Barron's Booknotes (Drama Edition Plus)/BAR1DRAMA_4.ISO/source/bn_wgla.txt

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                                   1944 & 1947

                              TENNESSEE WILLIAMS'S
                 THE GLASS MENAGERIE & A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

                              by George Ehrenhaft
          Chairman, English Department, Mamaroneck (N.Y.) High School

                               SERIES COORDINATOR
                          Murray Bromberg, Principal,
                Wang High School of Queens, Holliswood, New York
      Past President, High School Principals Association of New York City

                                ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
         Our thanks to Milton Katz and Julius Liebb for their advisory
                      assistance on the Book Notes series

            (C) Copyright 1985 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

   ■iElectronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc.■I

CONTENTS
                               CONTENTS
                        SECTION............................ ■iSEARCH ON■I

      THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES............................. ■iWGLAAUTH■I

      The Glass Menagerie
         THE PLAY
         The Plot.......................................... ■iWGLAPLOT■I
         The Characters.................................... ■iWGLACHAR■I
         Other Elements
              Setting...................................... ■iWGLASETT■I
              Themes....................................... ■iWGLATHEM■I
              Style........................................ ■iWGLASTYL■I
              Point of View................................ ■iWGLAVIEW■I
              Form and Structure........................... ■iWGLAFORM■I
         THE PLAY.......................................... ■iWGLAPLAY■I

         A STEP BEYOND
         Tests and Answers................................. ■iWGLATEST■I
         Term Paper Ideas and other Topics for Writing..... ■iWGLATERM■I

      A Streetcar named Desire
         THE PLAY
         The Plot.......................................... ■iWSTRPLOT■I
         The Characters.................................... ■iWSTRCHAR■I
         Other Elements
              Setting/Theme................................ ■iWSTRSETT■I
              Style/Point of View.......................... ■iWSTRSTYL■I
              Form and Structure........................... ■iWSTRFORM■I
         THE PLAY.......................................... ■iWSTRPLAY■I

         A STEP BEYOND
         Tests and Answers................................. ■iWSTRTEST■I
         Term Paper Ideas and other Topics for Writing..... ■iWSTRTERM■I

      The Glass Menagerie & A Streetcar Named Desire
         The Critics....................................... ■iWGLACRIT■I

