Thematic Touchstones of Streetcar Named Desire

Scene three begins in media res with the descriptive stage directions of a brightly coloured kitchen. The scene is illustrated in a “lurid nocturnal brilliance” represented by a picture of Van Gogh’s, a billiard-parlour. This painting, most probably “The Night Café” is known for its vivid brilliance of colours, but the blinding glare of yellows and reds are a negative semblance to the painting that presents several isolated figures. This use of a painting associated with the problems of alcoholism as well the figures of solitude mirror the characters of Stanley’s poker night.

The depiction of the scene features many intense colours that represent the theme of modernity with the “yellow linoleum” and “vivid green glass shade”. Williams delineates the North and its characteristic lifestyle with the use of bright colours and the use of “linoleum” as a symbol of modernity. Whilst focusing on the modern environment, Williams also touches on the tragic, human hardships that are recurrent through modern America. For example Mitch expresses his pain in solitude as he considers his future:

“You are all married. But I’ll be alone when she goes. – I’m going to the bathroom”

Stanley mocks Mitch for his tenderness, by retorting unwittingly “Hurry back and we’ll fix you a sugar tit”. Stanley’s ignorance leaves him unaware of the psychological angst that imposes itself on Mitch’s conscience. This fear of isolation is vital to the play to signify the negative properties of the new modern world. The existential angst is augmented by Mitch’s hesitation before he moves to the bathroom, repeatedly used as a position of security where he meets Blanche, another victim of the modern world.

Blanche’s constant, erratic emotional behaviour mirrors the theme of existential angst as she struggles to adapt to the modern North lifestyle. Like Mitch she retires to the bathroom for composure (“My nerves are in knots. Is the bathroom occupied?”). However Blanche is unable to alter her characteristic temperament to exist in the modern milieu, but instead falls into tragic psychological instability. She fervently endeavours to control her emotional situation (“Oh, let me think, if only my mind would function!”). Blanche uses her vanity to prove her sanity although her obsession implies her mental condition:

“I feel so hot and frazzled. Wait till I powder before you open the door. Do I look done in?”

This vanity reveals temporary neurosis as Blanche repeatedly frets about her appearance and her future. Her appearance is important to her as she uses her feminine assets to seduce men, which she reveals is the only way she feels she can prove her existence. This existential angst coupled with the modern hardships occupy her thoughts as she attempts to coexist with contrasting personalities like Stanley and Stella who signify the theme of domestic violence.

Stella and Stanley are described as a loving couple. However Stanley with his chauvinistic nature is used to focus on the disastrous consequences of alcohol induced violence. He dominates with his physical presence like an autocrat, using many imperatives to impose his wille zur macht upon the other men at the poker table (“Shut up.” “Deal!” “Get off the table..”). His alcoholism exposes and exacerbates his sexist personality signifying domestic turmoil as an underlying theme:

“A chair scrapes. Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh”

Stanley slaps Stella’s thigh in a portrayal of lewd bawdiness. This potent gesture implies sexual superiority as Stanley exploits Stella’s subservient nature. He repeatedly predominates with his strong tone of machismo (“Why don’t you women go up and sit with Eunice”) which is indicative of the modern hardships of sexism. Later Stanley hits Stella in his drug-induced rage. This domestic violence is seen as a minor problem as Stella succumbs to Stanley’s pleas of forgiveness without much complaint. Williams displays this theme of domestic turmoil is frequent in modern America augmented by the parallel sub-plot of the stock characters Eunice and Steve to underline the occurrence of domestic turmoil in modern America.

  Similarly Williams focuses on desires and their effects on human nature, for example Stella returning to Stanley out of a desire to be loved and for sex. It appears that she is successfully persuaded to return by Stanley when he bellows her name (“[with heaven splitting violence] : STELLLAHHHHH!]”). The potent tone of masculinity represented by Stanley’s primitive animalistic howls appears to stimulate Stella, which represents her attraction to Stanley (“It isn’t on his forehead and it isn’t genius”… “It’s a drive that he has”). Again Stella consciously underlines her sexual attraction to Stanley’s overpowering sexual presence and virility:

“But there are things that happen between a man and a women in the dark – that sort of make everything else seem – unimportant”

This blatant reference to her dependence on physical love states her inability to control desires. Williams uses this example to emphasise human’s inability to deny their desires mirrored by other characters throughout the play. Sex and sexual desires are a key example recurrent through life and Williams also uses Blanche to represent this lust. Blanche attempts to seduce the Young Man, who is unaware and ignorant of her intentions. His choice of soda as “cherry” signifies his innocence and virginity where as Blanche’s “chocolate” symbolises seduction, before she attempts a less subtle approach to seduction (“You make my mouth water”). Blanche’s profane predatorial behaviour leaves her unable to control her desire for the Young Man as she forces him to kiss her. This represents humans repeated succumber to desires and mostly sexual desires.

Overall Williams focuses on the themes of modern world hardships, domestic turmoil and desire and its influential strength in love (Stella) and hate (Blanche). There are many examples where desire dominates all other rational thought and Williams uses his characters to reflect human behaviour in modern life.