Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay

During the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights suchas Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to conveypersonal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and thesetting. Williams actors fox used symbolism to disguise theactuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of theirconservative audience.A Streetcar Named Desire has a few complicated character traits andthemes. Therefore, they ca-ca to be symbolised victimization figures or imagesto express abstract and mystical ideas, so that the viewers can remainclueless. Williams not only depicts a clear personality of the actorsbut he also includes real-life public opinions from the past (some ofwhich are contemporary.) These opinions were likely to raisecontroversies on issues such as prejudice, social gender expectationsand men and womens roles in society.There have been numerous occasions when symbolism has taken place in AStreetcar Named Desire. Firstly, Stanley is insulted several tim esby Blanche (his sister-in-law) Stella (his beloved wife) and otherresidents of the Quarter.For example, the term animal has been perpetually spoken of, todefine Stanleys malicious and ill-natured conduct. In scene four,Blanche tries to persuade her younger sister to go elsewhere and leaveher husband. On page 163, she complainsBlanche He acts like an animal, has an animals habits Eats likeone, talks like one Theres even something - sub-human - somethingnot quite to the stage of humanity yet Yes, something - ape-likeabout him there he is - Stanley Kowalski - Bearing the raw meathome from the kill in the jungleFurthermore, when the play begins, Stanley enters the ground-floorapartm... ... of the play,Williams may be hinting that Blanche is gradually universe ruined.Perhaps her white radio being tossed out of the window tells usthat Stanley is already against Blanche and does not like the sound ofher being around.I shall conclude this essay with a brief understanding of symbolism.I t is a very helpful concept and often needed to give the audience afew suggestions. Symbolism makes people think and broadens their mindwith varieties and ideas. In A Streetcar Named Desire, symbolism hasbeen significantly used to show the roles of men and women in societyand how they expect each other to be treated. It has disguised manypossible sexual scenes therefore, Williams has succeeded intransmitting some of his themes or ideas. Some of these are sexuality,madness, jealousy, racism, cruelty, loyalty, gender relationships andconflict.