         Advisory Board.................................... ■iWGLAADVB■I

         Bibliography...................................... ■iWGLABIBL■I

AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES
                       THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES             (WGLAAUTH)
-
  The Glass Menagerie was Tennessee Williams' first successful play.
It won the New York Critics' Circle Award as the best play of the
1944-45 Broadway season. Less than three years later, A Streetcar
Named Desire opened. It, too, captured the Critics' Circle Award and
also won the Pulitzer Prize.
  With these achievements Tennessee Williams earned fame and lots of
money. He was declared one of the best modern playwrights. Had he
never written another word, his place on the roster of great artists
would still be secure. Usually, he's named with Eugene O'Neill and
Arthur Miller as one of the three leading American dramatists of the
20th century.
  That's not a bad record for a man of thirty-six. At the time,
however, Williams would gladly have given away his success. He liked
his plays, but he hated being a celebrity. Success depressed him. As a
young man who achieved great success, he suddenly missed the
challenges of life. Perhaps you can understand his reaction. Many
people who reach glory at an early age realize the emptiness of
fame. Autograph seekers depressed him. Strangers who told him "I loved
your play" annoyed him. Praise bothered him. He even suspected his
friends of false affection. And he felt constant pressure for the rest
of his life to write plays as good as Menagerie and Streetcar.
  Williams found relief from the public in a hospital, of all
places. He needed an eye operation. When the gauze mask was removed
from his face, he viewed his life more clearly, both literally and
figuratively. He checked out of his posh New York hotel and escaped to
Mexico, where, as a stranger, he could be his former self again.
  His former self was Thomas Lanier Williams of Columbus, Mississippi,
where he was born in 1911. His maternal grandfather was Columbus'
Episcopalian rector. His mother, Edwina, valued refinement and the
good manners of Southern gentry. She made sure that Tom and his sister
Rose grew up having both. His father, on the other hand, paid little
attention to good breeding and culture. He was more fond of a game
of poker and a tall glass of whiskey. A traveling salesman, he lived
out of suitcases and had little time for his children. Returning
from road trips, however, he often criticized his wife for turning
young Tom into a sissy.
                                         {AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES ^paragraph 5}
  When Mr. Williams, known as C.C., got an office job with the
International Shoe Company, the family settled in St. Louis. Rose
and Tom became city children. They played in littered alleys where
dogs and cats roamed at night. Or they holed up in a small dark
bedroom to play with Rose's prized collection of small glass animals.
  Having C.C. around the house strained everyone in the family. C.C.
fought with Edwina, disparaged Rose, and sometimes beat Tom.
Eventually, he deserted the family altogether, but not until Rose,
Tom, and a younger brother, Dakin, had reached adulthood.
  Of the three Williams children, Rose had the hardest time growing
up. During the early years she and Tom were as close as a sister and
brother can be, but in her teens she developed symptoms of insanity.
She withdrew into a private mental world. Mrs. Williams could not
accept her daughter's illness and tried repeatedly to force friends on
her. She enrolled Rose in a secretarial course, but that didn't help
Rose's condition either. Diagnosed as a schizophrenic, Rose was put in
a mental institution. In 1937 brain surgery turned her into a
harmless, childlike woman for the rest of her life.
  Tom, who loved Rose dearly, heaped blame for Rose's madness on
himself. Not even he understood why. But as he saw it, Rose's
terrors started at about the time when he began to feel the
irresistible urges of homosexuality. At the time- long before the
advent of gay rights- to be a homosexual meant being an outcast. You
were scorned and abused, and you were made to feel excruciating guilt.
Rose's condition had no bearing on Tom's self-realization, nor did his
sexual preferences trigger Rose's breakdown. Yet, the two events
became strangely interlocked in Tom's thinking.
  In the agonies of his family Williams found the stuff of his
plays. He hardly disguised his parents, his sister and himself when he
cast them as characters on the stage. Places where he lived became
settings, and he adapted plots from life's experiences. He relived the
past as he wrote. ("The play is memory," says Tom, the character in
The Glass Menagerie.) He wrote about what he knew best- himself.
Perhaps that's why the plays, although considered dream-like and
unreal, can nevertheless, like magic, give you illusion that has the
appearance of truth. They often contain an intense passion that
could come from only one source, the heart and soul of the playwright.
                                        {AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES ^paragraph 10}
  After high school, Williams went to the University of Missouri to
study journalism. His father pulled him out after two years for making
low grades and sent him to work at the shoe company. It was a dead-end
job, but it gave Tom a chance to do what he loved best- to write. He
pushed himself hard to master the art of writing. When the words
came slowly, he grew tense. He ate little, smoked constantly and drank
only black coffee. After two years his health broke. The doctor
ordered him to quit the shoe company.
  He enrolled in a play writing course at Washington University in St.
Louis. He also started to read widely in world literature. From the
Russian Chekhov, he discovered how to make dialogue reveal
character. From plays by Ibsen, the Norwegian dramatist, Williams
learned the art of creating truth on the stage. Williams owed his
fascination with uninhibited sexuality partly to the English writer D.
H. Lawrence. He also studied the works of the master Swedish
playwright August Strindberg for insights into dramatizing inner
psychological strife. Through a friend Williams discovered the
American poet Hart Crane, whose lyrical lines and brief tragic life
struck a responsive chord in Williams. In all, Williams' prolific
reading gave his own writing a boost.
  Tom finished his formal schooling at the University of Iowa. When he
left there in 1938 he adopted the name "Tennessee." Over the years
he offered varying explanations for the new name. It was
distinctive. It was a college nickname. It expressed his desire to
break away from the crowd, just as his father's pioneering ancestors
had done when they helped to settle the state of Tennessee.
  With his pen and pad he roamed the United States. Says Tom in The
Glass Menagerie, "The cities swept about me like dead leaves"- New
York, Washington, Los Angeles, Key West, Florida. Also New Orleans,
the city of streetcars, including one named "Desire." He wrote
stories, poems, even a first play that flopped in Boston.
Eventually, he landed a job in California writing screenplays for MGM.
But he despised taking others' stories and turning them into movies.
He wanted to do originals. While in Hollywood, he wrote a movie script
entitled The Gentleman Caller. When MGM rejected it, Williams quit his
job, transformed the script into a play, and called it The Glass
Menagerie. The play opened on Broadway in March, 1945, and altered
Williams' life. The years of personal struggle to make it big were
over.
  After moving to Mexico, he turned out a second masterpiece- A
Streetcar Named Desire- which reached Broadway in December, 1947. In
Streetcar, as in The Glass Menagerie, he shaped the story from his own
experience. If you combine Williams' mother, the genteel and prudish
Southern lady, with Rose, the fragile sister, you get Blanche.
Williams knew firsthand what happens when a brute like Stanley clashes
with a refined lady like Blanche. He saw it almost daily in his
parents' stormy marriage.
                                        {AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES ^paragraph 15}
  After Streetcar Williams turned out plays almost every other
season for thirty-five years. According to critics, though, after
the 1940's Williams never again reached the heights of Menagerie and
Streetcar. He reused material and seemed continually preoccupied
with the same themes and with characters trapped in their own
private versions of hell. Although many later plays lacked
freshness, others were smash hits and have since joined the ranks of
the finest American plays. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof won drama prizes in
1955, and Night of the Iguana earned honors in 1961.
  Because of movies, however, the titles of some of his plays, such as
Suddenly Last Summer and The Fugitive Kind have become familiar,
even to people who have never seen a Williams stage play. Some
Williams plays (and movies) caused a sensation because they deal
with homosexuality and incest, topics that had been more or less off
limits on the stage and screen until Williams came along. People
flocked to Williams movies to see stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard
Burton and Paul Newman. In the film of A Streetcar Named Desire,
Marlon Brando and Vivian Leigh gave magnificent performances as
Stanley and Blanche.
  All of Williams' plays illustrate a dark vision of life, a vision
that grew dimmer as the years went by. During his last years
Williams kept writing, but one play after the other failed. To ease
his pain, Williams turned to drink and drugs. His eyes needed
several operations for cataracts. The new plays received terrible
notices, driving him deeper into addiction. He died in a New York
hotel room in 1983. Police reports say that pills were found under his
body.
  Williams left behind an impressive collection of work. His plays
continue to move people by their richness, intensity of feeling, and
timelessness. He often transformed private experience into public
drama. In doing so, he gave us glimpses into a world most of us have
never seen before. Yet, the plays make Williams' fears, passions,
and joys ours as well. Few artists will ever leave behind a more
personal and intense legacy.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|PLOT
                         THE GLASS MENAGERIE
                               THE PLAY
-
                               THE PLOT                     (WGLAPLOT)
-
  How does a young man with the mind and heart of a poet wind up as
a sailor in the merchant marine? Tom Wingfield can tell you. He's done
it. Years ago, he ran away from home and joined up.
  One reason Tom left home was his mother, Amanda. She drove him to
it. How? You'll see the instant you meet her. She nags Tom about his
smoking, scolds him about getting up in the morning, and instructs him
in the fine art of chewing food. It isn't easy to have a mother like
Amanda. Yet Tom put up with her until one tragic night when his
patience ran out, and he abandoned his family.
                                         {GLASS_MENAGERIE|PLOT ^paragraph 5}
  Of course Tom may simply be following in his father's footsteps. Mr.
Wingfield deserted his family years ago, leaving Amanda to raise Tom
and his sister Laura in a run-down tenement in the St. Louis slums.
Amanda is used to better. She repeatedly recites stories of gracious
young gentlemen who came to court her on the veranda of her family's
plantation. But she married Mr. Wingfield, and ever since, she copes
with life by recalling gentle days in the Old South. The details often
change, however, and her children sometimes suspect Amanda's stories
to be mere fabrication.
  Lately, Amanda has begun to notice similarities between Tom and
her husband. Tom is bored with life and very restless. Down at the
warehouse he ducks into the washroom during slow hours and writes
poems. Every night, after a dull day of work, he escapes to the
movies- for adventure, he says. Amanda is worried that Tom drinks. She
fears that Tom will run away. She gets him to promise that he won't
leave, at least not until his sister has a good man to provide for
her.
  Laura, in fact, is Amanda's gravest problem. A childhood disease has
left her partly lame. She is frail and terribly insecure. Although
she's older than Tom, she's never held a job. One attempt to send
her to a business school ended dismally. She, like Tom, escapes to
an unreal world, spending most of her time listening to old records
and playing with her collection of glass animals. What the future
holds for Laura, Amanda can't even guess.
  That's why Amanda hounds Tom to bring home a friend, some eligible
young man who will fall for Laura and marry her. Tom agrees, not
because he thinks Amanda's scheme will work, but because he has
pledged himself to help Amanda before he leaves home. Tom invites
Jim O'Connor, an acquaintance from work. Amanda is thrilled, but Laura
gets sick with fright.
  Jim turns out to be someone Laura knew and admired from a distance
back in high school. He charms Amanda and treats Laura kindly. He
advises Laura to feel more sure of herself. To be a success you need
confidence, he tells her. He shows her how to dance, and gently kisses
her. In every respect, Jim seems like Laura's rescuer, the man to save
her from a life of dependency and illusions. While dancing, they
accidentally break the horn from Laura's prized glass unicorn. Now
it looks like an ordinary horse. Symbolically, Jim has released
Laura from her dream world.
                                        {GLASS_MENAGERIE|PLOT ^paragraph 10}
  But Laura's excursion into reality is a short-lived disaster. Jim
won't be calling on Laura again. He's already engaged to be married.
When Amanda finds out, she accuses Tom of deliberately making a fool
of her. In her fury, Amanda refuses to hear Tom's denials. For Tom,
this is the last straw. He packs up and leaves. Literally, he escapes.
  But he fails to escape completely. As he wanders the earth,
searching for some elusive paradise, the memory of his sister haunts
him.
  You're left with the thought that happiness, like so much else in
Tom's life, is an illusion, too.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS
                            THE CHARACTERS                  (WGLACHAR)
-
  TOM WINGFIELD
  When Tennessee Williams created Tom he pulled a neat trick. He
created a character who exists outside and inside the play's action at
the same time. When you see him standing on the fire escape
adjoining the Wingfield apartment, Tom is the narrator. He is
outside the action. He is a seasoned merchant sailor who's traveled on
both land and sea. He's a good talker, too, the kind you might like to
spend an evening with over a few beers. He can be funny, as when he
describes his runaway father as a "telephone man who fell in love with
long distances."
  One actor's reading of Tom's lines can give you the impression
that Tom regrets being a wanderer. Another actor can create the
sense that Tom looks back with relief, pleased that he broke away,
at least from his mother. Regardless of the interpretation you
favor, you know that Laura, Tom's sister, has a firm hold on his
affections. "Oh, Laura, Laura," he says in the play's final speech, "I
tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended
to be!" Evidently, memory is a potent force, one that Tom can't
escape. Or, looking at Tom's character yet another way, you might
conclude that he has stepped beyond the bounds of a brotherly
concern for Laura into a more forbidding relationship.
  Because the whole play is Tom's memory brought to life on the stage,
Tom may be the most important character. However, you could make a
case for Amanda's importance as well. Either way, Tom sets the
sentimental mood of the play and reveals only what he wants you to
know about his family. If Amanda narrated the play, can you imagine
how different it would be?
  Tom calls himself a poet. He writes poetry at every opportunity. You
hear poetic speeches pour from his lips. A co-worker at the
warehouse calls him "Shakespeare." Does he deserve the name? Do any of
his speeches sound like poetry to you?
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 5}
  In addition, Tom claims a poet's weakness for symbols. In fact,
the story bulges with symbols of all kinds, some obvious (the little
glass animals signifying Laura), some more obscure (frequent
references to rainbows, for example). For a full discussion of
symbolism in the play, see the Symbol section of this volume.
  You rarely see Tom in a cheerful mood. He complains, groans,
sulks, argues, or pokes fun at others, especially at Amanda. He
bristles under her constant nagging. He quarrels about inviting home a
beau for Laura. Most of all, he is repelled by Amanda's repeated
references to her long-ago past. Why do Amanda's stories bother him
so? Is his reaction typical of children listening to parents recount
tales of their youth?
  Tom's resentful manner leads his mother to accuse him of having a
"temperament like a Metropolitan [Opera] star." Does Amanda have a
point? Is Tom preoccupied with pleasing himself? Or do you
sympathize with Tom? Tom's obligations seem to tear him apart. He's
caught between responsibilities to his family and to himself. In
short, he faces a dilemma that's often part of growing up. Which, in
your opinion, ought to take precedence: family responsibility or
personal ambition?
  To cope with frustration and pain Tom sometimes uses bitter humor.
When Amanda accuses him of leading a shameful life, he knows it's
futile to argue. So he jokes with his mother about his second identity
as "Killer Wingfield" and "El Diablo," the prince of the underworld.
Or when Amanda is about to start reminiscing about Blue Mountain, he
comments ironically to Laura, "I know what's coming."
  Humor provides only a little relief, however. That's why he rushes
off to the movies whenever he can. Watching someone else's
adventures on the movie screen offers Tom another diversion from his
own dreary existence. But since he has to come out of the dark theater
and face life again, escape to the movies solves no problems. At great
cost Tom learns that running away from problems never clears them from
your mind. Even when he flees St. Louis, he takes along his memories
as mental baggage. He can't escape the past, however hard he tries.
Escape, he discovers in the end, is an illusion, too.
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 10}
  What Tom tells you as he stands at the edge of the stage may be more
than just the story of one young man's disillusion. You might think of
Tom as a representative of a whole generation of young people coming
of age just as the world is exploding into war. They have high hopes
and rich dreams. But the future they wish for never comes. It is
destroyed by forces beyond their control. "The world is lit by
lightning," Tom says.
  Tom's story, then, may be both personal and generally symbolic of
life at a bleak time in our history. You can read it either way.
-
  AMANDA WINGFIELD
  In the production notes of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams
tells you that Amanda is "a little woman of great but confused
vitality clinging frantically to another time and place.... There is
much to admire in Amanda, and as much to love and pity as there is
to laugh at." Do you agree? Do you find her as difficult to bear as
Tom does?
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 15}
  In contrast to Tom, who sets the mood in the play, Amanda is a
mover, the character who sets the story into motion. Therefore, you
might consider her the play's main character. Throughout the play Tom,
Laura and Jim respond to Amanda's stimulating and complex personality.
Even her husband, who has run from her, showed a distinctive
response to Amanda. Tom shares a few tender moments with his mother,
but more typically, he's put off by her scolding and nagging. Laura,
unlike her brother, usually obeys Amanda's wishes and tries to
understand her. Jim, during dinner with the Wingfields, is caught up
by Amanda's vibrant cheerfulness.
  What are you likely to remember most about Amanda? Is it her
irrational and inappropriate belief in the romantic past? Or might
it be her pathetic conviction that her children are bound to succeed
in life because of their "natural endowments?" She refuses to accept
the fact that Tom is a malcontent with a dead-end job. As for Laura,
Amanda denies that her daughter has anything wrong with her that a
little charm and a typing course won't fix. Even Jim O'Connor, quite
an ordinary young man, strikes Amanda as a shining prince destined
to rescue and marry Laura. Amanda's wishes for her children
sometimes leave her blind to reality.
  To understand Amanda you should decide whether she is really as
far gone as she often appears. Is she unaware of the truth, or does
she simply refuse to accept it? Despite her frequent silliness, she
evidently has a practical streak. She thinks seriously about the
future. That's why she presses Tom to bring home a friend for Laura.
  Obviously, Amanda acts foolish much of the time. But she
nevertheless has admirable qualities. Amanda tries hard to be a good
mother. After her husband runs off, she does the best she can to
provide for her family. Above all, she is strong, stronger than Tom
and stronger than her husband. When all her efforts have failed, she
sticks by Laura. She emerges tender and noble. And you can depend on
her never to give up hope. At the end of the play, with Tom enroute to
the seven seas and Laura brokenhearted over Jim, Amanda shows "dignity
and tragic beauty." What, in your opinion, is the source of Amanda's
transformation? Or might she have had dignity and tragic beauty within
her all along?
-
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 20}
  LAURA WINGFIELD
  It's more than coincidental that the play's title refers to the
collection of glass animals that belongs to Laura. She is so fragile
that she can hardly function in the real world. Not surprisingly,
her favorite figure in the menagerie is the unicorn, a creature
which Laura calls "freakish," which is precisely the way Laura has
felt much of her life. Can you think of other qualities of the unicorn
that resemble Laura?
  Laura frequently escapes to a private, imaginary world occupied by
fragile glass animals. When you consider Laura's personality, can
you speculate on why the menagerie is glass rather than some other
material?
  Of the three Wingfields, Laura stands in the greatest peril, for she
lacks both the strength of Amanda and the potential to escape, like
Tom. Laura creates the impression that she's forever going to be a
misfit. The world is simply too harsh for her. She confesses to Jim
how awkward she felt in high school. She wore a brace on her leg and
believed that everyone in school noticed her "clumping" around. As
people grow older they usually overcome feelings of shyness. Why
didn't Laura?
  In spite of her fragility, though, Laura is the most serene member
of her family. She leaves the worrying to Amanda and Tom. Sometimes
she may remind you of a child who creates havoc and doesn't know it.
In her innocence, Laura doesn't realize how Tom and Amanda bleed for
her.
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 25}
  It's possible to think of Laura as merely a timid, neurotic little
girl, totally absorbed in her own troubles. But can you find more
substance in her character? Is she sensitive to Amanda and to Tom in
any way? Does she contribute to the well being of her family? You
may not have to search far to find likeable and sympathetic traits
in Laura's personality.
  Laura hides in her make-believe world. Only once, during Jim
O'Connor's visit, does she venture out of it into the world of
reality. Jim has given Laura a bit of self-confidence. He even
convinces her to dance with him. During the dance, they bump the
table, knocking the glass unicorn to the floor and breaking off its
single horn. Do you see the symbolism of this mishap? Laura, for a
short time, feels like any other girl who has been swept off her
feet by the boy of her dreams. Unfortunately for Laura, though, the
time of her life lasts no more than a few minutes.
  When Tom leaves home for good, why do thoughts of Laura haunt his
memory? Is he plagued by guilt? Does he love her more than a brother
should? Does Laura have charms that have gotten under his skin?
-
  JIM O'CONNOR
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 30}
  Tom tells you in his opening speech that Jim is an emissary from the
world of reality. If that is so, reality must be a fairly dull
place, for Jim is a nice, but rather ordinary, young man. On the
surface, he is well-mannered, hard-working, and responsible. He is a
pleasant guest, and he dutifully entertains Laura after dinner. He
does all you'd expect him to. Why, then, is Jim so disappointing?
  Even Jim himself knows that he's a disappointment, although he
puts up a smooth-talking and self-confident front. When you consider
his admirable high school record, he should be racing up the ladder of
success by now. Instead, he's still in the pack.
  Common wisdom, which Jim believes, says that if you work hard,
you'll succeed. Jim has worked hard, but he hasn't succeeded. So he
takes self-improvement courses in public speaking, thinking that
greater "social poise" will help him land the executive position of
his dreams. He's also studying radio engineering in order to get in on
the ground floor of the new television industry. He seems to be
doing all the right things and saying the right things, too, about
opportunity and progress in America. But the ideas sound trite, as
though Jim is mouthing someone else's words.
  Although he's trying hard, you never know if Jim will make it big.
Perhaps he will. On the other hand, when you recall that illusion
dominates the play, you might suspect that Jim's plans are pure fancy,
and that he's placed too much faith in a hollow dream. In the end,
he may just plod along like everyone else.
  After dinner at the Wingfields Jim is pleased with himself for
winning Laura so easily. His conquest reminds him of his high school
days when he held the world in his hands. Laura is good for his ego.
He's driven to pursue his dream, even if he has to step on others as
he goes. Finally, he dismisses Laura with the news that he's
engaged. Dinner at the Wingfields' turns out to be only a brief stop
along the way to elusive success.
                                  {GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 35}
  Should Jim have revealed his engagement earlier in the evening?
Was he under any obligation to do so? Or was it all right for him to
wait until the end of his visit? If he had told his marriage plans
earlier, Laura would have missed a few moments of happiness. Does that
fact by itself justify Jim's action? What would you have done under
similar circumstances?

