A Streetcar Named Desire

Right, here is some random stuff which might help with Streetcar. This might not be any help at all, so you may just ignore it!

Lady English - hope you can elaborate from here, bear in mind I don't have the text anymore, so can't look up things for you.

1. Look at scene endings, they always gives clues on the atmosphere/what could happen next/pointers on what a character is like.

e.g end of scene 1:
"Blanche: The boy - the boy died. (She sinks back down). I'm afraid I'm - going to be sick!

Her head falls on her arms"
- Very dramatic
- "sinks", "falls" as well as describing her action on stage describes her confidence, highlights how fragile she is
- Foreshadows a dramatic, traumatic event
- Shows how much Stanley breaks Blanche down
- Focuses on Blanche's vulnerability and her past
- Repetition shows how she is unsure

2. About Scene 5, I have notes on how 'a threatening undertone throughout the scene is created through the primary and secondary text':
- "A disturbance is heard upstairs at the Hubbels' appartment" (secondary)
- Stanley's actions and how Blanche reacts
- Weather: 'murmur of thunder', glimmer of lightning. Storm shows tension (secondary)
- How actions are performed (secondary), ie. 'clutches, grabs
- Words such as kill, daemonic, note of fear, panic

3. Themes within Streetcar:
- Blanche vs Stanley
- Feelings vs physical e.g when Stanley snatches (physical) love letters (memories), moments after Blanche meets Stanley, he bulldozes through her feelings and asks about what happened with her lover
- Feminine vs masculine e.g movements, poker game, language, clothes (pyjamas - masc., slip - feminine)
- Past vs future - Husband, Belle Reve, Shep Huntleigh, Napoleonic code, language e.g Stella Star
- Superficiality vs reality - Blanche: lies about age, romanticises about the past, furs/jewellery, judgement of others, Stanley: direct, dismisses superficiality, Napaleonic code

4. Secondary text can be the following (and more too, have a huge sheet on it), whilst primary text is the characters' dialogue
- Lighting: focus, mood, gives structure, gives time perspective, shows climax, has a visual impact, shows special effects, shows culture, status and era
- Props: Show a character, can be symbolic ie. masks, are functional, show class/status and are visual signals
- Costume: Look at colour, texture, visual impact, theme, era
- Sound: Can show mood change, give an atmosphere, show era, weather (there is a word for weather reflecting the mood - Pathetic Fallacy me thinks you mean of the scene, I used it in Jane Eyre, will find it)
- Character: Look at mannerisms, acting style, reaction to others, use of space, voice, stance, text - meaning, facial expression

I have a few more notes if people would like them, but hope they are useful for someone

Noggen means head hehe funny word Yeah it's been v helpful talking to other people about Streetcar, I'm in a really quiet class at college so no one ever talks x

It's not an offensive word is it? Because otherwise I might use it. Where does that word come from? I've just never heard it before. Lol, I was really quite and held myself in from fuming as there really were some stupid and shallow sheep in our class.

That's all amazingly helpful! Wooow can't believe you wrote so much! That's extremely kind and helpful of you I'll DEF. use some of those points in me essay. Aaaaaargh I didn't realise how much symbolism and things there were in the play, how naieve lol, thanks sooo much Really made me more confident with the text Thank you for ye troubles xxx

You're welcome! And, yes it was pathetic fallacy I really did enjoy the play, and we had a good teacher. Gah, I wished I carried on with English now, although, the other teacher didn't make me feel as confident. (I think I cried after every single one of his test essays). I have some more detailed notes on some scenes I think, but then not the whole play, as I only did 2 months of the course.

The word 'noggin', reminds me of Rosie and Jim

;console; You're really good at English. My teachers were awful. Don't have English anymore now though. The word noggin reminds me of toggles on an old bag and coats that I had and have. It also reminds me of tortoises with chunky shells.

You're welcome! And, yes it was pathetic fallacy I really did enjoy the play, and we had a good teacher. Gah, I wished I carried on with English now, although, the other teacher didn't make me feel as confident. (I think I cried after every single one of his test essays). I have some more detailed notes on some scenes I think, but then not the whole play, as I only did 2 months of the course.

The word 'noggin', reminds me of Rosie and Jim

Aaw that's such a shame you gave up english because of a teacher I gave up fine art for that reason but took graphics instead

Haha noggin from Rosie and Jim It really does sound like it is from there aaw good old R & J many a happy hours lol x

I was so glad I gave up Graphics at GCSE. Do you like it at A Level.

I am sure noggin has something to do with Rosie and Jim

Aha, good old Wikipedia:

[edit] Rosie

A joyful doll who loves Jim and Duck. She is very sure of herself and tends to take the inititive. However, Rosie is often bossy and thinks she knows more than she does. She is never seen without her collecting bag which she keeps around her neck, as it contains items that come in useful during her adventures with Jim. Her pet name for Jim is 'Noggin'.

By the way, who repped me? Thanks so much (guessing it was Lady English??)

By the way, who repped me? Thanks so much (guessing it was Lady English??)

Oooh I read this play in 10th grade. 'Twas interesting. Wasn't too fond of it though.

Neither was I to begin with. Really hated it. But then something changed...

Magical streetcar powers
I hated it at first, its enjoyable when you analyse it and the film is v good, but reading it as a book, its poop x

Lol! I have never watched the film though. So it sure must have been the magic because it the love/like for it definitely wasn't with me to begin with and definitely wasn't brought to me by my teachers or the film!