A Streetcar Named Desire
(Tennessee Williams)

Desire

As the name implies, desire emerges as a key theme in the play. Desire is the name of the New Orleans streetcar that runs to Elysian Fields, but it also refers to the deep-rooted desire of the characters in the play, most especially that of Blanche. Blanche frequently refers to her sexual and physical desires, but desire is also present in a more metaphoric sense. Blanche desires to fit in and be wanted. She also yearns to hold onto her youth and the wealth and comfort in which she was raised. In fact, all of the characters in the play yearn for something that is just out of reach for them.

Economic Status

In A Streetcar Named Desire, there is a clear class distinction between Blanche and the neighbors of Elysian Fields. Throughout the play, this economic distinction becomes a source of tension and trouble. Even though Blanche is essentially broke after losing Belle Reve, she continues to put on airs and present herself as wealthier, and thus more prominent, than Stanley and his peers. Through Blanche’s clash with the rest of the characters, Williams explores and calls into question the idea of economic means as a marker of societal status.

Domestic Violence

Early in the play, Stanley hits Stella after a night of drinking and poker playing. Blanche is appalled by this behavior and wants Stella to move out, but Stella comes back to Stanley within the night. Stella can’t understand why Blanche is making such a hot deal out of nothing, and, through her reaction, we infer that this kind of violence has happened before in her relationship. Later, Steve strikes Eunice during a fight, and she threatens to call the police. The recurrence of violence in the play speaks to a greater societal problem in many American families.

The Old South

Blanche is a stereotypical Southern belle, and her mentality and upbringing on an old white-owned plantation are representative of the old South. Blanche’s sister Stella, on the other hand, left Belle Reve to marry a New Orleans man Blanche finds “common.” Stanley, who is much more direct and brusque than Blanche, represents a more industrial and modern mentality in the South. Blanche’s and Stanley’s various confrontations are indicative of the changing cultural landscape of the South and the shaky relationship between old school southerners and newer transplants.

Dependence on Men

Stella and Blanche are decidedly different people, but both rely on their male counterparts and look to men for validation and support. Stella is madly in love with Stanley, despite the fact that he beats her and disrespects her. And Blanche frequently refers to her need to be accepted and appreciated through intimate relations with men. She also ultimately desires to marry again in order to reach a new level of security. Neither woman feels confident enough in herself to be independent in the world; as such, both are examples of the existing gender imbalance between men and women.

Addiction

There are subtle but significant references to addiction and substance abuse throughout A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche takes secret shots from Stanley’s liquor cabinet and then lies about her tolerance and how much she wants or has had. Her dependence on alcohol is made more pronounced by her anxiety and the way in which alcohol seems to calm her nerves. Stanley too has his own vices, especially when it comes to poker playing and gambling. Through them as well as the other characters, Williams comments on the role of substances and addiction on the human psyche: people act differently and more extremely under the influence of alcohol.

Death

Even though all the characters are relatively young and none of the main characters die in the play, death is still a constant undertone in A Streetcar Named Desire. According to Blanche, the reason she lost Belle Reve was due to the funeral expenses the family incurred when many family members of her parents’ generation passed around the same time. She is also still scarred by the death of her young husband, who committed suicide after Blanche discovered he was homosexual. Blanche’s fear of death manifests itself through her fear of aging and constant lying about her real age.

Fantasy vs. Reality

As the play progresses, Blanche’s grasp on reality becomes more skewed. She lies about her life in Mississippi in the two years prior to visiting Stella in New Orleans. Blanche also believes a former suitor named Shep is coming to rescue her and bring her out of poverty. As Blanche’s condition declines, it is harder for the viewer to determine what happens and what she has made up. Although reality ultimately triumphs when the doctor and matron come to take Blanche away, Blanche’s fantasies allow her to deal with the sorrows life has dealt her.

Sex and Power

Sex is inextricably tied to power relations in A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche sees her sexuality as one of her only means of gaining control. She utilizes this sexuality through seducing young men such as a 17-year-old student at her school and the man who comes to the door to collect for the Evening Star. In the play, it is eventually revealed that Blanche has been selling her body at the Hotel Flamingo for the past two years. However, the tables turn in scene ten when Stanley rapes Blanche. This dramatic moment signifies a power change and Blanche’s ultimate decline into madness.

Vanity

Blanche is obsessed with her physical appearance. She takes long baths, fishes for compliments and is always wearing perfume and powdering her face. Blanche’s physical vanity and fixation on making herself look good masks her greater insecurities about her age, fading beauty, and low self esteem. In A Streetcar Named Desire, vanity is a vehicle through which more serious issues such as anxiety and loneliness are revealed and explored.