Fernandez, Sunshine Bernadette R.

A Formalist Approach to Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire

In applying formalist approach to “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the medium of the play

must be emphasized. By highlighting how conflict, character and imagery have been relayed, there

will be a wider understanding of the play and a justification that form and content cannot be

detached from one another. The other elements of the play will also be used to supplement the

whole analysis of the play. Moreover, formalist approach explains that the text is independent the

biographical background of the author, historical or social context, and philosophical values. Thus,

it is expected that no external influences will blur the lens to be used in analyzing the text.

“A Streetcar Named Desire”, set in New Orleans specifically at Elysian Fields, narrates a

story pertaining to the immense clash between Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. Stella

Kowalski, the sister of Blanche and wife of Stanley, also shows a significant role in this battle

between the two characters (Grudzina 2009). The title of the play does not only denote the streetcar

in New Orleans but it does connote that desire is predominantly prevailing in and moving around

the place. The play is considered to be a tragedy because of its unhappy ending and is arranged in

chronological fashion (Jimenez 2015). The seem-to-be flashbacks are narrated through dialogues

and help in the progress of the plot. The playwright includes an epigraph from Hart Crane’s “The

Broken Tower”: “And so it was I entered the broken world / To trace the visionary company of

love, its voice / An instant in the wind (I know not whither hurled) / But not for long to hold each

desperate choice.” Putting this epigraph can already suggest that Blanche finds herself in a broken

world (Coleman 2019) as she arrives in the Elysian Fields and longs for visionary company of love

through seeking comfort from Stella and stability from Mitch.

 It can also be analyzed that the main idea of the play is about fantasy being unable to

overcome the reality, the relationship between sex and death, and women as dependent on men

(SparkNotes 2019). Blanche, who had a horrible past, creates an alternate world for herself where

everything is fine and perfect yet in reality, it tells otherwise. The reality she cannot fully grasp is

likened to her surroundings, Kowalski’s flat and Stanley himself—messy and brutal respectively.

Also, the “epic fornications” that her ancestors committed attribute to her. This is because her

longingness of sexual relationships lead her to being driven out from the places she had been. The

desires of Blanche also reflect her dependence on men. For examples are her make-believe man,

Shep Huntleigh, whom she yearns to help her financially, and her desire to be married to Mitch

for her to attain stability in life.

The conflict of the play is man versus man—Blanche versus Stanley. The tension between

the two can be seen and understood as the story progresses. The poker game, in its form as betting

and bluffing, also symbolizes whether Stanley or Blanche has the upper hand. The two characters

try to sway other characters as they narrate their version of their story (Martin n.d.). At first,

Blanche creates lies and deceptions while Stanley, being straightforward, upholds honesty. But at

the end of the play, when Blanche reveals the truth to Stella about Stanley raping her, Stella does

not believe Blanche and even sends her to a mental institution. Stella has put her trust in Stanley

more than in her sister. Blanche, being considered as the tragic hero, meets an ill-fated ending

because of hamartia and external forces. These forces are what Stanley has done to her—unfolding

her past that is full of secrets and mistakes and eventually destroying her in a very unforgivable

manner.

Furthermore, the conflict is delivered by characterizing Blanche, the protagonist, and

Stanley, the antagonist. Blanche Dubois, a Southern Belle, has always been fancy on her clothing
and describes as to be pretentious, self-deluded, and drunk. In French, Blanche means “white”

while Dubois means “of the woods” (Grudzina 2009). Also, the playwright likened her to a moth

that has an inconsistent movement, a feeble appearance, and is scorched when in contact with a

bulb. She has delicate features, displays nervous gestures and avoids light bulbs (Pinkmonkey.com

2017). Meanwhile, Stanley Kowalski portrays masculinity power, seems to be brutal and rough,

and seeks to control everything (Grudzina 2009). He is also compared to an ape as described by

Blanche because of his animal-like habits, movements, and language. Red can also be associated

to him since he wears red jacket to go bowling, tosses red meat to Stella, and portrays blood thirsty

in destroying Blanche (Pinkmonkey.com 2017). Through this contrast of characteristics of Blanche

and Stanley, there has already been an established tension or a conflict that is about to happen

between them.

Another way that the conflict has been relayed is that the word choice and the dialogue of

Blanche and Stanley. For example is this dialogue during Blanche’s birthday. Stanley said,

“Goddamn, it’s hot in here with the steam from the bathroom.” Blanche replied, “I’ve said I was

sorry three times. [The piano fades out.] I take hot baths for my nerves. Hydrotherapy, they call it.

You healthy Polack, without a nerve in your body, of course you don’t know what anxiety feels

like.” Then Stanley answered, “I am not Polack. People from Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But

what I am is one-hundred-per-cent American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and

proud as hell of it, so don’t ever call me Polack” (Williams 1971, n.p.). The difference between

their ideas and words can comprehended in their dialogue. Stanley’s words are more vulgar than

Blanche’s because he uses Goddamn and hell. Also, there is an emphasis or interjection on how

he talks to or answers her. Meanwhile, Blanche’s words are more formal in a way than Stanley’s.

