A Streetcar Named Desire Themes Essay

A performance I have recently watched is “A Streetcar Named Desire” which is a 1947 play written
by American playwright, Tennessee Williams. The play was revamped by the National Theatre and
performed at the Young Vic in London in summer 2014. I watched a recording of the performance by
National Theatre Live at my local town hall in November, 2014. It starred Gillian Anderson as Blanche
DuBois and received excellent reviews for her portrayal.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” follows the life of Blanche Dubois, an aristocratic woman who loses her
ancestral home (Belle Reve) and goes to live with her little sister, Stella and her assertive brother in
law Stanley Kowalski in New Orleans. As the play develops, we see the deterioration of her character
into a vulnerable and paranoid woman through Stanley’s cold blooded and brutish character.

Through my analysis of the play, I will highlight aspects of acting and costume that helped to
communicate the play’s key themes and ideas to the audience and the dramatic impact and
audience responded in which they achieved.

Blanche represents the theme of class divide through her clothing in the first scene. Blanche wears a
soft, chiffon and white dress, bodice and pearls when she first arrives to make the audience see her
as a respectable woman and put up a façade of sophistication. The impact is uplifting for the
audience and leads them to expect a more reputable woman to emerge, the audience response is
therefore shocking when she embarks on a road to insanity and becomes a vulnerable and shaky
woman in underwear towards the end of the play.

Stanley also communicates the theme of class divide by wearing a manual, oil stained tank top and
brown combat shorts during most of the play to highlight his lower class and simple persona. The
impact was a more comfortable mood and atmosphere and the audience responded with
appreciation as he doesn’t seem bothered about his appearance and is fine with living a basic,
ordinary life.

Stella represents the theme of dependence on men by wearing revealing and bright clothing to
accentuate her perfect figure and to impress Stanley. Stella sees Stanley as her only way to achieve
happiness and improve her self-image. The impact is pity for Stella as her character is more
respectable than Stanley and that she shouldn’t have to live with his domineering ways. The
audience’s response is sad because Stella would struggle to survive if it weren’t for Stanley.

In the final scene, Blanche wears a violet, large ball gown that gives off a elegant and luxurious vibe
which she oddly wears in a cramped two-room modern apartment highlighting the theme of fantasy
vs reality. She wears it as a princess in her fantasy world and it depicts her great illusions to be
whisked away by a gentleman caller, proving the depths of her lunacy. The impact created is
dramatic irony as the audience are aware it is all mad imagination yet she has lost grip of reality, she
is willing to believe it. The audience response is they feel empathy for her as she is dreaming of it as
an escape to the hell she is living and to be happy and have a fulfilled life.

In the final scene, before raping Blanche, Stanley abruptly communicates the theme of sexual abuse
by wearing red, silk pyjamas which is eerie as the colour red has connotations of danger, blood and
lust. He also highlights the position of men by the pyjamas turning purple under the lights and also
the pyjamas being made out of a silk material. Purple communicates royalty and authority and the
pyjamas being made out of silk communicates luxury with the person wearing the material usually
being wealthy. The impact creates alarm for the audience and panic about the upcoming danger
Blanche will be facing. The audience response is disgust at Stanley’s despicable actions and attitude
towards the horrific and evil crime which is rape. It is also ironic as Stanley is not of upper class and
leads a low income, simple life.

A theme present in the play is the relationship between sex and death. Blanche has a desperate fear
of death, manifesting in her faking her age pretending to be much younger than she actually is.
Blanche uses a timid pitch and flirtatious tone of voice to exert her desire to be attractive and
youthful. She also uses a strong posture and gestures her hands by clasping them behind her back to
uphold a feminine image. Blanche also constantly tops up her make-up throughout the play and
often looks at herself in the mirror which tells that she is making sure that she looks feminine,
attractive and youthful. The audience response is annoyance and frustration as Blanche should be
happy with herself yet she has a flawed nature and is trying to conceal her fading appearance,
creating empathy.

Stanley presents the theme of domestic abuse through his constant violence towards his wife, Stella
and continuous manipulation towards Blanche. For voice, Stanley uses a patronising tone, loud
volume and deep pitch. For movement, Stanley uses a strong posture and usually gestured his hands
on his waist which depicted his lack of care for Blanche’s and Stella’s feelings. Stanley also had a sly
facial expression to convey his evil and beastly persona. The impact created is a disturbing mood and
atmosphere and the audience respond with disgust because of Stanley’s merciless and remorseless
actions.

Blanche portrays the theme of alcoholism throughout the play because of her addiction and
dependence on the substance during the play. She shows this theme through her having poor
balance, flamboyant gestures and speaking with a slow pace and poor clarity speaking with a slurred
speech. She also has a high pitch when intoxicated to show the effect alcohol has on Blanche and
how she carries herself. The impact created here is sympathy for Blanche and it shows the audience
how determined she is to confide in alcohol to escape from the troubled life she lives.

The theme of power of men is highlighted in the climax when Blanche gives up the fight and
surrenders to Stanley by collapsing to her knees before Stanley as if she is too weak to continue the
fight and is forced to give up. In this scene there is varied levels as Stanley is standing tall whilst
Blanche is on her knees in front of him. Stanley upholds a tall, strong posture while Blanche is
slouched over as he has won the fight and has completely dominated her and drained the life out of
her. This is distressing and unsettling for the audience and they feel absolute sympathy for Blanche
and hatred towards Stanley.

The theme of sexual abuse is also highlighted in the climax when Blanche gives up the fight and
surrenders to Stanley. Stanley’s strongly held posture and positioning along with the use of levels
communicates the theme. This shown through him standing between Blanche and the door as if
blocking her only escape route. The impact created is a alarming mood and atmosphere and the
audience response is terror as Blanche is in grave danger.

Acting and costume strongly communicates the themes contained in A Streetcar Named Desire and
how it highlights the impact of the play overall.