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SETTING
                            OTHER ELEMENTS
-
                               SETTING                      (WGLASETT)
-
  The whole play is set in the Wingfields' apartment, which faces an
alley in the downtown slums of St. Louis. In the stage directions
Tennessee Williams draws a vivid picture of the place. It's cramped
and dark, almost like a jail cell. You can't tell it apart from the
thousands of other apartments occupied by people trapped in drab and
joyless lives. No one in the family wants to live there. But poverty
forces them to. It shouldn't surprise you that "escape" develops
into a major theme in the play.
  The drawing shows you how the apartment might be arranged for a
performance. In addition to the usual rooms, there is an important
fire escape off to one side. The characters in the play sometimes
stand on the fire escape. Tom delivers his speeches to the audience
from there. The family uses it to go in and out every day. But it's an
"escape" only in name because the people living here are
"fundamentally enslaved" in their lower middle-class lives.
-
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SETTING ^paragraph 5}
                         (See illustration.)■Çbn_wgla1.cif■Ç
-
  Across the alley you see the Paradise Dance Hall. Much of the
music you hear during the play comes from there. Sometimes the
melodies are subtle comments on events taking place in the Wingfield
apartment. Almost every detail of the setting in some manner
suggests a theme or contributes an idea to the play. Consider, for
instance, the name "Paradise Dance Hall." The young people who meet
and dance there will soon be going to war. Many will be killed.
Could Williams be implying that this two-bit dance hall is as close to
paradise as those boys and girls will ever get?
  Think also of the smiling photo of Mr. Wingfield prominently
displayed on the wall. Isn't it odd that Amanda, who expresses disdain
for her husband, keeps it there? Perhaps Amanda preserves the
photograph as a souvenir, a remembrance from the past. Or the photo,
which hangs in the living room, may also be kept there to serve as a
daily reminder to the Wingfields- especially Tom- that escape is
possible.
  When Tom steps onto the fire escape to introduce you to the play,
the 1940's have begun, and World War II is raging. In his story, he
takes you back to the 1930's, a decade of hopeless depression.
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SETTING ^paragraph 10}
  You might ask why Tennessee Williams wants you to know the world
situation during the time of the story. After all, affairs of state
don't directly touch Tom and the other characters. Is the play,
then, meant to be more than just a drama of family life? Can you
find parallels between the events in the apartment and events in the
world? Would the play be less poignant if you didn't know about the
civil war in Spain, the massive poverty of the Great Depression, and
the growth of Nazism? As you think about the play, these are questions
worth considering.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES
                                THEMES                      (WGLATHEM)
-
  The following are themes of The Glass Menagerie.
-
  1. ILLUSION
  We all have illusions. You can hardly live without them. Usually,
they are harmless thoughts about, say, last summer's vacation or
that very attractive person you just met. Whenever you hold an opinion
based on what you think is true, or should be true, rather than what
actually is true, that's an illusion. Because illusions sometimes help
you deal with painful facts, like good medicine they make you feel
better. But when you are disillusioned, the pain returns.
  The characters in The Glass Menagerie are hooked by their illusions.
Without illusion, Amanda would realize the hopelessness of Laura's
condition. In fact, it's because of her illusions that Amanda keeps
her hopes alive for that "always expected something" to rescue Laura
from a life of dependency. Initially, Amanda thinks that a good typing
course will help Laura pull herself together. And later in the play,
Amanda foolishly counts on Jim to be Laura's prince charming.
Amanda, of course, also has illusions about herself. Whether she
really entertained seventeen gentleman callers one Sunday afternoon is
beside the point. What counts is that she believes it. Illusions,
you see, can be very powerful.
                                       {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 5}
  Tom suffers from illusions, too, by expecting to find adventure in
the movies. When he leaves home and joins the merchant navy he
anticipates more adventure. Does that fire escape lead to romance
and glamor? Study his final speech for an answer. Note that Tom is
haunted by reminders of Laura. Is escape, in the end, an illusion,
too?
  The imaginary world of glass animals provides Laura's refuge from
reality. But in her case, illusion may be perilous, for her
menagerie serves as a substitute for life. How long can she go on
playing with the glass collection before disillusion strikes?
  Jim O'Connor, like the other young people Tom tells you about, is
also living in an illusion. When success eludes him he places faith in
the future. But the future he counts on is an illusion, for there's
a terrible war just around the corner that's going to change the world
forever.
-
  2. ESCAPE
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 10}
  The theme of illusion is first cousin to the theme of escape in
The Glass Menagerie, for all the play's characters believe incorrectly
that escape from their present situation in life is possible. Tom
tries repeatedly to escape from tedium and responsibility. Amanda
indulges at times in reveries about her girlhood. The glass
menagerie serves as Laura's means of escape from reality, and Jim
tries desperately to escape from his dead-end job by taking public
speaking and radio courses.
  Observe that no character in the play makes a clean break from
this situation. Correction: only Mr. Wingfield escapes- at the expense
of his family's happiness, but that took place before the play begins.
  A fire escape symbolically points the way out of the Wingfield
apartment. But when Laura uses it, she stumbles. When Tom leaves for
good he claims to follow in his father's footsteps, but he is
pursued by "something." A powerful love? Guilt? He tried to leave
Laura behind, but couldn't. His closing speech reveals how securely he
is bound to the past.
  What conclusion about escape can you draw from the situation in
the play? Does the play advise you to make the best of what you've
got, because change is impossible? Note Mr. Wingfield's smiling
portrait. Does the grin tell you anything?
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 15}
-
  3. FRAGILITY
  Can you think of anyone who embodies the idea of fragility better
than Laura? Both physically and psychologically, she is fragile. A
childhood disease left her with a slight limp. Under the everyday
stresses of life, her composure shatters, and she can't complete her
typing course. The thought of receiving a gentleman caller makes her
sick. How fitting for Laura to keep a menagerie of delicate glass
animals of which the unicorn- the "freakish" one- is her favorite.
  The characters in The Glass Menagerie have built their lives on a
fragile foundation of illusions. Take away their illusions and which
of them would not break?
  In 1939, the time of the play, world peace is in a fragile state.
The lives of the young lovers who kiss in the alley will soon be
shattered by big guns and heavy bombardments.
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 20}
-
  4. LIGHT
  Because The Glass Menagerie is a memory play, the setting is dimly
lighted. Dim lights keep details from being seen, for details fade
from the memory first.
  The electric company turns off the Wingfields' power. Then the
characters must resort to candles, which soften the illumination and
add the aura of romance to Jim's visit with Laura.
  Light shining through little glass objects often gives off tiny
spots of rainbow color. A rainbow, as you probably know from the old
song, is something you chase. And in biblical myth, the rainbow is the
symbol of a promise. But when you get close it vanishes. It's an
illusion, a false promise, like so much else in the play. Tom
recognizes the illusory quality of rainbows. He says the pleasures
offered by the Paradise Dance Hall were "like a chandelier [which]
flooded the world with brief deceptive rainbows." Notice also that the
scarf given as a souvenir by Malvolio the Magician is rainbow-colored.
In the end, what is it that keeps Laura embedded in Tom's memory? Shop
windows, "filled with pieces of colored glass... like bits of
shattered rainbow."
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 25}
  Tom associates images of Laura with candlelight. To rid himself of
the haunting memories of his sister, he implores Laura to "blow out
your candles." At the same time Tom may be urging Laura out of her
dimly lit past. Her world of candlelight and little glass animals will
no longer do, for "nowadays the world is lit by lightning."
-
  5. FAILURE AND THE MYTH OF SUCCESS
  Amanda believes in several common myths about money, success, and
working hard. She thinks that money, for example, buys happiness. If
she had only married one of those rich gentlemen callers....
  Then, too, she admires sophisticated society, the "horsey set"
portrayed in the magazine stories she sells.
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES ^paragraph 30}
  Success, in her view, comes from hard work and from saving your
money for the future. Amanda is convinced that Tom will be
successful if he tries hard. Laura will also succeed if she learns
to type. Plan for the future, Amanda advises. Make provisions and save
money. To Tom's dismay, she calculates how much money he could save if
he stopped smoking. With his savings he could enroll in an
accounting course at the university.
  Jim O'Connor also chases a dream. He tries to sell Tom "a bill of
goods" about success, for he's already bought one that says if you
work hard, take the right courses, show self-assurance, and believe in
the future of capitalism you'll make it big. But Jim has made little
progress since high school, and with the war coming on, the path to
success is likely to be detoured.
  The personal failure of all the characters in the play in some
ways parallels the larger social failure of America. The Depression
turned millions of American dreams into nightmares. And the only way
out was no better. It took a catastrophic war to release the country
from poverty and fear.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|STYLE
                                STYLE                       (WGLASTYL)
-
  Almost from the outset you know that The Glass Menagerie is going to
be a poetic play. Your first clue is Tom's playful use of words. Tom
announces, "He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth.
I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion." He also uses
metaphors ("the middle class of America was matriculating in a
school for the blind"), and his language is often alliterative as in
"fingers pressed forcibly down on the fiery Braille...." But in case
you missed all that, Tom declares outright, "I have a poet's
weakness for symbols."
  It is not only Tom who endows the play with poetry. Amanda also
has a gift for words. She's especially fond of colorful, figurative
language. You'll find some in almost all her lengthy speeches, as in
her lecture to Laura about the hopelessness of the future (Scene Two):
"-stuck away in some little mousetrap of a room... like birdlike women
without any nest- eating the crust of humility...."
  Because Tennessee Williams had his own mother in mind when he
created Amanda, he tried to make her sound like a dignified Southern
lady. (Her lines ought to be spoken with a Southern drawl.) Nothing
tasteless or vulgar passes her lips. She often uses the sort of
flowery language you'd expect to hear on a veranda in the Old South:
"liquid refreshment" for drink, "position" instead of job, and
"handsome appearance" rather than good looks.
  In addition, Amanda wants to impose her taste in words on her
children. She rejects Tom's books as "filth." Also, because she thinks
the word "cripple" is offensive, she won't permit Laura to use it.
Of course Amanda may deny the word because she refuses to allow
Laura to pity herself.
  As you study the play some of the symbols, such as Laura's glass
menagerie, will virtually explain themselves. You can't miss the
similarity between the delicate glass animals and Laura's fragility.
On the other hand, you'll have to dig a little to find symbolic
meaning in, say, the breaking of the unicorn. At first Jim is a unique
hero. But he turns out to be quite ordinary, after all, just as the
broken unicorn resembles an ordinary horse. Similarly, during the
evening of Jim's visit Laura emerges briefly from her make-believe
world into the world of real people leading ordinary lives.
                                        {GLASS_MENAGERIE|STYLE ^paragraph 5}
  Symbols come in a variety of forms in The Glass Menagerie. You can
readily assign symbolic importance to objects (e.g., candles,
rainbows, typewriter chart) and to actions (Laura's tripping on the
fire escape, Tom's moviegoing). Tom describes Jim O'Connor as a
symbolic character who represents deferred hopes for the future.
Many of the images projected on the screen suggest deeper meanings,
too. Take, for example, "Jolly Roger" (Tom's desire for adventure) and
"Annunciation" (the news that Jim is coming to dinner). Perhaps the
whole play, acted out behind transparent screens and dimly lit,
symbolizes the workings of memory. As you search through the text
for symbols you're not likely to come up empty handed. But guard
against turning everything into a symbol. You need to support your
interpretations with solid evidence from the play.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|VIEW
                            POINT OF VIEW                   (WGLAVIEW)
-
  Tom is both a character in the play and the play's narrator. At
the very beginning and at several points along the way Tom, as
narrator, stands on the fire escape outside the Wingfields'
apartment and addresses you directly. He tells you about a period of
time- about three or four years ago- when he broke away from his
mother and sister and became a wanderer. He also sets the scene,
establishes the mood, comments on the world situation, and gives you
background information.
  You know how hard it sometimes is to remember details of events that
happened only yesterday? Tom knows, too, that you can't always
depend on your memory. So rather than trying to re-create precisely
what took place several years ago, he presents the story
unrealistically. At dinner, for example, the characters don't use real
dishes and utensils. They pretend to be eating. And if the actors
are good, the illusion is quite satisfactory.
  "Memory," the playwright tells you in his stage directions, "takes a
lot of poetic license" because it is "seated predominantly in the
heart." Consider Williams' words a fair warning that what you see on
stage is only approximately what happened in reality. Every event
has been filtered by time and by Tom's feelings. Amanda's nagging is
supposed to irritate you, just as it irritates Tom. If at any time you
find Laura particularly lovely or especially helpless, consider
those impressions to be Tom's, too. In short, Tom is your emotional
guide through the play.
  You may notice that Tom's vision extends even beyond what he
actually saw or experienced. Some scenes include only Laura and Amanda
or Jim O'Connor. Since Tom can't know exactly what happened when he
wasn't there, he invents dialogue and action and shows you what
might have occurred. Is that a flaw in the play?
  When people look back to the past, do they recall the good things
more readily than the bad? Does Tom? Or do his memories seem more
bitter than sweet? Or are his recollections flavored by both? Tom
often speaks ironically. Note how he describes Amanda on the phone
in Scene Three. Is Tom's humor biting? Or do you find it gentle,
touched by nostalgia? Tom calls the play "sentimental," which suggests
Tennessee Williams' intentions.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|FORM
                          FORM AND STRUCTURE                (WGLAFORM)
-
  The play has seven scenes. The first four take place over a few
days' time during the winter season. The remaining scenes occur on two
successive evenings during the following spring. Since the play
contains no formal "acts," a director can prescribe an intermission at
any time. How would you divide the play if you were directing a
performance? In formulating your answer take into account the
passage of time, climactic moments in the play, and the development of
the characters. Why do you suppose Williams chose not to tell you
where to break the action?
  Williams attempted to unify the several episodes by devising a
series of projected images and words on a screen, but most directors
don't bother using the technique. The story, they feel, can stand
unaided, despite repeated jumps between present and past.
  Tom, the narrator, exists in the present. He talks directly to the
audience at the start of the play, at the openings of Scenes Three and
Six, and again at the end. Also, he steps briefly into the
narrator's shoes part way through Scene Five.
  The rest of the time Tom is a character in the play. Even at those
times, however, your focus is shifted to the past. Amanda, for
example, frequently recalls her life as a young girl, and Laura and
Jim refer to their high school days, which ended six years before.
  Because the play comes from Tom's memory, time loses its usual
sequence and structure in The Glass Menagerie. In your memory,
thoughts can bounce at will between the recent and distant past.
That may explain the play's flow of events. During most of the play
Tom's memory is fastened to the period just before he leaves home.
Each episode in the play helps to explain why in the end Tom had no
choice but to escape. If you examine his closing speech, however,
you'll see whether or not he truly escaped.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I
                               THE PLAY                     (WGLAPLAY)
-
                              SCENE ONE
-
  Tennessee Williams gives you a lengthy set of stage directions at
the start. He wants you to see the run-down tenement where the
Wingfield family lives, and he wants to create a mood that combines
dinginess, desperation and depression. After you are familiar with the
play, return to the opening scene and reexamine Williams' choice of
details: the fire escape, the alley, the blown-up photo of smiling Mr.
Wingfield, and the typewriter keyboard chart. All, you will see,
play important roles somewhere in The Glass Menagerie.
  When Tom steps out on the fire escape to talk to the audience, he
tells you the social background of the play (the 1930's). He
introduces himself and the play's other characters, including his
father. Although Mr. Wingfield shows up only in his photograph, he's
an influential character in the play. Later on you'll see why.
  By the end of Tom's opening speech you know a great deal about
him. From his appearance you know he is a merchant sailor. You know,
too, that he has a way with words and a "poet's weakness for symbols."
His first words- "Yes, I have tricks in my pocket"- alert you to his
playful disposition. He's going to trick you by giving you truth in
the guise of illusion. That is, he's going to tell you a true story
but make it seem unreal. Illusions, you'll soon see, pile up one after
the other as the play proceeds.
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I ^paragraph 5}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: ON ILLUSION  The very nature of theater depends on illusion.
When you watch a play you make believe that the actors on stage are
the characters they portray. The better the acting, the more easily
you accept the illusion. Here Tom forewarns you that the play is
unreal. The characters, setting, props, effects, and so on are not
meant to be real but rather to serve as metaphors and symbols of
reality.
  While illusion is part of any play, it is particularly vital in this
one. Illusion, in fact, is a major theme. The characters survive
because their illusions protect them from the painful facts of their
lives. As you continue, keep in mind that illusions can prove to be
self-destructive as well as helpful. Do the Wingfields' illusions
create damage, or are they merely harmless aspects of their
personalities?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I ^paragraph 10}
-
  The very first "trick" Tom has in store is a quick change in
identity. In a moment, he leaves his role as narrator and as a younger
man walks into the Wingfield dining room to join his mother Amanda and
sister Laura at supper.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Tom shifts between his role as narrator and his role as a
character several times during the play. As narrator Tom moves the
story from one episode to the next, informs you about himself and
his family, and describes the social and political context of the
play. Try to compare Tom's personality in his two roles. The narration
takes place years after the story's events occurred. Do you notice
differences between the two Toms? Which do you prefer? Think of what
might have happened to him between the time he left his family and the
time he comes back to tell his story.
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I ^paragraph 15}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Tom wishes he hadn't sat down, for no sooner does he start to eat
than Amanda begins to lecture him on the need to chew his food
properly. If you've ever been scolded about your table manners, you
know how Tom feels. His mother gives advice kindly, but Tom can't
stand it. He bolts from the table and reaches for a cigarette. But
Amanda doesn't like Tom's smoking any more than his chewing.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I ^paragraph 20}
  NOTE: ON STAGING THE PLAY  Tom's cigarette is probably imagery, just
like the knives and forks. Remember, the play is not supposed to be
realistic. Still another unrealistic feature is the use of legends and
images projected on a screen. The legend which preceded this dinner
scene reads "Ou sont les neiges," a phrase from an old French poem
which asks, "Where are the snows of yesteryear?" The answer, of
course, is "gone," just as the past is always gone. This legend
lends an element of nostalgia to your feelings for Amanda.
Throughout the play you will find other phrases and pictures. What, if
anything, do they add to the play? Some critics have said they detract
from the drama. Do you agree?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Laura offers to bring in the dessert. Is she being helpful or does
she simply want to avoid listening to her mother nag Tom? Either
way, Amanda stops Laura and says she'll play the "darky," a word
that gives you a clue to Amanda's origins. She's from the South.
  From the kitchen, Amanda begins to tell her children about the
gentlemen callers she had as a girl in Blue Mountain. You can tell
from Tom and Laura's reaction that they've heard the story before.
Laura listens politely. Tom, on the other hand, is skeptical and
impatient. Their reactions are important clues to their
personalities and to the roles they play in the family. Because the
facts of the tale change from time to time, Tom teases Amanda and
utters sarcastic comments. He doesn't believe a word she says.
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I ^paragraph 25}
  Does Amanda herself believe the story she's fond of telling? Does
she really think that seventeen wealthy young admirers came to call on
her one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain? You'll see later in the
play that Amanda often twists truths. Does that mean she's a liar? She
doesn't deceive anyone, and she's not out to harm anyone with her
inventions. In fact, her intent is quite admirable, for she wants to
help Laura find romance in her life. Many think that she deserves a
pat on the back for her efforts. Tom, however, rejects Amanda's
fantasy.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_II
                              SCENE TWO
-
  Alone in the apartment, Laura washes and polishes her glass
collection. At the sound of her mother's footsteps outside, Laura
hurriedly stows her menagerie and pretends to study the typing chart
on the wall. Why doesn't she want to be caught caring for her glass
animals? At the instant of Amanda's entrance, Laura starts to
explain that she was just studying the chart. But as though she sees
right through the pretense, Amanda says, "Deception? Deception?" But
it's another deception that Amanda has in mind.
  She acts brokenhearted, weeping and lamenting as though a terrible
tragedy has occurred. She makes the most of this opportunity to play
the role of betrayed mother. She is so melodramatic that you can't
take her too seriously. She even yanks the typing chart from the
wall and tears it into pieces. Meanwhile, Laura behaves as though
she can't possibly imagine what has kindled Amanda's dismay. Laura may
well suspect the origin of the trouble, however. For weeks she's
been skipping her typing classes at Rubicam's Business College.
  Sure enough, Amanda has found out. Typing seems like a fairly
harmless course, but not for one as fragile as Laura. The pressure
made her so sick that she threw up at the school. Then, instead of
telling her mother, she has wandered the city each day until it was
time to come home. For Laura it was easier to visit the zoo or the
park than to reveal the truth and see that "awful suffering look" of
disappointment on her mother's face. Does Laura's story sound
plausible? While it explains her truancy, does it excuse her
deception?
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_II ^paragraph 5}
  NOTE: ON THEMES  Have you noticed that two interrelated themes-
deception and illusion- have just appeared? They will show up
repeatedly in numerous variations throughout the play. You should have
no trouble spotting them.
  In this scene both Amanda and Laura have practiced deception,
pretending to be what they are not: Laura posed as a student of
typing, and Amanda as a mother crushed by her daughter's betrayal.
True, Amanda is wounded by Laura, but not to the extent she claims.
Any time Amanda meets hard unpleasant facts, she's likely to be
hurt. Perhaps that's why she often makes up illusions. Pretending
keeps painful truths at arm's length.
  For now, Amanda is caught in the illusion that Laura's problems will
be solved by a typing course. Would you agree that learning to type
seems like an effective way to solve Laura's problems? Laura herself
doesn't seem to think so. She acts as though it's perfectly okay to
play with her menagerie instead of working. She chooses to walk in the
park instead of owning up to failure. When Laura says "I couldn't face
it," she analyzes her condition accurately. She truly cannot face
reality. And when Amanda discovers the truth about Laura, she has
the urge to "find a hole in the ground and hide myself in it forever!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                    {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_II ^paragraph 10}
  Laura apparently fails to share her mother's concern about the
future. She never talks about it, and despite Amanda's warnings, she
does nothing to prepare for it. Laura seems almost like a small
child in that respect.
  Compared to Laura, Amanda is almost a realist. Experience has taught
her that unless you earn a living you will inevitably depend on others
all your life, eating the "crust of humility." Amanda asks Laura,
"Is that the future we've mapped out for ourselves?"
  The only choice left, of course, is marriage. Perhaps Amanda has
considered it and discarded the notion for Laura. Remember that her
own marriage turned out badly. What would Laura do if she, like
Amanda, ended up with a runaway husband? Also, as far as we know,
Laura has never had a date.
  Regardless, Amanda's spirits are revived by the thought of Laura's
marriage. Since Laura isn't cut out for a business career, she'll have
to marry a nice young man. Laura objects: "I'm- crippled!" But
Amanda won't hear it. She doesn't even want Laura to say the word.
-
                                    {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_II ^paragraph 15}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Does Laura have a point? Is she truly "crippled"? She limps
just slightly. Would you say that she is more psychologically than
physically crippled? What do you know about her thus far to suggest
that she'll always have a hard time functioning in the world?
  Amanda cringes at the word "crippled." She told Laura never to use
the word. Perhaps Amanda believes in the power of words. That is, if
you tell a lie often enough, after a while you begin to believe it. In
what respects does this saying seem to be valid in The Glass
Menagerie?
---------------------------------------------------------------------

