dramatic methods used in " A streetcar named desire"
... a King! And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it “ It is clear that Blanche’s presence seems like a threat to his authority , he needs to get rid off her, and he is delighted when he hurts her in any possible way . Blanche too seems to have reached the limit of her capacity for niceness: “I’ve said I was sorry three times!” she snaps to Stanley that she has already apologized three times for her bath, getting at the same time, frightened of Stanley . Her outburst constitutes the first time Blanche openly expresses anger in the play. Stella too becomes increasingly assertive as she begs Stanley to explain his contempt for Blanche and attempt to understand Blanche’s nature, she insists that Stanley not leave to go bowling and demands an explanation from him for his cruelty to Blanche. The actions of all three characters in this scene , especially Stanley’s cruelty, contribute greatly to the feeling of tension and conflict in this scene. This scene shows , once again, Stanley’s violence . Ironically, the violence occurs at Blanche’s birthday party, which should have been a celebration. Blanche anxiously awaits Mitch’s arrival, but both Stanley and Stella know he won’t show up. The tension is building up further. In this scene it is most noticeable that Blanche’s presence is actually destroying Stanley and Stella’s marriage: “Wasn’t it all okay? Till she showed here” , Stanley complains to Stella. This type of scene would never have occurred if Blanche had not moved in, therefore, Stanley is fighting for his marriage. Stanley gets his revenge in full measure when he presents the return ticked to Blanche, and this is when all hope that Blanche had, in changing her future disappears in one second. This becomes the breaking point in the scene and in the play in general as things are definitely not going to get better for Blanche and she now feels like there’s no escape. The baby , however, reasserts Stella’s connection to Stanley and makes Stella dependent on Stanley for help . He is once again in control as he takes her to the hospital. When we look at the setting of the scene the main things that help to create the sense of tension and emptiness that Blanche might feel. Williams creates this sense of anxiety using certain staging methods, such as the fourth place at the table , which is left vacant, since Mitch fails to arrive , reflecting Blanche’s worthlessness. The music in the background also plays a key part in the play, in describing Blanche’s emotions which contributes directly to the mood created , not only in Scene 8, but throughout the whole play. Even though it is more often associated with Stanley’s behaviour the Blue piano may also represent Blanche’s need to find a home. She is always extremely lonely and needs companionship. This music is apparent during scene one as well, when she is recounting the deaths of her family at Belle Reve and this is when we first become aware of the link between the Blue Piano music and Blanches mental state. The Varsouviana Polka represents death and loss, and Blanche’s imminent disaster, as this music is heard as she explains the suicide of her husband. In scene eight it is has the most symbolic significance as its recurrence at the moment Stanley presents Blanche with the bus ticket shows that Blanche’s world now collapses as suddenly and as completely as it did when she learned that her husband had shot himself. It is a devastating blow. It is also skilfully used by Williams in order to create dramatic conflict between Blanche’s inside and outside world as well as the two characters she is interacting with. We can notice that it appears in the background when Stanley gives her a ticket to go home, back to “Cemeteries”! Tennessee Williams also uses sexual symbolism in his play, as this is after all the main theme in his dramatic piece. There is a reminder in this scene of the nature of the sexual bond between Stanley and Stella. It is this that has been disrupted by the presence of Blanche, separated from them only by a curtain. Stanley refers to sexual pleasure as getting “the colored lights going.” As we try to follow Blanche on her journey to a better future we notice that despite the effects that reached h...