Hence, the language used by the main characters can create conflict. The conflict that is illustrated
by means of characterization and language prefigures to a greater conflict and even an undesirable

end. And now, the ultimate conflict of Blanche and Stanley can be seen in the climax—the most

violent part of the play. The rape of Blanche by Stanley is indirectly stated or described in the play.

This indirectness might imply that words cannot suffice the inappropriateness or offensiveness of

the act.

On the other hand, the minor characters in the play symbolize something that contributed

to or associated with the main characters. Blanche tries to seduce a young collector by kissing him

on the lips. This act mirrors the relationship she had with her seventeen-year-old high school

student. Likewise, the Mexican old woman, who is shouting “flores, flores, flores para los

muertos” which means flowers, flowers, flowers for the dead, signifies Blanche’s reminiscence

about death and loss (Grudzina 2009). Meanwhile, Stella, the sister of Blanche, in Latin term

means star. Star can be considered as light that breaks through the darkness. It also suggests hope

and stability in which Blanche and Stanley seek (Pinkmonkey.com 2017). It can be analyzed that

the style of the playwright in characterization has a vital effect on the story. Moreover, the young

collector, the Mexican old woman, the prostitute, and the drunkard are only seen in the part where

climax is about to happen and in the climax itself. Through this way, these seem-to-be non-

important characters foreshadow the following events.

There are several imageries present in the play. The first example is set in the first scene

where the setting is vividly illustrated. The playwright states, “The sky that shows around the dim

white building is a peculiarly tender blue, almost a turquoise, which invests the scene with a kind

of lyricism and gracefully attenuates the atmosphere of decay.” The color blue and turquoise can

be envisioned but it can also be felt by relating the color to loneliness. Perhaps, this imagery has

to be at the first scene to anticipate that the kind of play will not be happy-go-lucky but will have
a lonely atmosphere. The second imagery is Blanche’s playing of Varsouviana Polka in her mind.

It appears that this imagery lets Blanche recall her past with her dead husband. Whenever she

overthinks or panics, the Varsouviana Polka plays in her mind. This music plays in “sinister

rapidity” at the end of scene eight when Blanche realizes that she is unable to escape her past. The

imagery is set in that scene to connote that the play is reaching its climax (Slice of Brain n.d.). And

the third imagery is the song “It’s Only A Paper Moon” sang by Blanche. These are some of the

lyrics used from the song: “It’s only a paper moon, Just as phony as it can be—But it wouldn’t be

make-believe If you believed in me!” (Williams 1971, n.p.). Blanche sings the song in the

bathroom while Stanley is outside with Stella, informing her about Blanche’s deceptions. This

imagery is placed in that scene to show irony: Blanche is immersing herself in a make-believe

world, requiring other people to believe in her, however, in reality, Stanley has already destroyed

this world by revealing the truth to Stella. Hence, the language used in the first imagery is very

descriptive and evokes emotions too. This can also suggest that throughout the play, different

emotions are portrayed. And then, the Varsouviana Polka and the song It’s Only A Paper Moon

are essential imageries in highlighting emotions and scenes.

Overall, the form of the play directly affects its message. The conflict is presented by

characterization, word choice, and dialogue. The characters specifically the minor ones are used

in reaching the climax and in the climax itself to reveal the other side of the characters and the

following scenes. And the imageries have not been simply stated to appeal to the senses but also

to imply meaning. Therefore, by this thorough analysis, it is rightful to justify that form and content

are interconnected.

Reference List:
Coleman, Robert Franklin. 2019. “The Visionary Company of Love.” Accessed on September 17,

2019. https://www.bard.org/study-guides/the-visionary-company-of-love.

Grudzina, Douglas. 2009. Teaching Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire. Multiple

Critical Perspectives. Delaware: Prestwick House, Inc.

Jimenez, Hannah. 2015. “A Streetcar Named Desire – Formalist Approach.” Prezi. December 7,

2015. https://prezi.com/hpwlibkmsxvi/a-street-car-named-desire-formalist-approach/.

Martin, Kat. n.d. “The Game is Seven Card Stud: Williams’ New Orleans.” Virginia Stage

Company. Accessed September 17, 2019. http://www.vastage.org/blog/2017/1/23/the-

game-is-seven-card-stud-williams-new-orleans.

Pinkmonkey.com. 2017. “Monkey Notes – A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.”

May 9, 2017. http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmStreetcar31.asp.

Slice of Brain. n.d. “HL English: Music in “A Streetcar Named Desire”.” Wordpress.com.

Accessed on September 17, 2019. https://sliceofbrain.wordpress.com/works/hl-english-

music-in-a-streetcar-named-desire/.

SparkNotes. 2019. “A Streetcar Named Desire Main Ideas.” Accessed on September 10, 2019.

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/streetcar/themes/.

Williams, Tennessee. 1971. The Theatre of Tennessee Williams. Vol. 1. New York: New

Directions.