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III
                             SCENE THREE
-
  Tom returns as narrator to tell you about Amanda's obsession:
finding a nice young man to marry Laura. If you have ever known
someone with a one-track mind you can appreciate what Amanda must have
been like at the time. She even took a part-time job selling
magazine subscriptions by telephone to earn extra money for re-doing
both Laura and the apartment. Amanda is a woman of action as well as
words.
  While Tom doesn't object to his mother's frantic activities, he
doesn't support them either. Rather, he thinks they are amusing. At
least he seems to poke gentle fun at Amanda's efforts. But do you note
an ache in Tom's recollection of Amanda on the telephone with Ida
Scott? He remembers how pathetically Amanda tried to ingratiate
herself with a customer who obviously didn't care. Rather than admit
to his pain, Tom recalls the situation with bitter humor. Like many
people who demonstrate a talent for laughter when their emotions are
stirred, Tom may laugh to keep from crying. What does Tom's attitude
reveal about his deepest feelings toward his mother?
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: As you continue with the play you'll have numerous chances
to laugh at comical lines (mostly Tom's) and situations. Some of the
humor may be pure, unadulterated fun. But some of it may strike you as
humorous only until you realize that the words or actions grow out
of the characters' desperation. Would Amanda, for instance, find humor
in Tom's rendition of her quest to find Laura a husband?
                                    {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  When Tom steps back into his role in the play, you find him
embroiled in a shouting match with his mother. Evidently, she has
interrupted him at his writing and has criticized the books he
reads. "I won't allow such filth brought into my house!" screams
Amanda. Tom won't permit Amanda to claim their apartment as "my
house," for his salary pays the rent. Consider Tom's reasoning. Does
the fact that he is the family breadwinner give him the right to
disregard his mother's wishes?
  The fury between mother and son intensifies. Tom is about to curse
at his mother and rush out the door. Laura desperately calls out:
"Tom!" At the sound of her voice, the shouting diminishes. Tom, now in
control of his passion, talks intensely to Amanda about how he hates
the life he leads.
-
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: ON LAURA  Do you find yourself taking sides in the fight
between Amanda and Tom? You're not given much choice when the
antagonists are a bossy, narrow-minded woman and her selfish,
irresponsible son. Since Tom and Amanda will fight to a draw anyway,
pay attention to Laura's role in the conflict. Isn't she, after all,
the reason that Tom and Amanda fight? If there were no Laura, Tom
would probably have moved out of the house long ago, and Amanda
would have no one to worry about but herself. As in all families, each
member has a particular function. In the Wingfield household, Laura
serves as peacemaker. You'll see her step between Tom and Amanda
several more times in the play.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Tom's catalog of grievances includes a miserable job at the
Continental Shoemakers warehouse. He also hates living in this
wretched little apartment where he has a nagging mother, no privacy,
and nothing to call his own. He feels like a slave to his job and
family. Every morning when Amanda's piercing "Rise and shine!" awakens
him, he'd prefer to be dead. No, he's not selfish, Tom replies to
Amanda's accusation. If he were, he'd be like his father- gone!
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III ^paragraph 15}
  Does Amanda lack compassion for her own son? It may seem so at
times. Perhaps fear of the future and anxiety for Laura blind her to
Tom's problems. All she can think of is that Tom's erratic and
irresponsible behavior jeopardizes her security as well as Laura's.
Since both she and Laura depend on Tom for life's necessities, does
she have a good reason to be apprehensive? How would you feel about
depending on Tom for your livelihood?
  As Tom starts to leave again, Amanda grabs at him. "Where are you
going?"
  "I'm going to the movies!" he replies brutally.
  She calls him a liar, an accusation which launches him into a
semi-tragic, semi-comic list of his nightly sins. Although you can
find humor in Tom's speech, you may also be struck by the bitterness
of his words. Although his speech is one of the funniest moments in
the play, its tone is bitter and sarcastic. Tom concludes by calling
Amanda an "ugly- babbling old- witch...."
  As he rushes from the apartment, his arm gets caught in the sleeve
of his bulky coat. Impatiently, he hurls the coat away. It strikes the
shelf holding Laura's menagerie, shattering the glass animals. Laura
is stunned. When you consider how highly Laura values her menagerie,
its wreckage probably marks a turning point in her life. But how
sharply she might change remains to be seen. Do you think she has
the capacity to change very much?
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III ^paragraph 20}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: You have seen that all the characters feel trapped by the
circumstances of their lives. Since people naturally seek freedom,
each has figured out a way to escape, at least temporarily: Amanda
uses her illusions, Laura retires to her glass collection, Tom goes to
the movies. How well each of these escape mechanisms works becomes
clear in the next few scenes. Pay particular heed to Laura. See if the
breaking of the glass menagerie sets her free from her illusory world.
On the other hand, the damage to the glass could have the reverse
effect. That is, it could shatter her inner peace.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III ^paragraph 25}
  Deeply hurt, Amanda calls after Tom, "I won't speak to you- until
you apologize."

