Summary Appearance vs Reality in A Streetcar Named Desire Theme Page
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Course
Unit 1 - Drama
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
Theme page of A* level arguments, quotations, language analysis, themes and context regarding APPERARANCE VS REALITY in A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams presents Blanche to be a deceitful enchantress, with the ability to veil her reality in order to deceive.
Stanley is presented as the fateful person to trigger Blanche’s ruination, due to his scepticism of her from their primary meeting.
Williams employs plastic theatre in order to highlight, and visually exaggerate the extent to which Blanche provides her façade.
Stella and Blanche juxtapose in their ability to face reality; while Blanche orchestrates a grand illusion, Stella cannot always follow her
heart, through knowledge of realism.
In A Street Car named desire, climactic anagnorisis occurs, only when Blanches façade is finally shattered, revealing her truth.
Primary Quotations Literary/Dramatic Devices Critical Quotations (p.) Context + Contextual Quotations
S1 S1
‘drawing involuntarily back from his stare’ – like a
‘Cleat light is the antithesis of the Sothern gothic – decay of
‘white suit… ear-rings of pearl, white
gloves’ – façade of innocence, masking moth in a flame fantasy world she is trying hard blanche
sordid past ‘he holds the bottle to the light to observe it’s
depletion’ – he can see through façade
to maintain’ – V. Elliot Southern Belle – Southern
Blanche ‘I won’t be looked at in this S2 ‘she feels compelled to put on a hospitality, beauty and a
merciless glare!’ – wants to allude her
appearance
‘admirer of mine!’, ‘I was once considered to be –
attractive’ – constantly seeks superficial approval
show’ – F. Parnaby flirtatious yet chaste demeanour
Blanche ‘no, one’s my limit’ – ironic lies of because looks are all she has ‘Blanche’s role is as an Realism and expressionism
alcoholism ‘pressing hands to her ears’ – plays into femme
fatale
enchantress or illusionist’ – F. compliment eachother in the play
‘funerals are pretty compared to deaths.
Funerals are quiet, but deaths – not always.’ ‘she sprays herself with the atomizer’ – distracts Parnaby Meaning>realism, unrealistic
– tendency to romanticise, occupied by from reality
S3
‘reflect her inability to escape the lighting, symbolism
beauty and fantasy S ‘you’re standing in the light, Blanche!’ – pull of the past’ – F. Parnaby Enters at dusk, and nevcer seen in
S2
Stella ‘I’d tried to gloss things over a little in
references her moth-like
S4
‘arguably on a rapid downward light again – also tries to
my letters’ – ashamed and doesn’t give ‘eletric things between people!’ – no true belief in trajectory when she arrives at manipulate her sexuality to regain
whole truth love
S5
Elysian fields’ – F.Parnaby metaphorical light
‘she wore it to a costume ball’ – façade of
wealth ‘continued round of entertainments, teas, cocktails, Williams uses events both
‘of course you remember Shep Huntleigh’ – and luncheons –‘ – contrasts bowling and poker
‘astrological sign’ – into fantasy
naturistically and
never meet, fantasy of chivalry ‘paper lantern over the light’ – constant façade, expressionistically
S4
‘you saw him in uniform, an officer, not here
moth-like and flimsy
‘young prince out of the arabian nights’
Plastic Theatre
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