During the time when this play was set, the idea of the 'New Woman' emerged which had a huge impact on feminism and helped women move towards more of a semblance of equality. They had more liberal and relaxed attitudes towards sex and many would discuss is more freely like Stella.

An example of this is Mae West (mentioned by Mitch when he holds a statue of her after their date). She was a television star who often made light hearted sexual innuendos and made jokes and comments mocking the prudish nature of Old American traditions.

La Dame aux Camelias is referred to on page 70 which was written by Alexandre Dumas which is about a romantic but illicit love affair- allusion to hers with the student?

The Southern Belle is an emblem of the morally conservative Deep South upper classes- often likened to almost a system of aristocracy.

Williams began writing the play in 1945 but it was first performed in 1947.

The play was originally called 'The Moth', 'Blanche's Chair in the Moon' and the 'Polka Night'

Stanley was originally depicted in different ethnicities like Italian and Irish but ended up as Polish so he could represent the American Dream as someone from a different culture who made it to/in America.

The American Civil War took place in 1861-5. The South was defeated by the North and some critics consider Blanche and Stanley's conflict to be a metaphor for this. Much of the conflict was centred around slavery and when the South were defeated, many plantations like Belle Reve struggled to survive.

The Second World War took place between 1939-45 with America joining the war in 1941. Many American men (such as Stanley and Mitch) would have fought in it and they returned buoyant and confident and ready to embrace the post-war economic boom.

At uni Williams studied Chekhov and Ibsen. Both are early modernists. Williams could be described as a late modernist. Modernism was influenced by social changes such as war and industrialisation.

Elysian fields in Greek Mythology is a resting place for dead heroes. Perhaps Stanley, through his war efforts and family's success in assimilating into America, could be seen as a hero- also links to Blanche's obsession with death

Although “Stella” means star, the sole character in the play who looks up at the sky is Blanche. She is interested in astrology but despite the parallel with her own situation, she fails to read the signs of her destiny. Her tragic blindness is all the more ironic as the omen is inserted by Williams just before the peripeteia—in the next scene Stanley goes on the attack to eliminate his enemy. Blanche trivialises the myth of the seven daughters of Atlas, who were pursued relentlessly by the mighty hunter Orion until they were all translated to the sky. Both constellations rise in May and set in November, which is the approximate span of the play.

Williams gives a symbolic name to the local night club, whose music pervades the entire play. “The Four Deuces” combines a reference to the quartet of main characters with an allusion to card games and to bad luck—the deuce being the lowest card in the deck—thereby reinforcing the fateful import of the metaphoric poker game. Derived from the Latin word “Deus,” “Deuce” is also used in interjections as a synonym for the Devil. Stanley, the master of Elysian Fields, who “plays the deuce” with Blanche—that is to say brings her to harm—has a symbolic name.“Kowalski” means “blacksmith” in Polish, and as such, is evocative of Hades, the chtonian god of the underworld.

The myth of Orpheus is synonymous with nostalgia, which combines the idea of suffering with that of an impossible return. Although she claims to be “adaptable to circumstances", Blanche remains faithful to the ideals of a bygone age and to the memory of the old plantation, “that great big place with the white columns". The description and the name “Belle Reve” suggest less a real place than the emblem of a mythicised ante-bellum South

Tennessee Williams was born in the southern state of Mississippi, where Belle Reve is supposed to be located. The next state to the west is Louisiana which includes New Orleans where the play is set.

Williams' father was descended from the Huguenots. They were french protestants who had to leave France in the 17th century due to persecution. Many settled in the south of America.

His mother and father did not have a happy life so he was used to living in a household of tension. Edwina resented having to leave their home in Mississippi for Cornelius' work and the loss of status they suffered.

His sister Rose suffered mental illness (depression). Some critics have suggested Blanche is based on her. In 1937, Rose was committed to a mental hospital. After accusing her father of rape, a pre-frontal lobotomy was performed on her.

Williams was homosexual and had a long term relationship but like Blanche was very promiscuous and didn't believe in fidelity.

Williams underwent intensive psychotherapy to free himself of his obsession with madness and death.