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_IV
                              SCENE FOUR
-
  Slightly drunk, Tom returns to the apartment at five in the morning.
Laura opens the door for him. Last night, Tom explains, he went to the
movie theater. The stage show featured Malvolio the Magician. (In
those days, when you went to the movies, you were offered a full range
of entertainment. Movies were often accompanied by live performances.)
Malvolio performed tricks of illusion that had the appearance of
truth: turning water to wine, then to beer, then to whiskey. But the
best trick was Malvolio's escape from a nailed up coffin. Tom says
bitterly, "There is a trick that would come in handy for me- get me
out of this two-by-four situation."
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Tom's references to magic and illusions should call to mind
the opening of Scene One. You have already observed several examples
of deception and illusion in the characters' actions. Stay alert for
more in the scenes ahead.
  Tom's allusion to his trap- his "two-by-four situation"- reveals
that escape is never far from his thoughts. Would it have startled you
to learn that Tom had taken permanent leave from home last night after
his blow-up with Amanda? He had a tailor-made opportunity to go, but
here he is, back again. Why did he come back? What might it take to
drive him off for good?
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_IV ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  After you hear the six o'clock church bells, Amanda starts her
day. Although she's still angry about last night, she unleashes a
few "rise and shines" in Tom's direction, but she won't talk to her
son. Laura, the peacemaker, tries without luck to get Tom to apologize
to Amanda. What do you suppose prevents him from making up?
  Soon Amanda sends Laura on an errand to the deli. Laura objects,
however. She is afraid to face the scowling deli man when she asks for
credit. But she goes, and then slips on the fire escape on her way
out.
-
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_IV ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: ON SYMBOLISM  It may seem like a trivial incident, but Laura's
stumble shouldn't be ignored. Why did the playwright have her
stumble on the fire escape? Symbolically, it could suggest the
perils of entering the real world.
  Some readers object to the search for symbolic meaning in every
action or word. Be assured, however, that symbolism in The Glass
Menagerie is not accidental. Tennessee Williams stated at the outset
that the play is full of symbols, but ultimately you're the one who
must decide whether to take his statement at face value. You needn't
seek symbols in every line of dialogue and each piece of stage
business. But if you uncover symbolic treasures as you continue,
studying the play may be that much richer an experience for you.
  In this scene thus far you might consider the potential symbolism in
Tom's rainbow-colored scarf, and the illumination of Mr. Wingfield's
photograph. You'll soon be hearing the strains of "Ave Maria," perhaps
reminding you that Amanda resembles a suffering madonna when she is
deeply disappointed by her children.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_IV ^paragraph 15}
-
  As soon as Tom apologizes, you see the gradual return of the old
Amanda. First she bemoans her fate and then plays the role of a hurt
and troubled mother: "My devotion has made me a witch and so I make
myself hateful to my children." What can Tom possibly say in reply,
especially after he has just apologized?
  Amanda doesn't give up easily. She wants to discuss Tom's drinking
and moviegoing again, hoping that Tom will see the connection
between his habits and his sister's future. Tom explains that
because he's restless for adventure, he goes to the movies. Amanda
asserts that most men find adventure in their careers. Of all
people, though, Amanda knows how comforting a short flight into
illusion can be. So she accepts, somewhat reluctantly, Tom's reasons
for his nightly escape. Instead of trying futilely to restrain him,
Amanda makes a deal with him. She will not hold him back if, in
return, he provides a man for Laura.
  Tom has been manipulated by Amanda, but he doesn't seem to mind.
He probably views the deal as a small price to pay for freedom. As
he goes off to work, he agrees to bring home a friend from the
warehouse.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_V
                               SCENE V
-
  Winter has surrendered to spring. The legend projected on the screen
reads "Annunciation," suggesting that in this scene an announcement of
some note will be made.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The "Annunciation" refers to the biblical account of the angel
Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she was to bear the son
of God. The annunciation in this scene may not seem quite as momentous
as the original, but to Amanda it is almost as important, as you
will see. Also, the feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March
25, so the legend on the screen helps to note the arrival of spring.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_V ^paragraph 5}
-
  The months have not altered Amanda. She still badgers Tom and
laments his lack of ambition. She's still hoping that Tom will
settle down, and find contentment as a CPA. Tired of the nagging,
Tom retreats to the fire escape, where, as narrator again, he
addresses the audience.
  He observes life outside the Wingfield apartment. Every evening,
young couples used to come to the Paradise Dance Hall to while away
hours dancing or kissing in the adjacent alley. That, Tom says, was
their form of escape from dull, dreary lives.
  Little did these young people know that change was approaching in
the form of war. Many of them would be killed fighting the Nazis.
But in their innocence, they danced to the music of "The World is
Waiting for the Sunrise." As Tom comments, the wait was really for
"bombardments."
-
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_V ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Tom names people and places associated with the coming of
World War II. Berchtesgaden = Hitler's mountain headquarters.
Chamberlain = British prime minister blamed for failing to stop
Hitler's march across Europe. Guernica = a Spanish town destroyed by
the fascists in 1937 and which became a symbol for atrocities
against innocent people. Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" painting,
depicting the horrors of war, is world famous.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  On this warm spring evening Amanda joins Tom on the fire escape.
While talking with Tom, she sounds much like a young girl flirting
with a gentleman caller on the plantation porch. Tom uses the
opportunity to give Amanda the news she's been wanting to hear for
many months. He has invited a young man, Jim O'Connor, to dinner-
tomorrow!
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_V ^paragraph 15}
  Amanda is ecstatic, of course, but also very businesslike,
thinking of what has to be done to prepare for the guest. Her mind
races through the list of chores: do the laundry, polish the silver,
put up fresh curtains, plan the menu. She quizzes Tom about Jim's job,
background, and looks. She wants to know especially if he drinks.
Jim would not be right for Laura if he were a drinking man. Although
she's just heard of the invitation, Amanda speaks of Jim as Laura's
future husband, as a man with family responsibilities. Amanda has
probably imagined this moment so often, has anticipated every detail
of the courtship, that the news merely triggers the plan into action.
  Tom tries to yank Amanda back to reality. He hasn't told Jim about
Laura's existence. The invitation was casual, not couched in terms
of "don't you want to meet my sister?" Furthermore, Tom reminds
Amanda, Laura is not one to make an instant good impression. She's
peculiar, living "in a world of her own- a world of little glass
ornaments... She plays old phonograph records and- that's about all."
  Tom's accurate description of Laura troubles Amanda. But it's only a
temporary setback. She has too much invested in her illusion to be
waylaid by the truth.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VI
                              SCENE SIX
-
  You're soon to meet Jim O'Connor, the man designated by Amanda to
rescue Laura from a life of dependency. Early in his narration, Tom
called Jim a symbolic figure- "the long-delayed but always expected
something that we live for." At the start of this scene Tom tells
you about the real Jim O'Connor:
  Tom recalls that Jim was the most revered student at Soldan High
School- popular, talented, athletic- the kind everyone envies. You
suspect, too, that Jim is the high school hero Laura liked years
ago. But the real world failed to treat Jim as kindly as the world
of school. Six years after graduation, he holds only a modest job at
the Continental Shoemakers warehouse. Because Tom remembered the
days of Jim's triumphs, Jim valued Tom's friendship. He also nicknamed
Tom "Shakespeare" for his habit of writing poetry in the warehouse
bathroom during slow hours.
  Jim's arrival approaches. Amanda has brightened up the apartment
overnight. Laura wears a new dress. The stage directions say that a
"fragile, unearthly prettiness has come out in Laura: she is like a
piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary
radiance, not actual, not lasting." Do you find the last few phrases
of that description ominous? Is Laura's prettiness an illusion?
  Amanda intends to snare the unsuspecting Mr. O'Connor. The final
touch is her own "spectacular appearance." She dons the same party
dress that she wore as a girl- the one she wore the day she met her
future husband. The garment is totally out of place in a St. Louis
tenement, but to Amanda, for the time being, the apartment could
just as well be a mansion in Mississippi on the night of the
Governor's Ball. Can there be any doubt that Amanda has attempted to
re-create a piece of her own youth? If Laura can't win Mr. O'Connor
with her lovely fragility, Amanda intends to overwhelm him with charm.
  Amanda has kept Jim's name from Laura until now, just a few
minutes before her prospective beau is due to arrive. Another little
deception, Amanda? Laura is horrified by the revelation. She's
overcome with fright and claims to feel sick. She refuses to open
the door when the knock comes. Instead, she darts to the record
player, her safe haven. But Amanda forces her to let Jim in.
                                     {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VI ^paragraph 5}
  Jim acknowledges Laura, but hardly notices her. He's too involved in
telling Tom about a public speaking course he's taking. Jim is also
intent on advising Tom to shape up at the warehouse. The boss
disapproves of Tom's work and has talked about firing him.
  The warning doesn't trouble Tom. Rather, he almost welcomes it
because he knows that he has completed his side of the bargain with
Amanda. He tells Jim that he's ready to quit the job anyway. He's even
tired of the vicarious thrills he gets in the movies. He wants
firsthand excitement now. Tom shows Jim a Union of Merchant Seamen
card, which he bought with money that he should have used to pay the
light bill. Jim, however, dismisses Tom's revelations as hot air.
Could it be that Jim doesn't believe his friend, or that he doesn't
understand him?
  Presently Amanda, oozing charm, joins the two young men. Her
appearance shocks Tom. Even Jim is taken aback slightly. Amanda must
think that talking nonstop is the best way to impress Jim. She plunges
ahead at full throttle, skipping from topic to topic at random. This
is Amanda in her prime, entertaining a flock of gentleman callers in
Blue Mountain.
  Tom is embarrassed, but Jim, after his initial shock, is won over.
He nods and smiles at Amanda's monologue, and during the remainder
of the scene says literally only one single word.
  Meanwhile Laura remains terror stricken in the kitchen. Her
illness is not feigned. Fear has brought on a fever. Amanda explains
to Jim that Laura became ill standing over a hot stove. Tom helps
Laura into the living room to lie down.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII
                             SCENE SEVEN
-
  Although Laura lies huddled on the couch all through dinner,
Amanda remains cheerful. She's so high spirited that you'd think
that Jim was invited to dinner for her and not for Laura.
  No sooner does the scene start than the lights go out. Tom, you've
heard, has not paid the light bill, and the electric company has
chosen this moment to cut off the power. Can you imagine what Amanda
might say about Tom's failure to pay the bill if Jim weren't present?
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: ON "LIGHT"  You have seen numerous references to lights of all
kinds throughout the play: moon, lightbulbs, match flame, candlelight,
torch, lightning. If moonlight conventionally symbolizes romance, what
could lightning represent? Could it be the harsh light of reality?
When Tom remarks that "nowadays the world is lit by lightning" he
seems to be referring to war. Since a courtship of sorts dominates
this scene, you'll see many lights usually associated with romance:
candles, moonlight, and so forth. The abrupt loss of electricity,
while reminding you that you can't ignore the reality of paying your
bills, also provides a convenient reason for using candles to
illuminate this "love" scene between Jim and Laura. At the same
time, though, keep in mind that the whole play is dimly lit to
represent memory.
                                    {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Amanda manages to remain charming despite the stress she must
feel. But even as she banters with Jim, you'll hear hints of
seriousness. In a few sentences of apparently light conversation,
she mentions the "mysterious universe," the "high price for
negligence," and "everlasting darkness." Perhaps these phrases have
been included to prepare you for things to come in the play,
although you should guard against reading something too ominous into
the words.
  Finally, Amanda sends Jim into the living room to keep Laura
company. To light his way, she gives him an old candelabrum, a relic
from the burned-down Church of the Heavenly Rest.
-
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: ON CHRISTIAN REFERENCE  Are you tempted to seek a symbolic
meaning in the church candelabrum? This isn't the first reference to
religion in the play, but it comes at a crucial moment. Amanda may
view Jim as a "savior" of sorts as he goes to talk to Laura. Could
that be the reason she equips him with a holy object? Jim as a
Christ figure may be hard for you to accept. Nevertheless, he has been
summoned to save Laura. And don't ignore the fact that earlier in
the play Amanda plans fish for dinner because Jim is Irish Catholic.
Fish, you may know, is a traditional symbol for Christ.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  We're about to find out if Amanda's carefully laid plan- or would
you prefer to call it a trap?- will work as she hopes. Jim sits down
with Laura and talks with her warmly. Frightened and breathless as
usual, Laura listens.
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 15}
  Jim dominates the conversation. He's friendly and self-assured.
Maybe he's practicing what he learned in his courses on how to be
successful. His monologue may remind you of Amanda's behavior
earlier in the evening. Is he trying to win Laura's admiration as he
was won over by Amanda?
  Jim obviously likes to talk about himself. Laura is just the
opposite. As soon as Jim swings the topic of conversation to Laura's
shyness, notice how nimbly Laura tosses the ball back to Jim.
  Laura raises the subject of Jim's singing. It's her way of reminding
him that they've met before. As they talk, memories of high school
come flooding back. Jim remembers that he called Laura "Blue Roses," a
name that rhymes with pleurosis, an ailment that kept Laura out of
school for a time. The name fits somehow, even six years later,
because a blue rose, like Laura, is "different," set apart from
others. If you ever see a blue rose, you can bet it's one of a kind.
  Laura steers the conversation to Jim's triumphant high school
career. When she hands him their high school yearbook (notice its
name: The Torch!), Jim accepts it "reverently." To Jim, the book is
a precious record of his past glory.
  Although he delights in recalling the past, Jim keeps his eye on the
present. (Remember, Tom labelled Jim "an emissary from the world of
reality.") He confesses to Laura that he hasn't yet accomplished all
that he once hoped to. Jim's willingness to talk openly emboldens
Laura. She asks about Jim's high school sweetheart. The news that he
dropped her long ago sends Laura's insides into a tumult.
Instinctively, she reaches for her glass menagerie, her haven in times
of stress.
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 20}
  Laura wouldn't think of Jim as her "savior" in the religious
sense. Yet, he shows the zeal of a missionary in his effort to
redeem Laura from lifelong feelings of inferiority. Notice his long,
sermon-like speeches about the proper way to lead one's Life. Christ
taught many moral lessons through example. In his preaching, Jim cites
his own actions to illustrate self-confidence.
  Will Jim actually rescue Laura from misery? If you think so,
you're seeing Jim through rose-colored glasses, the way Amanda and
Laura do. On the other hand, if Jim strikes you as just an ordinary
fellow out for a pleasant evening, you're probably more realistic
about him. Look closely at his behavior. Does he truly intend to
change Laura? Or does he brag a bit only to boost his own ego?
  His advice to Laura could just as well be delivered to himself. It
heightens still more his desire to keep striving for success. He's
even moved to sing the praises of American democracy.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 25}
  NOTE: Jim's vision of American democracy is cloudy. It's based on
his naive belief that a young person with the right connections and
a few night school courses in executive behavior will zoom to the
top of the corporate ladder. But how many young people achieve success
that way? Jim's plan sounds like an obsolete success myth- that is, an
illusion. In addition, Jim ignores the approach of World War II, a
real event which postponed or upset virtually every American's plans
for the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Jim takes a polite interest in Laura's glass collection. Observe how
respectfully Jim accepts Laura's fantasy about her unicorn. A less
sensitive person might ridicule Laura's notion that the unicorn "loves
the light," but not Jim. He's more appreciative than she could wish.
  Then he asks Laura to dance. You have to admire him, for who would
have thought that anyone could ever get Laura to dance? While
dancing they bump the table. The unicorn falls to the floor. Its
horn has broken off. Now it's like all the other horses.
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 30}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The symbolism of the unicorn's breakage is as transparent as
the glass itself. But that doesn't make it any less poignant or
effective. Without its horn, the unicorn is no longer unique. During
the evening Laura has broken out of her world of unreality. She,
too, has become less "freakish." It's a significant moment in the
play.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 35}
  Jim blames himself for the mishap, but Laura seems not to mind at
all. How much Laura has changed! Recall that earlier in the play she
had been distraught when Tom knocked the menagerie shelf to the floor.
Jim is struck by Laura's graceful good humor as well as by her
uniqueness. Suddenly, he's overcome by emotions he can't control. He
is tongue tied. He can't think of anything better to do than kiss
Laura on the lips.
  Jim immediately realizes his mistake. He shouldn't have led her
on. Gently, he breaks the news to Laura that he won't be calling again
because he's engaged to Betty. Laura is speechless with shock. As
Tennessee Williams writes, "The holy candles on the altar of Laura's
face have been snuffed out." Jim asks Laura to speak, but she can't.
Instead, she gives him the broken glass unicorn as a souvenir. A
souvenir of what? Of a happy evening? Maybe a token of appreciation
for his attempt to help her overcome her problem? Or does she intend
to make him feel guilty?
  Do you blame Jim for withholding the information about his
engagement? Was it wrong for Jim to lead Laura on under false
pretenses? Or is he perfectly justified in doing so because he had
been invited to dinner only for the purpose of meeting Laura? You
might sympathize with him for being a victim of his own conflicting
emotions. Perhaps he would like to love Laura, but he feels
compelled to hold back because she doesn't fit the mold of a
business executive's wife.
  Amanda chooses this moment to serve lemonade. As bubbly as before,
she encounters a tense and somber situation in the living room. Her
gaiety makes the news of Jim's engagement all the more shocking. In
a moment, Jim is out the door. Not only has Jim failed to be Laura's
knight in shining armor, but he hasn't even been an eligible
candidate.
  While the evening may not have been a disaster for Laura, it has
been for Amanda. She casts about for someone to blame. She won't blame
herself, of course, although you might argue that she should have
known the risks of investing so much in one evening. Tom, therefore,
has to be responsible. Amanda's temper rises. She accuses Tom of
deliberate deception, of living in a dream world and manufacturing
illusions. Do you see that Amanda could just as easily be talking
about herself? In this instance there may be truth in the old idea
that we dislike in others what we dislike about ourselves.
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 40}
  Tom refuses to take the blame. It was an innocent mistake, he
claims, but Amanda refuses to accept such an excuse. Tom knows his
mother well enough to realize he has no hope of dissuading her, so
he immediately sets off for the movies. But, as you'll see, he goes
much farther. He has fulfilled his obligation at home and can do no
more. As he leaves, Amanda shouts after him, "Go to the moon- you
selfish dreamer!"
  Do you share Amanda's judgment that Tom is a selfish dreamer? You
may also appreciate Tom's desperation and his need to do what every
young person must do at some point in life: break from home and find
one's own identity and place in the world.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Tom leaves the apartment in a rage, but he doesn't leave St.
Louis until he is fired from his job. If you could look into Tom's
head you might find considerable confusion. He wants to leave home,
but it's difficult to do so. He also may realize that he could fail to
find his dream out in the world. To guard against assuming total
responsibility for possible failure, he waits until he is fired. As
a result, he can blame his boss instead of himself in case things turn
out badly. Tom, like his mother, needs a scapegoat.
                                   {GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 45}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Tom's closing speech reviews his wanderings since he left St. Louis.
Does he believe that he made the right choice to follow his father's
footsteps? Did he find the adventure he sought in the merchant navy?
Tom declares that "cities swept about me like dead leaves... torn from
the branches." Does the statement suggest that world travel suited
him?
  Why did Tom apparently fail to find the romance he craved? Has
life so embittered him that he can't ever be saved from self-pity
and sullenness? Or is he guilt ridden over deserting his mother and
sister? Still another possibility is that Tom was doomed to chase
rainbows. Adventure, romance, excitement- that's what you see in the
movies. To pursue them in real life amounts to self-deception, for
they are often as elusive as illusions.
  Tom can't shake loose his memories of the past. Images of Laura
haunt him. His emotional ties to the past may stretch, but they
never break. Do you think we are all held captive by our past or is
Tom a special case? In the last moment of the play Laura blows out her
candles, casting the stage into total darkness. Williams has devised a
dramatic ending to the play, but the action also suggests that Tom has
finally rid himself of Laura's memory. Why he should suddenly be
able to do so, however, is not totally clear. Perhaps the war,
symbolized by lightning, has changed everything, including the way men
think.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|TEST
                            A STEP BEYOND
                           TEST AND ANSWERS                 (WGLATEST)
-
                                 TEST
-
  _____  1. Amanda frequently talks about her husband because she
-
            A. still loves him in spite of the fact that he deserted
               her
            B. fears that Tom will turn out to be like him
            C. wants her children to know their family heritage
-
  _____  2. The setting of The Glass Menagerie is unrealistic because
-
            I. it exists only in Tom's imagination
           II. it is intended to be symbolic
          III. Tom's memory of the details has faded
-
            A. I, II, and III
            B. I and III only
            C. II and III only
-
  _____  3. Amanda recalls the gentlemen callers of the past whenever
-
            A. the present becomes too painful to bear
            B. she wants to impress others with her social background
            C. Tom insults her
-
  _____  4. Laura usually listens to her mother's stories of Blue
            Mountain because she
-
            A. enjoys hearing them
            B. wants Amanda to enjoy recalling her girlhood
            C. expects to learn how to be popular
-
  _____  5. Tom goes to the movies to
-
            I. get away from Amanda
           II. find adventure
          III. compensate for the boredom of his life
-
            A. I, II and III
            B. I and II only
            C. II and III only
-
  _____  6. Amanda and Tom get into an argument over
-
            A. Tom's reading habits
            B. money
            C. Tom's indifference to Laura
-
  _____  7. Tom chooses to invite Jim O'Connor to meet Laura because
-
            A. Jim and Laura knew each other in high school
            B. he can't think of anyone else
            C. he owes Jim a favor
-
  _____  8. The Paradise Dance Hall contributes to the play as a
-
            I. symbol for temporary and illusory happiness
           II. sign of the neighborhood's run-down condition
          III. source of background music
-
            A. I and III only
            B. II and III only
            C. I, II, and III
-
  _____  9. Laura gives Jim the broken unicorn because
-
            A. she doesn't want him to forget her
            B. she's grateful for his kindness
            C. she wants him to have a wedding gift
-
  _____ 10. Tom refers to cities as "dead leaves" because
-
            A. they have no meaning to him
            B. they have been destroyed by World War II
            C. Laura is not with him
-
  11. Why is The Glass Menagerie an appropriate title for this play?
-
  12. Does this play have a villain? Explain.
-
  13. To what extent is Tom responsible for his "two-by-four
situation"?
-
  14. Laura recalls how self-conscious she felt in high school while
"clumping up the aisle." How would you explain Jim's response that
he "never even noticed"?
-
  15. Which characters, if any, are better off at the end of the
play than they were at the beginning?
-
                               ANSWERS
-
  1. B     2. C     3. A     4. B     5. A     6. A     7. B
  8. C     9. B    10. A
-
  11. Begin by assuming that the title is appropriate. The menagerie
itself belongs to Laura and symbolizes her fragility. But since the
collection gives the play its title, Laura's animals probably
signify more. Think about the menagerie's other qualities. The animals
are not real, for example; they are copies. One piece, the unicorn,
doesn't even represent a real animal. Remember that the menagerie is
not made of window glass. When you look through the little glass
figures, everything appears distorted.
  Additional qualities of the glass menagerie may occur to you: For
instance, think of what glass does to light (makes rainbows), where
the collection is located (on a shelf), and how it helps Laura
escape from reality.
  Can you describe Amanda and her family in similar terms? Are the
Wingfields hardy, realistic people or are they apt to break easily? Do
they view the world clearly and rationally? Do they lead "unreal"
lives?
  You might review the parts of this Book Notes which discuss
character, setting and themes. In those sections you'll find more
similarities between the glass menagerie and other aspects of the
play. The more examples you cite, the more firmly you can assert
that the title fits the play very snugly.
-
  12. Not every work of literature has a villain, so start by defining
the term. The definition will shape your answer.
  The usual concept of a villain is someone (or something) whose
deliberate actions bring harm to others. Most literary villains may
have redeeming qualities, but readers ordinarily disapprove of
villains. Using this definition, you may decide everyone in The
Glass Menagerie has some villainous qualities. Tom, Laura, and Jim
cause Amanda grief and worry. Amanda makes Tom suffer. Jim raises
Laura's hopes and then dashes them. Tom selfishly abandons his family.
  You might search beyond the characters to find your villain. Look to
the circumstances of their lives. You could reasonably blame the
social context for the plight of the Wingfields and Jim O'Connor. To
support this position, read the numerous accounts of the time (the
1930's) and the place (St. Louis tenement) in the stage directions and
in Tom's narration.
-
  13. If you believe that Tom ought to bear responsibility for his own
situation, try to show that he has deliberately chosen a dull,
dead-end job. Also show that he purposely provokes Amanda and that
he's too unimaginative and lazy to leave his rut. For example, you
could argue that if Tom seriously aimed to be a poet, he should stay
home and write rather than go to the movies every night.
  Of course, Tom wouldn't be Tom if he did that, so you might conclude
that Tom is partly a victim of circumstances. He thinks he can get
himself out of his two-by-four situation, but he won't make the
move- not until the end of the play. Family responsibility keeps him
from breaking away. Also, his vision is limited. Another person
might change his life without leaving home. But Tom thinks that the
only way to change is by cutting his ties to Amanda and Laura.
  A third choice- that Tom is trapped through no fault of his own-
invites you to analyze Tom's personality and conditions of his
family life. Tom has no choice about working. He's been stuck as the
family breadwinner since his father left. During the Depression,
people rarely quit jobs because new ones were hard to get. Also, Tom's
conscience keeps him from walking out on his family. And regardless of
his caged-in feeling, he loves Laura too much to leave her in the
lurch.
-
  14. This question calls for an exploration of Jim's past and present
personality. How do you interpret Jim's response to Laura? Yes, Jim is
polite. He takes pains to avoid wounding her. Further, his effort to
boost her self-confidence will fail if he allows her to feel
self-pity. So even if he had noticed her "clumping," is he likely to
acknowledge it? Certainly he can be forgiven his little white lie.
  Perhaps more to the point, though, is that he may be telling Laura
the truth. Perhaps he didn't notice her clumping. Think of the sort of
person Jim was in high school. He was blinded by his own glitter.
Surrounded by admirers and absorbed by self-importance, would he
have noticed Laura? Perhaps he is destined always to be saying, "I
never even noticed."
  Another interpretation: Laura's was a relatively mild defect and,
like a roaring in one's ears, was really noticeable only to Laura. She
made too much of it while others, even if they were aware of it at
first, were ready to overlook it.
-
  15. To some extent the four characters remain unchanged at the end
of the play. Amanda continues to relive her youth, Laura still has
no prospects for an independent future, Jim keeps pursuing elusive
success, and Tom remains unfulfilled in his quest for adventure. In
fact, you might argue that some characters are worse off. Laura, for
one, after tasting a few moments of happiness may feel more hopeless
than before.
  On the other hand, if any character has realized something about
life or about himself, that person has grown in some way. Consider
Amanda. In the final scene she has "dignity and tragic beauty." You
couldn't have described her that way at the start of the play. What
has happened to her in the interim?
  While Laura still has no suitor when the play ends, she has had a
modest social triumph, however short-lived. Might the experience
propel her out of her shell?
  Tom could never be happy at home. Although he hasn't found the
adventure he yearned for, is he better off for having tried?
  Finally, Jim. There's little evidence to show that he was better off
after his visit than before. However, his ego may have been boosted by
Laura's admiration. Perhaps he has also become more sensitive to other
people's feelings.

