Amanda's journal #2: Streetcar Named Desire

The time and setting of the book plays a key role in this screen play. The 50’s was a time where the husband dominated their wives. However, it was developing into a type of behavior where the man had actually apologized for his actions. In Scene three and five, Stella and Stanley and Eunice and Steve all have arguments where the man does something wrong and the woman storms out of the house and yells “I’ll call the police!” In prior times, like in the 20’s or 30’s, the man would say “Suck it up” or something of that nature. However, in this time period, it seems that the man sees his faults and apologizes for them and asks the woman to return. Although the woman accepts the apology and all becomes normal again, the woman still feels obliged to accept the apology. This can be seen through a feminist’s perspective where the woman has become more dominant and the man must atone for his actions.

Throughout the first six scenes of “A Streetcar Named Desire” Blanche and Stanley have not had the best relationship. The two characters seem to despise one another and talk about each other behind their backs. Blanche describes Stanley as “…insufferably rude. He goes out of his way to offend me” (Pg 92) She also seems to use their relationship issues as an excuse to get out of their house. When Stella and Blanche were talking about expenses and her impeding on their home, she openly tells her a way she could get out. “Yes-I want Mitch…very badly! Just think! If it happens! I can leave here and not be anyone’s problem…” (pg 81)

Although Blanche seems to be a very secure person on the outside, on the inside she is not very fond of herself. Her character makes her do silly things in order to make her feel good about herself. She seems desperate to feel loved. To a young man who works for the newspaper: “Come here, I want to kiss you, just once, softly and sweetly on your mouth!” (Pg 84). She is also so-willing to marry and live with a man she barely knows. She is a static character that is often very surprising. (Although it should be expected from someone like herself)

Amanda's journal #1: Streetcar Named Desire

Having not yet read the first four scenes of “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, I wanted to find out what exactly the title means. A “Streetcar” is simply a tram car that runs on electricity and moves on tracks through the streets of a town. I figured that “Desire” would be the determination to get somewhere in a certain part of town. The cover of a man on the front looked to me like the play was set in an older time; I thought maybe in the 50’s. Also, he having no shirt on made me figure that he did not belong to a higher class in society. However, he was not poor because he was wearing a watch and a bracelet which signifies that he belongs moreover to the middle class. Perhaps it was the man working hard to obtain the wealth to travel to a distant place and he worked hard to reach his goal. The only way I would know is by reading the book…

In the first scene we were exposed to who was actually the one who was desperate to get away. The woman Blanche had problems in her hometown that were honestly quite ominous. “,the Grim Reaper had put up his tent on our doorstep!...Stella, Belle Reve was his headquarters!”. (Pg. 27) It left me wondering what had happened to Belle Reve, why her sister, Stella, had not been surprised at all about the incident and why Blanche had been the one left alive. I leaned more towards that there was some sort of illness that had killed off their family. It also seemed as though the family went through financial deficits because of all of the deaths. “Which one of them left us a fortune? Which of them left a cent of insurance even? Only poor Jessie-one hundred to pay for her coffin. That was all, Stella!” (Pg. 27) This assured me that my prior judgments about the book were correct; that they actually were middle class citizens.

Blanche seems to be a peculiar character that is vividly and outwardly abrupt in how she feels. She seems to have no problem telling people the honest truth about the world around her. However when Stanley, Stella’s husband, accuses Blanche of keeping secrets about money, she does not seem so honest anymore. “Look at these feathers and furs that she come here to preen herself in!...A solid gold dress, I believe!...Fox-pieces! Genuine fur-pieces, a half a mile long! Where are your fox-pieces, Stella?”(Pg 35) If she were truly in a financial hiatus she would not be spending an extravagant amount of money on such luxurious things.