Uses of Symbolism

A detailed Summary of Uses of Symbolism


Tennessee Williams relies heavily on symbolism, throughout his play "A Streetcar Named Desire." Three types of symbolism he uses are dialog, lighting, and manipulating music. Each type contributes to the way that the story unfolds. The symbolism creates different elements such as drama, suspense, and irony.

Tennessee Williams uses dialog to show symbolism. Throughout the play, animals and barbaric creatures are used in speech to symbolize Stanley. In scene four of the play, Blanche makes a speech about how cruel Stanley is to Stella, trying to convince Stella to leave him. In this speech she says, "He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There's even something--sub-human--something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something--ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I've seen in anthropological studies!" (p. 72) Little does Blanche know, but Stanley hears a great deal of her conversation with Stella, including that speech. It makes Stanley angry when Blanche refers to him as an animal, but later in the story when Stella calls him a pig, Stanley goes crazy, throws his plate and cup to the fl


Throughout the play, symbolism is used to increase the way that the audience feels about the characters and what is happening on stage. The symbolism can get the audience in a state of excitement, suspense, or sadness. Without the effects brought about by symbolism, the play may not have been the success that it was.

Another way that Williams uses symbolism during the play is in the lighting. Stanley realizes that almost everything Blanche has told him is a lie. Blanche appears to be trying to hide from her lies in the darkness. This is symbolic of Blanche's fear that others will discover the hidden truth about her. Throughout the play, whenever Blanche is seen by others, she is always in the dark. In the final conversation between Mitch and Blanche, Mitch tells her, "I don't think I've ever seen you in the light. That's a fact!" (p. 116) When Mitch complains about this, Blanche tells him that she likes the dark. In addition, one of the first things that Blanche does in Stella's house is put paper lanterns over all of the lights in the house.

picking up some of her bad habits. To fix his problem, Stanley buys her a ticket to go back to where she came from

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Approximate Word count = 796
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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