GLASS_MENAGERIE|TERM_PAPER_IDEAS
            TERM PAPER IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING   (WGLATERM)
-
  CHARACTER STUDIES
-
  1. What gives Tom the sense that he's in a "two-by-four" situation?
-
  2. What are the apparent causes of Laura's removal from reality?
What are the probable hidden causes?
-
  3. If Tom were to write home after he leaves, what would he say to
Amanda? To Laura?
-
  4. If the play were in the memory of a character other than Tom, how
would the play be different?
-
  5. Who is the hero of the play? What evidence can you offer to
support your opinion?
-
  6. What are Amanda's strengths and failings as a mother?
-
  SYMBOLISM IN THE PLAY
-
  1. Are the symbols for each character appropriate?
-
  2. How do the play's symbols relate to its themes?
-
  3. Compare and contrast symbolism in The Glass Menagerie with that
in A Streetcar Named Desire.
-
  THE PLAY AND ITS MEANINGS
-
  1. How do the unconventional, anti-realistic production techniques
contribute to the play's meanings?
-
  2. In which ways does "memory" contribute to the mood of the play?
-
  3. Is the ending of the play optimistic or pessimistic? Explain.
-
  4. Discuss whether Tom's predicament is common or extraordinary.
-
  5. What are the uses of illusion in everyday life? Do the play's
characters use illusions in an unusual way?
-
  6. To what degree is the play autobiographical?

