed by society.

Stella is also driven by desire, and she too reveals this through her actions. She stays with Stanley despite his physical abuse because she can derive sexual and emotional pleasure only from being with him. Of course she does not like being beaten but Stella's actions make her priorities clear: she will sacrifice her independence if it is necessary in order to satisfy her desires. The idea illustrated here is that while social rules do not completely prohibit women from pursuing pleasure, they do restrict the ways in which women can do so, essentially demanding that they submit to male control of their lives. As opposed to men, who are largely free to do as they please, women must carefully balance their actions to get what they want without stepping outside their social boundaries.

Blanche is the author's example of a woman who refuses to accept the social limitations placed on women. Through her actions, (kissing the paperboy, drinking, flirting with Mitch) Blanche seeks to satisfy her desires in the same way that the men do. But society automatically condemns her because according to its rules, women should not have that same freedom. Throughout the play, as characters learn about Blanche's "scandalizing" past and present, they categorize her as an outsider, someone who breaks the rules of society and is therefore inferior. Both Mitch and Stanley attempt to force themselves on her because they desire her, but also because they disapprove of her openly expressed sexual desires.

Analyzing the outcome of the play for each character: Stanley satisfies his desires at no personal cost, successfully dominating his male friends and wife and ejecting the troublemaker Blanche from his house. Stella, by staying with Stanley and ignoring Blanche's accusation of rape, chooses desire (sex and love) at the expense of submitting to Stanley's power and losing her sister to an asylum. Blanche, as the only character who defied society's rules with her actions, is raped and sent to a mental institution. Her pathetic end demonstrates the futility of rebellion against acceptable social behavior.

The action and outcome of the play, then, suggest that both women and men are fundamentally driven by desire. However, in a male-dominated society men are free to seek gratification, while women must accept the constraints imposed on their desires or be crushed by unbearable consequences.

Overall Theme: People are driven by primitive desire, but women's desire is restricted by the male-dominated society. This society only allows women to fulfill their desires by giving up their independence and submitting to men.

Given Circumstances relation to themes

Many of the given circumstances are found later on in the play as they pertain to the major characters. This follows the theme of deception throughout the play and the idea of keeping secrets from other people to hide who you truly are. Blanche does not want people to know who she truly is, so she hides her past and puts on a faÃ§ade of the exact opposite ideals. Stanley hides his true identity from Stella and does not tell her that he raped Blanche.

The locations are also important in Streetcar. The Elysian Fields reference the Grecian ideals of heaven. This brings into question the ideas about perfection or paradise in the play. Everyone has an ideal that they would like to reach, but it is not clear whether everyone reaches this ideal by the end of the play.

our conclusion

So here’s what i have in terms of our conclusion through our analysis. Please edit it, because i know some things need to be changed and then i’ll post our final product! thanks ya’ll!

Stanley serves as a realistic ground throughout the play because he does not let Blanche put anything in front of his eyes. He sees through everything she has said and does and in a sense continually forces the play back down to reality. When he comes in it is all business. There is no dream, there is no reason to appeal to both parties, life is what it is and Stanley knows that living in a dream is not going to change reality. He is the most continually realistic character throughout the play and sends the driving force of realism through his actions and desires.

What do the play’s actions and outcome suggest?

Each of the main characters’ actions reveal ideas crucial to the play.

Stanley’s actions (playing poker, drinking, having sex with Stella, raping Blanche) are fueled by his primal desires (compete with men, dominate women). Because Williams presents us with a society created and dominated by men, Stanley’s male desires can be fully expressed without inhibition or fear of any negative consequences. Stanley is free to satisfy all of his desires by taking direct action, completely unopposed by society.

