Essay about Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by...

Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams â€Å"Symbols are nothing but the natural speech of drama†¦the purest language of plays.† Once, quoted as having said this, Tennessee Williams has certainly used symbolism and colour extremely effectively in his play, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. A moving story about fading Southern belle Blanche DuBois and her lapse into insanity, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ contains much symbolism and clever use of colour. This helps the audience to link certain scenes and events to the themes and issues that Williams presents within the play, such as desire and death, and the conflict between the old America and the new. Scene Three is one of the pivotal scenes of the play. That Williams thought†¦show more content†¦Williams has made good use of simple visual aids, such as colour, to help the audience retain certain things of importance within the play. Tennessee Williams has also made use of symbols - and his consistency in using them is very helpful to the audience to grasp the ideas he is putting across. The very names of the characters and places are symbolic. The famous streetcar that brings Blanche to her sister’s house is called ‘Desire’ - desire being one of the main themes in the play. Interestingly, it is the superintendent of the school in Laurel - Mr. Graves - who is one of the main causes for Blanche having to make this journey, from a streetcar named ‘Desire’ to one called ‘Cemeteries’ and finally to her sister’s house, situated in Elysian Fields - the Elysian Fields being the dwelling place of virtuous people after death (in Greek mythology). Blanche DuBois itself means ‘white woods’ as she tells Mitch - which implies something virginal and unsullied - both of which she is not. Stella means star: â€Å"Stella, oh Stella, Stella! Stella for Star!† as Blanche cries wildly, yet Stella burns not with the intensity of Blanche. Her passions are different, and she is extremely unlike her namesake. Even the home of the DuBois - Belle Reve - means ‘beautiful dream’, symbolic of the past that has gone forever, and Blanche’s inability to rouse herself from her dreamworld of illusions and magic. This use of irony isShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In Streetcar Named Desire, By Tennessee Williams913 Words   |  4 PagesA poet named Carleton Noyes once said â€Å"the human heart has always dreamed of a fairer world than the one it knows.† Humans are always yearning for something better than what we have. Many of us wants to strive for our idea of a â€Å"perfect† life and this quote by Noyes tells about the several people throughout history that have never failed to push for more and strive for better. Tennessee Williams â€Å"Streetcar named Desire† supports this idea through the use of strong literar y elements such as characterizationRead More Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay810 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams In Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire, the character of Blanche Dubois is a vivid example of the use of symbolism throughout the play. Blanche wants to view things in an unrealistic way. â€Å"I don’t want realism. I want magic†¦I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Blanche p.117). She doesn’t want reality; instead she wishes to view a rose-coloredRead More Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay example3841 Words   |  16 PagesDuring the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights such as Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to convey personal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and the setting. Williams actors have used symbolism to disguise the actuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of their conservative audience. A Streetcar Named Desire has a few complicated character traits and themes. Therefore, they have to be symbolised using figures or images Read MoreTennessee Williams Use of Imagery and Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire1197 Words   |  5 PagesTennessee Williams Use of Imagery and Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire Throughout the play symbolism is used to capture attention and to appeal to viewers emotions. It is expressed through music, colour and imagery all of which help to heighten tension and reflect the atmosphere created by an impending force. The actions involved in the development of imagery and symbolism in the characters are, for example, Blanches sitting, her whisky drinking, her jumpingRead More Symbols and Symbolism in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire794 Words   |  4 Pagesobvious symbol used in A Streetcar Named Desire is its title and the actual reference, in the play, to the streetcars named Desire and Cemeteries. They are the means by which Blanche was brought to the home of Stanley and Stella and, as the play unfolds, we realize the names of the streetcars have a greater significance. Blanches instructions were to â€Å"take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries. When Blanche first arrives she is possessed by a desire for love and understandingRead MoreTo What Extent Does Williams Present Desire as a Tragic Flaw in Scene Six of ‘a Streetcar Named Desire’1632 Words   |  7 PagesTo what extent does Williams present desire as a tragic flaw in scene six of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ In A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche’s flaws that lead to her downfall are abundant. If we are to view Blanche Dubois as a tragic heroine, then it is in scene six that her tragic flaws are especially evident, and in particular desire. They are so prevalent here as it is arguably the beginning of Blanche’s demise and as in Shakespearean tragedy; it is in the centre of the play that we seeRead MoreSymbolism Of A Street Car Named Desire And The Yellow Wallpaper1487 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism of One’s True Nature in A Street Car Named Desire and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† What is humanity s true nature? Are people basically good, or basically evil? Over the centuries, many people have tried to find the answers to these questions, to no avail. Author Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Tennessee Williams take a definite stance on the issues throughout their work, arguing that people are basically evil hiding their truths. Many times, this theme is obviously stated in the stories, but sometimesRead More The Raw Power of A Streetcar Named Desire Essay example2254 Words   |  10 PagesThe Raw Power of A Streetcar Named Desire      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williamss play A Streetcar Named Desire contains more within its characters, situations, and story than appears on its surface. As in many of Williamss plays, there is much use of symbolism and interesting characters in order to draw in and involve the audience.   The plot of A Streetcar Named Desire alone does not captivate the audience.   It is Williamss brilliant and intriguing characters that make the reader Read MoreWilliams Use of Imagery and Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire1350 Words   |  6 PagesWilliams Use of Imagery and Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire Williams uses figurative language in his lengthy stage directions to convey to the reader a deeper, more intense picture than a description alone could express. In the opening stage direction Williams illustrates the area around Elysian Fields. He uses personification to describe the warm breath of the brown river (P1). I think this creates an atmosphere that is decaying yet at the same time welcoming Read More Use of Irony in A Streetcar Named Desire and Hamlet Essay706 Words   |  3 Pages In both A Streetcar Named Desire and Hamlet, Tennessee Williams and William Shakespeare, respectively, demonstrate their abilities to create engaging plays which work on several levels in order to produce the desired effect. One of the most important characteristics of these plays is the playwrights success in using their words to create the worlds surrounding their works. Both Shakespeare and Williams effectively use irony in the aforementioned plays, both in the plot