STREETCAR|PLOT
                       A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
                               THE PLAY
-
                               THE PLOT                     (WSTRPLOT)
-
  Imagine a delicate white moth flitting about a heap of garbage in
a cinder lot. That's approximately the feeling created by the sight of
Blanche DuBois arriving in Elysian Fields to visit her sister Stella
and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. Blanche not only looks out of
place, she acts that way, too. Refinement and good breeding show in
all she says and does, at least until her mask is stripped away bit by
bit.
  Blanche teaches high school English in Laurel, Mississippi. She
needs a place to stay while recovering from a nervous breakdown.
Stella agrees to accommodate Blanche, at least for a while, but she
cautions Blanche that the apartment is tiny and that Stanley isn't the
sort of man Blanche may be used to. He's rough and undignified. But
Stella adores him despite his crude manner.
                                               {STREETCAR|PLOT ^paragraph 5}
  Soon after arriving, Blanche reveals that Belle Reve, the old family
plantation in Laurel, has been lost to creditors. Blanche blames her
sister for leaving home years ago while she was forced to stay on
and watch all the residents of Belle Reve die off one by one.
  The loss of Belle Reve troubles Stanley. He distrusts Blanche and
accuses her of having sold the plantation to buy furs and jewels. When
Blanche denies wrongdoing, Stanley ransacks her belongings looking for
a bill of sale. He tears open a packet of letters and poems written by
Blanche's husband, who committed suicide years ago. Stella tries
unsuccessfully to protect her fragile sister from Stanley's fury.
  That night Blanche and Stella go to the movies while Stanley and his
friends play poker and drink. When they return, Blanche is
introduced to Mitch, whose courteous manner sets him apart from
Stanley's other friends. She charms Mitch easily and begins to flirt
with him. Upset that the poker game has been interrupted, Stanley
explodes in a drunken rage. He hurls a radio out the window and he
strikes Stella. Spurred by Stanley's assault on his pregnant wife, his
friends drag him into the shower. Meanwhile, Stella and Blanche escape
upstairs to a friend's apartment.
  Dripping wet, Stanley emerges into the street. Like an animal crying
for his mate, he keeps calling Stella until she comes down and
allows herself to be carried off to bed. Later Mitch returns and
apologizes to Blanche for Stanley's coarse behavior.
  Blanche is disgusted by Stanley's barbarity and would like to leave,
but she has nowhere else to go. She invents a story about a rich
friend named Shep Huntleigh who might give her refuge. She tries to
persuade Stella to flee with her. However, Stella rebuffs Blanche
and pledges love for Stanley regardless of how brutally he treats her.
                                              {STREETCAR|PLOT ^paragraph 10}
  Mitch, a lonesome man in search of a wife, begins to date Blanche.
But Stanley has acquired some information about her that would
probably destroy the relationship. Stanley has learned that Blanche
was an infamous whore back in Laurel. Blanche denies it, but soon
after, when Blanche flirts with a newsboy, you realize that
Stanley's assertion may be true.
  Mitch talks of marriage. Blanche discloses the tragic story of her
earlier marriage to Allan, who turned out to be a homosexual. When
Blanche rejected him, Allan took his own life. Now Blanche can't erase
from her mind the image of his bloody corpse or the sound of the fatal
gunshot. Profoundly moved, Mitch embraces Blanche.
  Stanley, meanwhile, has learned that Blanche hasn't taken a leave
from her teaching job. Rather, she has been fired because she
seduced one of her students. In addition, she was told to leave Laurel
because night after night she entertained soldiers from a nearby
army base.
  Stanley tells Mitch about Blanche's past. As Stella prepares a
birthday party for her sister, Stanley tells her, too. Shocked, Stella
pleads with Stanley to be gentle with Blanche. But Stanley presents
Blanche with a cruel birthday present- a one-way bus ticket back to
Laurel. Stella rebukes Stanley for his heartlessness, but he reminds
her that their marriage had liberated her from a life of phony
gentility. Suddenly Stella feels labor pains and Stanley rushes her to
the hospital.
  That evening Mitch visits Blanche. He is highly agitated and tells
her what Stanley has said. She pleads for understanding by
confessing that she had been intimate with men in order to fill her
emptiness after Allan's suicide. Her tale arouses Mitch. He wants
the sex that she's dispensed to others. He starts to assault her,
but she repels him by shouting "Fire!" out the window.
                                              {STREETCAR|PLOT ^paragraph 15}
  Late that night Stanley returns to find Blanche dressed in fine
traveling clothes. She informs Stanley that Shep Huntleigh has invited
her on a cruise and that Mitch had apologized for not coming to her
birthday party. Stanley bluntly calls her a liar. He wants to prove
that he hasn't been fooled by her lies. He approaches her seductively.
She tries to stop him with a bottle, but too weak to resist, she
collapses at his feet. Stanley picks her up, then carries her off to
be raped.
  Weeks later Stella is packing Blanche's belongings. Blanche thinks
that she's going to the country for a rest, but in truth, Blanche is
being committed to a mental hospital. Stella doesn't know if she's
doing the right thing. In order to preserve her marriage, however,
Stella has decided to dismiss the story of the rape as just another of
Blanche's fictions.
  While dressing, Blanche talks of cruises and romantic adventures
with Shep Huntleigh. Shortly, Stella leads Blanche out to meet the
doctor and nurse from the hospital. Blanche balks at the sight of
them. The nurse begins to overpower her with a straitjacket. But the
doctor intervenes. He talks kindly to Blanche, as though he is the
gentleman caller she's been expecting. Calmed by the doctor's
gentleness, Blanche takes his arm and walks to the waiting ambulance.