Like Blanche, Williams was an alcoholic and suffered depression, he was also addicted to tranquillisers. He too was admitted to a mental hospital later in his life, he died in 1983 after going to bed with wine and drugs.

Chekhov wrote a play called 'The Cherry Orchard' which shows a similar depiction to the decaying Belle Reve.

Williams was strongly influenced by Expressionist playwrights which gave way to 'Plastic Theatre' which was a phrase coined by Williams to describe the unrealistic and inventive use of stage craft.

New Orleans, according to Williams, symbolised 'artistic and sexual freedom' Williams first visited in 1938.

Where he lived in New Orleans he regularly saw two streetcars pass by, one called 'Desire' and the others 'Cemeteries', which he thought summed up the journey of life.

New Orleans was a melting pot of American, French, Mexican and African cultures and was a symbol for racial diversity living harmoniously. Williams considered New Orleans to be carefree and fun-loving and unconventional.

Polish immigrants would have been uneducated and labourers. Therefore they would have been working class. This adds class tension to the relationships between Stanley would be an emblem of the rising working class (proletariat) and Blanche of the doomed bourgeoisie.

Homosexuality was illegal for much of Williams' life. It was tolerated in New Orleans as it was more liberal but still it is thought that he hated being a homosexual and struggled to accept his sexual orientation.

"decked herself out in a somewhat soiled and crumpled white satin evening gown and a pair of scuffed silver slippers with brilliants set in their heels"-1, 5, 6

"Physical beauty is passing. A transitory possession. But beauty of the mind richness of the spirit and tenderness of the heart...aren't taken away, but grow! Increase with the years!"- 1, 3, 5, 6, 7

"Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable. It is the one unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing of which I have never, never been guilty."- 1, 3, 5, 6

"But I have been foolish- casting my pearls before swine!"- 1, 2, , 4, 5, 6, 7

The use of the 'blue piano' demonstrates the cyclical structure of the play in that it starts and ends with the same backing music - showing perhaps Blanche starts off the play lonely and continues through her story of her life and her need for companionship.

Locomotives: Stanley is associated with the locomotive- modern, powerful, raw, impressive- they represent Stanley who brings down Blanche by unmasking her truth. In every scene where truth is exposed about Blanche, the locomotive is more present. It can also be seen as symbolic of her desire to escape. A symbol of industrialisation and modernisation

The jungle noises, the Varsouviana, the locomotive noises etc all contribute to the sense of drama and tension on stage.

The main use of Expressionism in the play is the music, the music plays a vital part in building and releasing tension within the play along with documenting Blanche's descent into fantasy throughout the whole play.

"Our ways of life are too different. Our attitudes and our backgrounds are incompatible"- 7

"Lurid reflections appear on the walls around Blanch. The shadows are of a grotesque and menacing form."- 1, 3, 5, 6. 8

"The night is filled with inhuman voices like cries in a jungle. The shadows and lurid reflections move sinuously as flames along the wall spaces."- 1,4, 6

"He picks up her inert figure and carries her to the bed. The hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly"- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

"To hold front position in this rat-race you've got to believe you are lucky"- 3, 4, 7

"Bathing" "I have just washed my hair" "I'm not sure I got the soap out" "old Madonna pictures. Are these grapes washed?" "That doesn't mean they've been washed...they're the only clean thing in the Quarter"- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

"I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley." "Don't ever believe it."- 2, 3, 5, 6,

"She has a tragic radiance in her red satin robe following the sculptural lines of her body. The "Varsouviana" rises audible"- 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8

"the unmistakable aura of the state institution with its cynical detachment"- 3, 4, 6, 8

"lurid reflection appear on the walls in odd, sinuous shapes. The "Varsouviana"" is filtered unto weird distortion accompanied by the cries and noises of the jungle."- 1, 6

"He seizes the paper lantern, tearing it off the light bulb and extends it towards her. She cries out as if the lantern was herself"- 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

"Whoever you are- I have always depended on the kindness of strangers"-1, 3, 6, 7, 8

"it is wrapped in a pale blue blanket"- 3, 4, 7

"she sobs with inhuman abandon...he kneels beside her and his fingers find the opening of her blouse"- 2, 3, 4, 7

"This game is seven-card stud!"- 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Blanche is an allegorical emblem of the Old South and Old South culture and values who is pitted against Stanley who is an emblem of the New South and New South ways of living. The allegorical war between the conflicting characters is a theme that runs through the whole play.

