Summary Character grid exploring the development of Blanche DuBois as the play progresses in 'A Streetcar Named Desire.'
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Course
Unit 1 - Drama
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
This is a chronological document which explores the character of Blanche DuBois from the beginning to the end of Tennesse William's 'A Streetcar Named Desire.' This character grid provides a detailed understanding of this complex character, giving a thorough analysis and identification of key quote...
"They told me to take a Streetcar Named Desire and then transfer to one called
cemeteries..."- this foreshadows Blanche's fate at the end of the play: how sexual desire
leads to the death of her personality and spirit. The juxtaposition of desire and excitement
with death and the buried highlights the danger of living a reckless life, since it is very easy
to cross the line to death and misery. The streetcar named Cemeteries symbolizes Blanche's
"death’’- this comes when she has the nervous breakdown. Also ‘desire’ highlights how her
journey is both literal and allegorical. She has ridden Desire to the end of the line and has hit
rock bottom before arriving here.
“The music of the polka rises up, faint in the distance” – suggests perhaps a reminiscent
tone and a flashback of Blanche, implying she still feels guilt. It signifies Blanche’s loss of
innocence and mental decline throughout the play as the music comes back throughout.
‘incongruous’ to her environment- does not fit in with the society of New Orleans-
represents different values and considers herself to be above her surroundings.
‘a moth’- delicate/fragile, but drawn to danger, perhaps this image also links to how she is a
pest especially to Stanley and is unwanted in New Orleans.
Blanche has lost her family home Belle Reve and expresses bitterness towards her sister for
abandoning her. She accuses her sister of being ‘in bed’ with her ‘Polack’ while Blanche was
at Belle Reve when the ‘grim reaper had put up his tent’ on their doorstep. From the
beginning we see that Blanche has an inflated self-importance and looks down on Stanley-
unlike Stella she cannot adapt to the new more classless world, and this divide will only lead
to Blanche’s isolation.
In scene 2 we see Blanche bathing- this will develop as a coping mechanism for Blanche as a
form of escapism from the real world, allowing her to stay in her façade and calm herself
almost in an oasis away from the flat. This also represents cleansing, of her conscience and
her past.
Blanche emerges from the bath in a ‘red satin robe’ this could represent sexuality, and from
this early in the play we see Blanche’s desire for the attention of a man- even her sister’s
husband.
Blanche’s pride when she confesses that ‘Yes I was flirting with your husband, Stella!’
seems unusual. Awareness of the power of her sexuality. Williams is beginning to undermine
Blanche’s attempts to present herself as pure in Scene 1.
“The touch of your hand insults them.. now that you’ve touched them I’ll burn them!”-
Williams includes early hints to the audience about Blanche’s past and the heartache she
feels when her late husband is mentioned. This is not fully developed until later, and through
the first impressions of Blanche Williams is able to add a layer of mystery to her character
and past. Here, Blanche wants to preserve the memory of her husband in perfect condition
and suggests that Stanley may taint them or ruin them if he were to hold them.
, Blanche creates a false persona upon her arrival in New Orleans. We see in scene 3 and 4 her
worsening relationship with Stanley, and hints are given to indicate Blanche’s mental instability:
First interaction with Mitch:
‘You’re not-?’ Blanche cuts off Mitch before he even finishes asking his question. This
creates an addition to the façade as Blanche’s speech seems rehearsed, as if she is aiming to
avoid certain topics.
‘I can’t stand a naked light bulb’- Blanche fears being seen clearly and always hides the
reality of her own age by creating illusions using the light, maintaining the façade through
her appearance.
Blanche almost shows a pathological need to lie. She lies to Mitch about her reason for
visiting and her age- ‘she’s somewhat older than I am’ ‘stella hasn’t been so well lately, and
I came down to help her for a while.’
Blanche lives in a world of fantasy that only grows throughout the play:
‘Darling Shep. Sister and I in desperate situation.’- Shep Huntleigh develops as a symbol of
her potential escape from this world and also highlights her dependence on men. She lives in
a world of fantasy rather than reality, and believes Shep can at any moment come and save
her.
‘I went out with him at college’- Blanche makes reference to the past, highlighting how she
fails to move on and retreats into a world of illusion.
Key turning point for the dynamics between Blanche and Stanley:
'he acts like an animal, has an animal's habits!' Blanche delivers another lengthy,
emotionally charged monologue; fragmented sentences- increases our concern that she is
emotionally unstable and unable to survive in the world of Elysian Fields. There is an
element of desperation and complete deterioration of relationship with Stanley as she
dehumanises him and describes him as primitive.
Blanche’s ‘brute speech’ is a complete disrespect of Stanley, and importantly he hears the
whole thing and this moment only gives more motivation and anger will eventually lead to
the rape of Blanche in scene 10.
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