A Streetcar Named Desire Symbolism Essay

640 Words3 Pages
In “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Tennessee Williams uses symbolism with color and light to reflect a deeper perspective of the plays main character Blanch DuBois. According to the French and adapted American definition, the name Blanche means purity and white Williams included as irony in the play. Along with the color, light is also used as a symbol specifically the light bulb. Tennessee Williams’ presentation of his main character Blanche is what made readers comprehend the story more as it unfolded. Fantasy and reality are two parallels that were the base of the whole story through the eyes of Blanche. Understanding these two key points could not be possible without the use of symbolism by the author. The title, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, reflects the story as a whole. There are many aspects that people desire in life such as prosperity, wealth. Reflecting over the main character Blanche DuBois her desire parallels with her fantasy which is to be the heart broken young lady who loves the finer things in life. As the story develops, her character evolves into the actual personality that she is outside of her fantasy world. Her desire to have youthful effervescing exterior brings…show more content…
Using white to portray her character gave symbolic meaning in both the literal and figurative sense. According to the French and adapted American definition, the name Blanche means purity and white. Tennessee’s use of the color white to reflect Blanche gave a much needed ironic feel to the story line. The irony that’s placed by this name is the fact the white and pure are both desires of Blanche that her character portrays as a façade, however, she is so much embedded on this fantasy that she lives her life accordingly to her desires. Her desire to be as pure as her name is what aids her to act the way she
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