A Streetcar Named Desire

A detailed Summary of A Streetcar Named Desire


Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is mastery of the use of lighting, setting, and sound to add to emotion and meaning to a play. Throughout the play, he uses different appearances to convey characters and enhance the importance of actions and dialogue. Williams constantly changes what the audience hears and sees to control their response to the action taking place in the play. By using different sounds, lighting, and settings, Williams is able to add to the emotional impact of the play.

Music and sound effects often make up as much of the emotion in the play as the characters' actions and words. Towards the end of the play, the "Varsouviana" begins to play more often. As the reader knows, that was the song playing at the time that Blanche's husband shot himself. By it playing in her mind more often, it shows that the state of agony in which she is living is increasing. Other sounds begin to increase in frequency as well as volume. When Stanley "clears the table" it shows his anger at the moment as well as the anger built up towards Blanche throughout the play. Stanley's built up rage could have just as easily been expressed with shouting alone, but the addition of dishes smashing against the wall add to at


It seems that the minor details of music, sound effects, lighting, and setting were actually some of the most important points of A Streetcar Named Desire. By paying close attention to these fine points, the reader or audience member can actually draw much more meaning from the play. Williams obviously put much time, effort, and thought into the way a person perceives what he/she is actually seeing and hearing and worked to complete the emotional possibilities of the play. By working this hard, he has made his play much more interesting to the watchful observer.

mosphere of anger. Williams utilizes the fact that blues piano is very flexible and, therefore, used it in a variety of situations. In the beginning of the play, it expresses the "the spirit of the life" in New Orleans while later on, it just as easily coincides with difficult times. It is clear to see that the sounds and music of the play add to the meaning of scenes and dialogue.

The setting and surrounding area of the play add to vibrancy of the play and the characters' emotions. When the two-room apartment is first described, it gives off the feeling of being a nice place to live. As Blanche is introduced and begin

Some common words found in the essay are:
Named Desire, Stanley Stella, Steve Eunice, streetcar named, throughout play, Streetcar Named, characters mood, music sound effects, streetcar named desire, hide age, emotional impact, meaning play, play add, bright light, dialogue williams, goes mitch,

Approximate Word count = 808
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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