A Street Car Named
Desire (1947) – Tennessee Williams
Is an American psychological drama situated in the South of
America (which is very conservative) – Louisiana state – New Orleans into the
fifties of the 20th century.
The plot is placed into a shanty town[1]
of New Orleans which has even if is it a poor quarter[2]
some charm. The main plot takes a place in a two-floor, corner house number 632
at a street called Elysian’s fields. To be more precious, mainly in the firts
floor of this house in a two rooms flat of Stanley and Stella Kowalski.
It is an early evening at the beginning of May
and the atmosphere is filled by tones of a „black piano“ in the background from
a corner bar.
The main
characters are working class people:
Blanche (Dubois) – is an American women over thirty
with French roots. She used to work as a teacher of English at Gymansium in a
town called Laurel. She is a „Southern Belle“[3]
and a coquette[4].
She likes to put on nice
dresses, plays “a theatre” and makes illusion about herself. She tries
to make illusion about her age, about her virtuousness[5],
primness,[6] her
whole life. She never forgets to ask : „How do I look?“ Blanche changes the rules of Stella and
Stenley’s family and also manipulates Stella.
Stella (Kowalski)
- is Blanche’s younger
sister. Stella is 25 and is pregnant. Stella wants to leave “old tracks”of previous
life. Most of the time she tries to calm down difficult situations with her
husband or her sister.
Stanley
Kowalski – as a
Polish emigrant, housband of Stella. He is in his thirties, physically is well
builded. He is independent, knows how to enjoy his life. Stenley is a strong
person - a “Macho man.” He has dominance
over Stella but he can not control
Blanche. But Stanley very soon reveales [7]
Blanche’s real situation.
Eunice – a white women, their upstairs neighbour.
Steve – husband of Eunice. One of the
poker players .
Pablo
Gonzales - One of
the poker players.
Mitch
Harold – a young,
serious, gallant man about thirty. He is also one of the poker players. He has
seriously sick mother.
“Another characters”
Shep
Huntleigh – a mysterious
lover of Blanche from Dallas
Mr
Graves – a director
of Gymnasium
Allan – Blanche’s former lover when they
were sixteen
Mr
Kiefaber – a travelling
salesman from the town Laurel
House – lost house Belle Reve
Blanche
came into New Orleans to visit her sister Stella. Blanche was shocked by the
place where Stella and Stanley lived. Anyway, she stayed with them in their
two-rooms flat plus a bathroom.
The bathroom
played a quite important role in this novel. Blanche loved frequent bathing and
occupied the bathroom very often. What is more, after her bath she mentioned that she felt
fresh and rested and never forgot to pour face powder around her and sprayed
her perfume. One
evening when Stanley, Mitch, Steve and Pablo played at Stanley and Stella’s
place poker, Stella nad Blanche went out for dinner and drink. On their way
back the man still played poker. Blanch and Stella came in, Mitch noticed
Blanche and immediately fell in love with her. They started to date, but
Blanche still kept illusion about her personality, moreover, she never
literally showed him her real face,only in the gloom[8]. That evening also happened a verbal fight between Stanley and Blanche
because of the radio. This quarrel [9]escalated
with fling[10]
the radio through a window by Stanley. In addition, Stanley in his fury
[11]physically
attacted pregnant Stella. Stella and Blanche run upstairs to Eunice’s flat to
find a shelter. Poker man calmed down Stanley and disappeared. Stanley
suddenly figured out what he did and run in front of the house and cried Stella’s
name. Between Stanley and Stella was a sensuous[12]
connection so she slowly came down and kissed and hugged each other. Blanche a next day told off [13]Stella
and named Stanley an animal, a stinky Polish and a prehistorical man.
Meanwhile
Stanley’s patience reached its top. He got sick and tired of Blanche’s manners[14],
sick and tired of Blanche’s secret drinking his whiskey and what is more, he
finally had an argument with Stella about lost house in Bella Reve. Stanley in
his fury emptied Blachne’s suitcase and lately argued with Blanche over the “documents”
of Belle Reve. Later one late
afternoon in the middle of September Blanche had a birthday. Stella made her a
birthday cake. Stanley did not forget to ask Stella : “How many candles you
sticked on the cake?” Stella sticked only 25. Stanley when Blanche was in the
bathroom also told to Stella the real truth about Blanche. Stella did not
believe him and argued, but a bit suspicion[15]
appeared in her mind. They invited for a birthday dinner Mitch, but he did not
come. Blanch was disappointed, but on the other hand she ask Stanley to tell
them jokes. Stanley started to get angry and quickly gave Blanche his present. An
envelope with a bus ticket back to Laurel. Blanche could not hide her panic.
Stanley hardly tried to keep the truth about Blanche’s real life – identity and
the dinner finished by smashed his plate. Blanche was still naively
surprised and unexpectedly Stella got contractions. Stanley and Stella went to
a hospital. Blanche stayed alone and suddenly Mitch came. He was crossed
because of the truth about Blanche from Stanley. Stanley discovered from a travelling salesman Mr Kiefaber in Laurel that
Blanche lost her job. She had an intimate contacts with many men in a hotel in
Laurel. Futhermore, she had an intimate contact with a seventeen year old
student at Gymansium where she taught. The headmaster Mr Graves fired her
immediately. She was incapable[16]
to hold this job. Blanche started to cry and explained to Mitch nearly
everything about her life. She told him about her sad relationship with a boy
Alan when they were sixteen. She told him about Allan’s relationship with some
man and how he shot himself. Stanley came back from the hospital and that evening had again an argument
with Blanche and finally "probably" raped her. Blanche in her played illusion
started to get muddled[17].
She wore a luxury dress and told to Stanley that she got an invitation from
Shep Huntleigh to join him at a cruise. She still waited for his call… Stella came back from the
hospital with a baby and life at house 632 continued. Blanche got mental
disaster. The novel finished when a doctor and a nurse came. The man played
downstairs poker, Eunice told to Blanche that she goes to vacation. Blanche was
confused, but finally left the house with the doctor…
T. Willams with mastery described inner experiencies of
main deeply different characters, often lonely, looking for filling their
desires. He used civil – the low middle class language - connected with their work which gave the
novel very realistic character. People are formed by its background and nobody respected
each other feelings. T. Willams used an open ending.
A Street Car Named Desire
considered by many to be one of William’s greatest was awarded by the Pulitzer
Price [18]for
Drama in 1948. In 1951 the play was adapted on a movie screen
and starring Marlon Brando as Stenley Kowalski.
[1] Chudinská
čtvrť
[2] Čtvrť
[3] Jižanská
kráska
[4] Koketa
[5] Ctnost
[6] Upjatost
[8] Šero, přítmí,
temnota
[9] Hádka,
roztržka
[10] Mrsknutí,
hození, švihnutí
[11] Zuřivost,
vztek, divokost
[13] Vynadat
[15] Podezření
[16] Nezpůsobilá
[17] Popletená, zmatená
[18] The Pulitzer Prize /ˈpʊlᵻtsər/[1] is an award for
achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States. It
was established in 1917. Wikipedia
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