Amani Salawu
‘Williams viewed the characters he created as ‘my little company of the faded and
frightened, the difficult, the odd, the lonely.’
Examine this view in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
INTRO:There is much evidence to accentuate William’s view that the characters he created
are his ‘little company of the faded and frightened, the difficult, the odd, and the
lonely’. Critics have argued that the play is a unique portrayal of Williams’ life experiences,
making reference to his battles with homosexuality, depression, promiscuity and
addictions. Williams is thought to have been able to identify with a fragility and vulnerability
in his characters, especially women; and uses illusions and symbolism to disguise the
backdrop of a self-destructive world.
1. ‘the faded and frightened’-Blanche
Williams once said ‘I draw every character out of my very multiple split
personality. My heroines always express the climate of my interior world at
the time in which those characters were created.’
The illusions he created are seen clearly in the characterization of the faded
Southern belle, Blanche- she is supposed to be innocent -the irony of her name
and her white clothing is employed by Williams to suggest a façade behind which
she is hiding, ‘She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice’-it is in
her inherent nature to want to fit in or fade into the background of the white ruling
class elite.
Moths are iconic examples of camouflage, actively seeking out the best hiding
places in order to not draw attention to themselves from predators. The
comparison with an insect ‘moths to a flame’- belittles her and creates this idea
that she is fragile and also possesses a self-destructive nature - Williams conveys
that B is tragically doomed. Her ‘moth-like’ movements and inability to settle- stage
direction [Blanche sits in a chair very stiffly with her shoulders slightly
hunched...she springs up ] show how difficult it is to live a lie. In a time when
homosexuality was illegal, Williams himself had to hide his true self in much the
same manner as Blanche.
She is frightened by= the new modern New Orleans and is not use to being the
outsider , perhaps this relates to William’s own personal experiences of being a
homosexual and not wanting to stand out. Scared to be in solitude-‘I want to be
near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because-as you must
have noticed-I’m not very well... [Her voice drops and her look is frightened]-
requires constant help from Stella –does not want to stay in a hotel.
A05: However, when flirting with Stanley we see her wearing ‘a red stain
robe’ which is her true colour in a play that employs colour symbolism throughout.
The vibrancy of the red suggestion passion, seduction and worst of all danger.
2. ‘the difficult’-Stella
Stella is being difficult by not accepting Stanley’s aggressive behaviour towards her
as domestic abuse and immoral. She tries to convince herself that everything
Stanley does is justified and pretends the abuse is nothing.
‘...when men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen. It’s always a
powder –keg. He didn’t know what he was doing ...He was as good as a lamb
when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself.-The imagery
of a lamb is contradictory to Stanley predatory behaviour.
She normalises Stanley’s animalistic behaviour-‘Stanley’s always smashes
things .Why on our wedding night...’ = clear signs of a despotic relationship, yet
she is adamant that in marriage you must accept and tolerate your partner’s
‘habits’
‘Williams viewed the characters he created as ‘my little company of the faded and
frightened, the difficult, the odd, the lonely.’
Examine this view in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
INTRO:There is much evidence to accentuate William’s view that the characters he created
are his ‘little company of the faded and frightened, the difficult, the odd, and the
lonely’. Critics have argued that the play is a unique portrayal of Williams’ life experiences,
making reference to his battles with homosexuality, depression, promiscuity and
addictions. Williams is thought to have been able to identify with a fragility and vulnerability
in his characters, especially women; and uses illusions and symbolism to disguise the
backdrop of a self-destructive world.
1. ‘the faded and frightened’-Blanche
Williams once said ‘I draw every character out of my very multiple split
personality. My heroines always express the climate of my interior world at
the time in which those characters were created.’
The illusions he created are seen clearly in the characterization of the faded
Southern belle, Blanche- she is supposed to be innocent -the irony of her name
and her white clothing is employed by Williams to suggest a façade behind which
she is hiding, ‘She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice’-it is in
her inherent nature to want to fit in or fade into the background of the white ruling
class elite.
Moths are iconic examples of camouflage, actively seeking out the best hiding
places in order to not draw attention to themselves from predators. The
comparison with an insect ‘moths to a flame’- belittles her and creates this idea
that she is fragile and also possesses a self-destructive nature - Williams conveys
that B is tragically doomed. Her ‘moth-like’ movements and inability to settle- stage
direction [Blanche sits in a chair very stiffly with her shoulders slightly
hunched...she springs up ] show how difficult it is to live a lie. In a time when
homosexuality was illegal, Williams himself had to hide his true self in much the
same manner as Blanche.
She is frightened by= the new modern New Orleans and is not use to being the
outsider , perhaps this relates to William’s own personal experiences of being a
homosexual and not wanting to stand out. Scared to be in solitude-‘I want to be
near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because-as you must
have noticed-I’m not very well... [Her voice drops and her look is frightened]-
requires constant help from Stella –does not want to stay in a hotel.
A05: However, when flirting with Stanley we see her wearing ‘a red stain
robe’ which is her true colour in a play that employs colour symbolism throughout.
The vibrancy of the red suggestion passion, seduction and worst of all danger.
2. ‘the difficult’-Stella
Stella is being difficult by not accepting Stanley’s aggressive behaviour towards her
as domestic abuse and immoral. She tries to convince herself that everything
Stanley does is justified and pretends the abuse is nothing.
‘...when men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen. It’s always a
powder –keg. He didn’t know what he was doing ...He was as good as a lamb
when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself.-The imagery
of a lamb is contradictory to Stanley predatory behaviour.
She normalises Stanley’s animalistic behaviour-‘Stanley’s always smashes
things .Why on our wedding night...’ = clear signs of a despotic relationship, yet
she is adamant that in marriage you must accept and tolerate your partner’s
‘habits’
