Keywords: icons in a streetcar named desire, a streetcar named desire symbols
Tennessee Williams' play A Streets Car Name Desire is a domestic drama. There is a film version of play which released in 1951 by Elia Kazan. In Tennessee Williams' play A Avenue Car Name Desire; there are extensive symbols such as, The Elysian Field, The Paper Lantern, and The Varsouviana which are being used for personality development. Besides them, there's also some metaphors such as, The Light plus the Music.
In this research paper, firstly I'll examine the icons in the play and how they used for identity development. Especially, how Blanche's identity development is molded by them. Then, I'll verify the metaphors which are used in the play. Metaphors' definition and their effects on character development are examined by giving example passage from the play. Last but not least, I'll conclude with my viewpoint to these icons and metaphors' effects on figure development.
The Elysian Field is a place that folks go to after loss of life like paradise in Greek Mythology. Blanche lost herself in Laurel; she comes New Orleans to find her elysian field. When we look at Blanche's life before arriving to New Orleans, we see that she lost her all possessed. She considers that she will be happy in a new town with her sister. The Elysian Field is a new place on her behalf to forget her past. I think Blanche could not find the image of Elysian Field which she imagines because the homes have very poor style. They can be mostly weathered greyish and with rickety outside actors. When she first comes to her sister's home, she is shocked. We can see it initially of play:
Blanche comes nearby, carrying a valise. She looks at a slide of paper, then at the building, on the other hand at slide and again at the building. Her expression is one of the shocked disbelief. (Williams 5)
The Newspaper Lantern symbolizes Blanche's damage. Blanche is worried of the light. She does not want anybody to see her real appearance. In naked light, she seems very old. She wants to be looks as a lady but her past and her time do not enable it. When Mitch pulls from the paper lantern from the light, it causes Blanche's downfall. Mitch would like to learn real storyline of Blanche because he heard something about Blanche from Stanley. As the newspaper lantern addresses the light, it addresses Blanche's history as symbolic.
The Varsouviana is the polka music that played the night of Allan's loss of life. The music plays when Blanche remembers about Allan. It symbolizes Blanche's loss of innocence. There can be an example talk in world six which ultimately shows this icon:
We danced the Varsouviana! All of a sudden in the center of the dance the boy I needed married broke from me and ran out of the casino. Several moments later-----a shot! (Williams 115)
This music helps Blanche to assume her past while she is discussing Allan with Mitch. On this mutual conversation between Blanche and Mitch, music has different level relating to character's manners. For instance:
The Polka halts abruptly. Blanche goes up stiffly. Then, the Polka resumes in a significant key. Mitch gets up awkwardly and moves toward her just a little. The polka music boosts. Mitch stands beside her. (Williams115)
Stanley throws a offer of beef to Stella. It symbolizes Stanley's barbarity. This symbol helps us to understand that Stanley is a rude man. Stanley does not give or hand it to Stanley.
He heaves the offer at her. She cries out in protest but handles to get it: then she laughs breathlessly. Her partner and his partner have already started back nearby. (Williams 4)
The meat also symbolizes the intimate romance between Stanley and Stella. The meats gives Stanley sexual pleasure. Stella's capturing the beef show her blind love and sexual emotions to Stanley.
The lack of Belle Reve symbolizes Blanche's agonizing loneliness. There is no place for Blanche to remain except at a hotel. Blanche happens as a destroyed girl in New Orleans. She sold everything. It shows us Blanche's despair. The loss of Belle Reve triggers a conflict between Blanche and Stanley. Stanley desires his wife's talk about from Belle Reve. He will not believe that Blanche's lost of Belle Reve. As it sometimes appears, this symbol affects characters' behaviors to one another.
The son in landscape 5 is seen as symbolic of Blanche's own innocence at onetime that was corrupted by others. "Blanche lets the son leave the apartment finally, his innocence intact (aside from a kiss), as, it could be said, she'd like her own innocence left intact. " The son reminds the high school young man in Laurel who triggered Blanche to lose her professor job. Blanche's own innocence was corrupted by others. As Stella says to Stanley, "You didn't know Blanche as a girl. Nobody, no person, was sensitive and trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, and forced her to improve. " (Williams 136)
Allan Gray is a symbolic figure. The storage of him symbolizes sometimes bad sometimes good memory. Blanche enjoys him quite definitely. But he betrays her with a guy. The loss of life of Allan Gray causes Blanche's mental condition. As I before talk about, Allen wiped out himself as they are dancing.
Playing Poker shows Stanley's electricity over his wife and Blanche. While Blanche is taken away, he wins the overall game at the same time. As Daniel Brooks mention,
Significantly, the game displays the dynamics of the play's four main characters. Just like the turned-up wild credit card, Blanche DuBois arises at Elysian Fields and immediately effects the lives of Stanley, Mitch, and Stella. Both stand to get something if things go their way, so they "play" Blanche to their best advantage, as if she were a outrageous cards in a texas holdem game.
Stanley manages to lose his control when he performs poker along with his friends. When women come to home, he gets furious. If we look the game from Mitch's point of view, we can say that he comes to play for a different purpose. After he satisfies with Blanche, he involves see her.
In some moments, Blanche drinks liquor. Alcohol helps her get rid of bad memory. When she wines a glass of alcohol, she feels herself well.
Mexican woman is seen as symbolic of loss of life. She sells bouquets for the useless. When Blanche hears and considers her, she actually is afraid of fatality. This woman impacts Blanche incidentally of reminding fatality.
When wee go through the metaphors in the play, they help to develop persona development. The Light is utilized as a metaphor for fact. Blanche uses equipment and lighting for expressing her thoughts. She is frightened of daylight. She feels that daylight shows her years. Light symbolizes the truth. Blanche escapes from reality. She is frightened of seeming old. She desires to reside her thoughts world. As Blanche says to Mitch,
I don't want realism. I'd like magic. Yes, yes, magic. I make an effort to give that people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't inform truth, I notify what should be truth. If that is sinful, then let me damned for it! --- Don't flip the light on! (Williams 145)
Blanche views Allan Grey her bright light. After his suicide, she believes that she lost her stunning light. Bright light exhibit her lovely feelings with Allan Grey. Also light point out her prefer to illusion over actuality. Blanche is a sufferer of her own self-delusions. She desires to protect her ego. She is situated to people as covering herself with dim light. Dim light shows her fragile. In the very beginning of the play, there can be an explanation, "Her sensitive beauty must avoid a solid light. There is something about her uncertain manner" (Williams 5)
Williams uses bath as a metaphor for many conditions. For Stanley, Stella and Blanche, it has different meanings. For example; Bath is wonderful for calm down anxious for Blanche. She also goes bath to wash away her sins. We are able to say these baths show us Blanche would like to reduce her ugly history.
Bath in addition has same interpretation for Stanley. After he argues with Stella, he would go to bathtub for his anxious calm down. In the poker night time, his friends eliminate his to bathtub. Stanley realizes that he is better than his partner while he is under this inflatable water.
In Tennessee Williams' play A Road Car Name Desire; there are extensive icons such as, The Elysian Field, The Newspaper Lantern, plus the Varsouviana which are being used for identity development. These icons and metaphors usually influence Blanche's characterization. Every icon and metaphor shows Blanche's different really wants to us.