Stella is also driven by desire, and she too reveals this through her actions. She stays with Stanley despite his physical abuse because she can derive sexual and emotional pleasure only from being with him. Of course she does not like being beaten but Stella’s actions make her priorities clear: she will sacrifice her independence if it is necessary in order to satisfy her desires. The idea illustrated here is that while social rules do not completely prohibit women from pursuing pleasure, they do restrict the ways in which women can do so, essentially demanding that they submit to male control of their lives. As opposed to men, who are largely free to do as they please, women must carefully balance their actions to get what they want without stepping outside their social boundaries.

Blanche is the author’s example of a woman who refuses to accept the social limitations placed on women. Through her actions, (kissing the paperboy, drinking, flirting with Mitch) Blanche seeks to satisfy her desires in the same way that the men do. But society automatically condemns her because according to its rules, women should not have that same freedom. Throughout the play, as characters learn about Blanche’s "scandalizing" past and present, they categorize her as an outsider, someone who breaks the rules of society and is therefore inferior. Both Mitch and Stanley attempt to force themselves on her because they desire her, but also because they disapprove of her openly expressed sexual desires.

Analyzing the outcome of the play for each character: Stanley satisfies his desires at no personal cost, successfully dominating his male friends and wife and ejecting the troublemaker Blanche from his house. Stella, by staying with Stanley and ignoring Blanche’s accusation of rape, chooses desire (sex and love) at the expense of submitting to Stanley’s power and losing her sister to an asylum. Blanche, as the only character who defied society’s rules with her actions, is raped and sent to a mental institution. Her pathetic end demonstrates the futility of rebellion against acceptable social behavior.

Philosophical Statements

Regarding philosophical statements, gender relationship seems to be a key idea that can be seen throughout the text of "A Street Car Named Desire." These philosophical statements can be categorized as Gender Roles, Poker, Life and Death, and Animal Metaphors.

Gender Roles

1. "Have you ever heard of the Napoleonic code?"

2. "You men with your big clumsy fingers."

3. "I've never met a woman that didn't know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they've got."

4. "Some men are took in by this Hollywood glamor stuff and some men are not."

5. "You can't beat a woman and then call'er back!"

6. "When men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen."

7. "A man like that is someone to go out with – once – twice – three times when the devil is in you."

9. "The one (law of nature) that says the lady must entertain the gentleman €” or no dice!"

10. "A man with a heavy build has got to be careful of what he puts on him so he don't look too clumsy."

11. "Hughey Long €˜Every Man is a King'"

12. "A cultivated woman, a woman of intelligence and breeding, can enrich a man's life €” immeasureably!"

13. "I always did say that men are callous things with no feelings, but this does beat anything. Making pigs of yourselves."

Poker

1. "When men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen."

2. "Nothing belongs on a poker table but cards, chips and whiskey."

3. "Poker should not be played in a house with women."

Life and Death

1. "And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths – not always."

2. "Death is expensive, Ms. Stella."

3. "There is so much – so much confusion in the world."

4. "People have got to tolerate each other's habits, I guess."

5. "No matter what happens, you've got to keep on going."

6. "To hold front position in this rat-race you've got to believe you are lucky."

7. "But, honey, you know as well as I do that a single girl, a girl alone in the world, has got to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she'll be lost!"

Animal Metaphor

1. "That shut her up like a clam."

2. (Old farmer, hen and rooster joke.)

3. "Is he a wolf?"

4. "You hens cut out that conversation in there."

5. (Like a dancing bear)

6. "He was as good as a lamb"

7. "Yes, something — ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I've seen in – anthropological studies! Thousands and thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is – Stanley Kowalski – survivor of the stone age! Bearing the raw meant home from the kill in the jungle."

9. "Same canary-bird, huh!"

10. "Parot"

11. "He says you been lapping it up all summer like a wild-cat."

12. "I stayed at a hotel called The Tarantula Arms!"

13. "But he's not going to jump in a tank with a school of sharks."

Metaphor

Title- A Streetcar Named Desire

Metaphor for the play

Modern-day cavemen

Though the play takes place in the industrialized New Orleans, the men all still have the mentality of cavemen. They are aggressive hunters acting on their baser instincts.