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A Streetcar Named Desire Character Analysis

990 Words4 Pages
Written at the end of World War II, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams features changes in society that have occurred as a result of war. Williams, however, being from Mississippi, was more affected by the American Civil War. The South suffered economically after being defeated by the Northern states, thus contributing to Williams writing about the South with an air of decay and romantic detail. The urbanisation of that followed was heavily featured in the play, and is incorporated through Williams’ representation of his characters. Williams makes use of the ostracisation of Blanche 's character, a portrayal of the pre-industrialised South in the play, by the characters from New Orleans, who represent the urbanised world, to highlight the economic and social changes the United States was undergoing. He does this through the out-of-place presentation of Blanche’s character, her conflict with Stanley Kowalski, and her sense of delusion and reluctance to accept the reality of the new Southern world. Blanche DuBois is presented as a fish out of water in the setting of New Orleans through her physical appearance, customs and behaviour in order to give the audience an immediate perception of what her character represents. In a scene direction in the first scene of A Streetcar Named Desire, it is said that “her appearance is incongruous to the setting” and that she was “dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and
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