Belle Reve is a symbol of pre-civil war, almost aristocratic society. The name is again of French origin and means beautiful dream, which again emphasises Blanche’s tendency to cling to her illusions. The term suggests an illusion, which is not quite true, for the plantation really once existed. On the other hand, beautiful dream suggests that something beautiful, which has once existed, faded away. Therefore, the name’s symbolic meaning became true. But in contrast to Blanche’s other illusions, this is the only one that ever truly existed, and it s the only one that Stella and Blanche are both connected to, because it is their heritage, and it was real. However, looking more closely at the name, it reveals that there is a grammatical mistake. The adjective belle is feminine, but it should be masculine, for reve is masculine. Tennessee Williams probably did this on purpose and not by mistake, because it underlines the fact that Belle Reve was just a dream which crumbled. The grammatical mistake also implies a certain imperfection, which is also apparent and true for Blanche’s beautiful dream, her net of lies and false illusions.

Light- light and darkness represent truth and lies, Blanche's aversion to light is indicative of her tendency to cling to illusions and avoid the truth- to cultivate a fantasy world that is easier to live in than reality. He is very down to earth and realistic and displays this with his brutal honesty. For Stanley, the bright light exposes everything for what it is. He can only accept a literal truth, which can be experienced by his fanatic investigation of Blanche’s past.

In the first scene, Blanche is compared to an animal: “There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth” (Williams 117). Both butterflies and moths start life as ugly caterpillars and only later transform into something more beautiful. The butterfly and cocoon symbol reflects Blanche’s attempts to re-create herself and, so to speak, spring forth a new, beautiful person from her cocoon of lies. In contrast to the butterfly, who lives during daytime, the moth mainly lives during the night, which makes it a creature of the darkness, and the butterfly one of the light. As already mentioned above, the butterfly leaves the dark cocoon to live in the light, but the moth stays in darkness for that is the time when it is feeding. This can be adapted to Blanche as it seems as though—contrasting with her name—it is her fate to live in the darkness, which symbolises ignorance. Blanche does not find a way out: at the end of the play she is being taken away to the mental institution, which means that she finally does not conquer her fate.

Stella's name- Stella is a Latin term which simply means star. Stars in general are considered to be the light which breaks through the darkness. Considering that light is the opposite of darkness, and darkness itself stands for not-knowing and intellectual dullness, the stars can be regarded as reality and knowledge shining through ignorance. Stars can also be a symbol for high ideals or goals set too high. Stella represents Blanche’s ideal concerning the fact that she is leading a contented life. The deeper significance of her name reveals her role in the play. The symbol of a star suggests light, hope and stability. This is quite a good description of her role and her position in the play. Stella is the connection between Blanche and Stanley, the two major characters, because she contains character traits of both of them, and can therefore relate to them better than anyone else can. Therefore she can be considered to be the stabilising element of the play. She is the negotiator between the two so very different characters.

Blanche's name- ]Since the colour white stands for purity, innocence and virtue, the symbolism of Blanche‘s first name reveals these qualities, which stand in contrast to her actual character traits. The name suggests that Blanche is a very innocent and pure person, but throughout the play it becomes obvious that Blanche cannot call any of these traits her own. Only the illusory image which she tries to create for herself suggests these traits, but her true nature is not like that at all. She constantly tries to hide her embarrassing past from all of her new acquaintances, because she fears that they might not accept her anymore. In order to maintain her apparent social status among her new neighbours and friends, she builds this intertwined net of lies which creates a false image of herself. She herself believes in this imaginary world, and as soon as there is the slightest sign of its destruction, she seems to be lost, and her nervous condition worsens. Therefore all she cares about is to keep that image alive. Her first name is therefore quite ironic since it means the exact opposite of Blanche’s true nature and character.