The Universal Appeal of the Theme of Change and Conflict - Essay Example

 The Universal Appeal of the Theme of Change and Conflict in Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire is a story that centers around the universal theme of change and conflict between two cultures, an older one that is dying out, and a newer one that is growing. In fact, the universally timeless appeal of Streetcar due to this theme of change and conflict, especially between the old, rural South, and the new urban industrial South. The theme of change and conflict permeates and grounds the work That theme is why the play has been successfully recreated into so many forms (operas, movies, alternative casts, etc.), viewed by many different audiences and is standing the test of time in the sixty-one years since it was written and first performed. The dichotomy between the old rural South and the new urban industrial South is illustrated and supported through William’s use and depiction of upper class vs working class, fantasy and illusion vs reality, rural vs urban environments, chivalry vs brutishness, and the speech and actions of the play’s characters. All these elements and illustrations have been successfully adapted into other forms including several films, a ballet, an opera, and even provided the theme for an episode of the popular television animated series The Simpsons (Wikipedia). A Streetcar Named Desire’s main character Blanche Dubois appears on the surface to be a typical gentile Southern Woman (Alder 67-68). Both her first and last names are French, something that enhances her gentile appearance. In Act III, Blanche says. “It [Dubois] means woods and Blanch means white, so the two together mean white woods. Like an orchard in spring!” (Williams). She taught English as a school teacher in Mississippi - a respectable occupation for a Southern Belle. Blanche is visiting her younger sister Stella in New Orleans for the entire summer. She is overly concerned with her dresses, physical appearance, personal cleanliness, and “maintaining appearances” and being “proper”(King). Yet, hidden below her outward appearance is a woman who drinks, smokes, has had an affair with a seventeen year old boy, is sexually promiscuous, and whose young husband was a homosexual who committed suicide. Blanche represents the death of the old rural upper class South (Alder 67-68). As a “fallen angel”, Blanche is both a victim and a failed traditional heroine (Alder 66-67). Stanley Kowalski is Blanche’s sister’s husband. In many ways he is the antithesis of Blanche. He is a working class factory worker, gruff, enjoys poker and bowling, he drinks, is deeply and passionately in love with Stella. He is also very handsome, sensual, strong and smarter than one would assume (Alder 67). Stanley and his friends, curse, drink beer, and act violently (Williams scene 2 and 3). Audiences of the play strongly connect with Stanley, especially in the first part of the play (Alder 67). Stanley is the first character to see through the outward appearance of Blanche and to learn who she really is. This puts Stanley, who’s character represents the new industrial urban South in direct conflict with Blanche, who portrays the old upper class rural South. Stella is a bridge between the old rural South and the industrial new South - just as she is a bridge (some could say a retaining wall) between Blanche and Stanley (Winchell 171). In many ways the character of Stella represents the transition between the old upper class rural South, and the new industrial urban South (King). Stella has been able to change and adapt (Winchell 171). While Stella isn’t focused on maintaining appearances like her sister Blanche is, she is quite deferential and self-effacing as well as affectionate and level-headed (Atkinson). Howard Mitchell - “Mitch”’s romantic relationship with Blanche represents the conflict in Blanche between her outward proper, upper class, physically beautiful appearance, and her inner torrid self and past (Williams scene 2 and 3). They meet at a poker game of Stanley’s and immediately begin a romantic relationship (Williams scene 2 and 3). Mitch lives with his sick mother who he loves dearly. While he is still an urban industrial Southern man, Mitch is less common and more refined than Stanley. As long as Mitch only sees and knows the illusion of the outward appearance of Blanche he is interested in her. When he learns who she really is, by Stanley exposing all her flaws and her blemished past at Blanche’s birthday party, Mitch’s interest in her wanes (Williams scenes 7 and 8). Essentially Mitch’s character, especially his reactions to Blanche represents the death of the old rural upper class South. Williams makes extensive use of both fantasy and illusion and the contrast between fantasy and illusion, and stark reality. He does so with the extensive use of symbols as well as through the actions of the characters, particularly Blanche and Stanley. The most obvious symbols are the streetcars and street names. The streetcar named Cemeteries represents the old Blanche who has been disgraced, the identity that Blanche is coming to New Orleans to leave behind. It also represents the death of the old South, and the death of Blanche’s sanity as she is creeping towards insanity. Stella and Stanley’s street Elysian Fields represents the new life that Blanche is seeking. The new urban industrial South. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields is a place in the afterlife for deserving mortals, it is a paradise. A paradise is what Blanche is seeking in the new industrial urban South, though she does not find it as she clings too strongly to maintaining the illusion of the old gentile rural South - the dying South. Even the name of Blanche’s sister is connected to the possibility of Blanche finding this new paradise as “Stella” means “star”. Blanche is guided by and seeks the star that lives in the tenement on Elysian Fields. Williams uses the imagery of paper to illustrate illusion, artificiality, and impermanence. The deeds to the lost family estate Belle Reve are on paper (Williams). The attraction that Blanche feels for the young man collecting for the paper is also impermanent and not real. Though Blanche impulsively kisses the youth she almost immediately realizes the similarity to her disastrous affair with her student and stops her advance (Williams). Blanche uses a paper lampshade to cover the lamp so she can hide in darkness - hiding is something that she is not able to do for long as Mitch rips the shade from the lamp. During this scene Blanche states: “I’ll tell you what I want. Magic! (MITCH laughs.) Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!-Don’t turn the light on!” (Williams scene 9) “Paper Moon” - the song that Blanche sings when she is bathing also represents the impermanence and fantasy of love for Blanche. Even the marriage licence of Blanche and her deceased husband represent the illusion of their marriage as he was a homosexual (Winchell 185). The contrast between the sexually proper and restrained old South and the new sexually passionate urban South - one where men have a strong sexuality - is used frequently in A Streetcar Named Desire. Stanley is the antithesis of the old rural Southern Hero, epitomized in Gone with the Wind’s Rhett Butler. In one famous scene in Gone with the Wind “Rhett carries a protesting Scarlet up the staircase of their mansion” he then “takes her by force in what is quite literally an act of marital rape” (Winchell 172-173). On one hand Stanley acts like a traditional southern male hero, by being brutishly sexually forceful such as when he broke the lightbulb on his and Stella’s honeymoon (Winchell 172).Yet on the other hand, Stanley is lower class and lacking in chivalry (Winchell 172-173). A mixing of the classes is something that was not done in the old rural gentile South (Winchell 173). This is a new interpretation of the classic fantasy in romantic novels and works - that of men of complete domination and of women of complete submission (Winchell 173). The physical environments and settings of the illusions of the old pristine South and the new urban South are striking and serve as symbols of the illusions of the past and the reality of the new. The name of the lost family estate in the rural South - Belle Reve - literally means “Good Dream” in French. The small tenement apartment of Stella and Stanley Kowalski represent the real and ordinary life of the new urban South (Williams). In scenes four and five Blanche is disgusted by the dirtiness of the tenement and complains to her sister (Williams). She says that she wants to help Stella escape the place thus failing to realize that Stella, unlike herself, happily lives in reality (Williams scenes 4 and 5). Blanche claims to be used to maids and servants and craves luxury. The dichotomous theme of change and contrast between the old rural fantasy of the South, and the new urban industrial realism of the new South have proven to have universal and timeless appeal. Though initially opening to mixed and negative reviews, A Streetcar Named Desire quickly gained popularity to become what Atkinson in the New York Times in December of 1947 said was “by common consent, the finest new play on the boards”. The play went on to win the 1948 Pulitzer Prize - the first one for Williams (Anon 2002).Since its initial Broadway performance in 1947 the play has been staged numerous times, been adapted for film, ballet and opera, and provided the theme for other popular works (Wikipedia). Several large stage productions of A Streetcar Named Desire have been done since the initial Broadway production. There were major London productions in 1949, 1974 and 1983. Major American stage performances include several in 1973 and 1974 billed as “anniversary performances”. The play and its script continue to be popular in productions and study of universities and colleges such as Yale’s School of Drama (Anon 2002). The first film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire was done just four years after the Broadway production (Wikipedia). Directed by Elia Kazan the film starred Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh (Anon 2002). The differences between the play and the film, especially the drop of references to Blanche’s deceased husband’s homosexuality were reflections of the era - yet the story rang true and it was a box office success (Wikipedia). Two other films were also made much later - one in 1984 starring # Ann‑Margret as Blanche DuBois, Treat Williams as Stanley Kowalski, Beverly D'Angelo as Stella DuBois Kowalski, and Randy Quaid as Harold 'Mitch' Mitchell (Wikipedia). In addition to the stage productions and the film adaptations, A Streetcar Named Desire, the story has been made into a ballet in 1952 Her Majesty's Theatre in Montreal. The San Francisco Opera Company premiered the opera adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire during the 1998-1999 season. The universally timeless appeal of A Streetcar Named Desire is due toits theme of change and conflict, especially between the old, rural South, and the new urban industrial South which permeates and grounds the work The dichotomy between the old rural South and the new urban industrial South is illustrated and supported through William’s use and depiction of upper class vs working class, fantasy and illusion vs reality, rural vs urban environments, chivalry vs brutishness, and the speech and actions of the play’s characters. This theme is why the play has been successfully recreated into so many forms (operas, movies, alternative casts, etc.), viewed by many different audiences and is standing the test of time in the sixty-one years since it was written and first performed. Perhaps that is why critics have called it “arguably the finest play ever written for the American stage.” (Anon 2002). Works Cited Adler, Thomas P. Critical Reception. p 64-68 in: Crandell, George W. (ed.) The Critical Response to Tennessee Williams. Greenwood Press: Westport, CT, 1996. Atkinson, Brooks. “Streetcar Tragedy: Mr. Williams' Report on Life in New Orleans” New York Times, December 14, 1947, sec 2:3. Anon. “'A Streetcar Named Desire' comes to the Yale stage” Yale Bulletin and Calendar vol.30, no.15 (January 18, 2002).May 04, 2008 Anon. “A Streetcar Named Desire” Wikipedia (May 02, 2008) May 04, 2008 King, Kimball. “Tennessee Williams: A Southern Writer” The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 48, 1995. Williams, Tennessee and Ray Speakman. A Streetcar Named Desire Haden Hill, Jordan Court, Oxford, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1995 Winchell, Mark Royden. Reinventing the South: Versions of a Literary Region. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2006 Read More