9853018 Jade 林 玉 The Self-revelation of Tennessee Williams in A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams , the writer of A Streetcar Named Desire

Most of the time in his life went into the perpetual struggle against lunacy and work.his mental disorder resulted from his sister Rose and family background. However, hard-working for him was to release his mental suffering rather than paralyzing it. It was a curable way for Tennessee Williams that writing about his own experiences could make him feel satisfied.

A Streetcar Named Desire is not only a simple dramatic text, but is a revelation about something in Tennessee Williams’s life.The world in script of Streetcar is very pessimistic and helpless, and there were many critical issues in it, like homosexual, nymphomaniac, and the self-value of women. Everything in the play is not absolutely in playwright’s life, but it can’t be denied that something in the play is the true reflection of the playwright.

Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Blanche Dubois, the heroine in Streetcar, is the most symbolic character for Tennessee Williams’ alter ego. Her husband killed himself by gun after Blanche found out he was a bisexual and told him how much he disgusted for his wife. Belle Reve that she inherited from Dubois family, had almost declined because of the excessive desire of the Dubois men, the great cost for sickness and dying that finally let Belle Reve bankrupted..

A Polish middle class man that works as an auto parts salesman. He is a forceful and aggressive character throughout the play.

Stanley’s figure could refer to Tennessee Williams’ father－Cornelius, whose drunken brutality to Edwina(Tennessee’s mother) just as Stanley’s violence to Stella. Blanche tried to persuade her sister to leave the madman. And Stanley considered Blanche as a unwelcome intruder, who interfered in his relationship with Stella.

 Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Kim Hunter as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.Stella is rejoined with her sister Blanche, when she comes to stay with Stella in New Orleans after losing their childhood home, and as she slowly gets sucked into a whirlwind of insanity.

Karl Malden as Mitch in A Streetcar Named DesireOne of Stanley 's Poker buddies .Mitch is different than Stanley and his friends in that he dresses and acts much more properly and lives with his sick mother whom he takes care of. Malden is perfect in the role being an excellent foil against Marlon Brando's Stanley. 

Stanley and Stella, the typical husband and wife in America Old South

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0p0F_iH8&feature=g-vrec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoj2ywRLJRw&feature=related

Blanche and Mitch, fallen in love with each other at first. After Mitch knew Blanche’s scandal in her past, they broken up.

Stanley exposed the fact about Blanche’s past, separated her from Mitch, and raped her.Blanche spent the rest of her life in the asylum in the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxGN29njs3Q&feature=related

Blanche and Rose both spent the rest of their life in the asylum . But, Stella didn’t left Stanley in the end(this ending according to the script written by Tennessee Williams), just like Edwina never left Cornelius.Tennessee Williams has both indicated he couldn’t stand up for his sexual orientation under the heterosexual power and the weakness of his mother, who still stayed with his father to endure the domestic violence . Just as Kazan said that “ the overtly patriarchal system of the old South where a woman’s survival was dependent on her ability to attract and hold a male protector ”Stanley and Cornelius won in the society at that time.Blanche and Rose became the sacrifices of this system .

How Williams revealed his life and mental suffering in Streetcar.

The self-revelation of Tennessee Williams in Streetcar

Tennessee Williams not only revealed his guilty for Rose, but expressed the great fear of excessive desire of himself in it. Blanche’s miserable experience achieved pity from the audience (strangers). The desire, the common weakness of human nature, let her become a tragic character in the story.Just like Blanche said “She has always depended on the kindness of strangers” in the end.(Williams,2000,scene11,p564) Tennessee Williams was also repressed by social systems, values and religion, sought mildness and sex what he thirsted for from strangers, and frightened that excessive desire would swallow up himself. He really tried to achieve the kindness of the audience by Blanche.