STREETCAR|CHARACTERS
                            THE CHARACTERS                  (WSTRCHAR)
-
  BLANCHE DUBOIS
  Blanche is an English teacher, but she's one of a kind. You'd
never forget her if you took her course. Shortly before the play
begins, Blanche has lost her job. She wasn't fired for poor teaching
skills, however. The superintendent's letter said Blanche was "morally
unfit for her position." That's probably a fair evaluation of a
teacher who seduced one of the seventeen-year-old boys in her class.
Also, Blanche's sexual exploits so outraged the citizens of Laurel,
Mississippi, that they practically threw her out of town.
  You don't know all these facts about Blanche until late in the play.
At first, she seems to be just a high-strung, but refined, woman who
has come to New Orleans to pay her sister a visit. But as the play
unfolds, you see Blanche's past revealed bit by bit. At the end she is
undone, fit only for an asylum. Nevertheless, you never see her
humbled by defeat. She maintains ladylike dignity even after being
raped. Perhaps she's not as crazy as she appears. In fact, there might
be places where she would not be regarded insane at all.
  As an ambiguous character Blanche may arouse both compassion and
disapproval simultaneously. She is often regarded as a symbol of a
decaying way of life engaged in a losing struggle against modern
commercialism. She came to Elysian Fields seeking love and help, but
she found hostility and rejection. She has been scarred by her
husband's suicide and by the loss of her ancestral home. She's reached
a stage of life when she can no longer depend on her good looks to
attract a man. Is it any wonder that she flirts and prefers dimly
lit places?
  To compensate for loneliness and despair, she creates illusions,
much like Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. Also like Amanda,
Blanche clings to the manners and speech of dying Southern
gentility. Pretending is important to her. It makes her feel
special. She says that deception is half of a lady's charm. She
calls it "magic." Unfortunately, though, she is caught in a
situation with Stanley Kowalski, who not only abhors her superior
airs, but seems bent on destroying her for them. Why Stanley finds
Blanche such a threat is worth thinking about.
                                         {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 5}
  Some people consider Blanche not a tragic victim but an immoral
woman who deserves what she gets. Blanche tells so many lies that
she herself can't remember them all. Some lies may be harmless, but
others are destructive. For example, Mitch is crushed by her
untruthfulness.
  Because of her past- town whore, liar, sexual deviate- you may agree
with critics who say that Blanche is an object of derision- too
degenerate to be taken seriously. On the other hand, her past behavior
can be explained and maybe even defended. If you appreciate what has
happened to her in life, you can understand why she acts the way she
does.
  In the end you may see Blanche as an advocate of civilized values.
She alone speaks up for the nobility of humanity, for its achievements
in the arts, for progress made by civilization. Are you struck by
the irony of having uplifting words come from the mouth of an
ex-prostitute? It is odd perhaps, but remember that Blanche often
confuses truth and illusion. Perhaps Williams may be implying that
society's most illustrious accomplishments are illusions, too, and
that the brutish Stanley more accurately represents our true nature.
-
  STANLEY KOWALSKI
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 10}
  You always know where you stand with Stanley. He speaks plainly,
he never hides his feelings, and he hates affectations of any kind.
Yet in some respects he is a mystery. Why is he so intent on
destroying Blanche? What makes him so aggressive? What was he like
as a young man? How did he get to meet and court Stella? How does a
man as animal-like as Stanley succeed as a traveling representative of
his company? In short, is there more to Stanley than meets the eye?
  You can only speculate. But sparse as the evidence is, you know he's
a sturdy man of Polish descent, who likes to drink, play poker, and
bowl. His greatest pleasure is sex. He also has a violent streak. He
strikes Stella, hurls a radio out the window, throws dishes, shouts,
and in uncontrollable fury, he rapes Blanche.
  Yet, because of the actor Marlon Brando's original interpretation,
Stanley is a brute with surprising appeal. Brando set the standard,
making it difficult for later actors to reshape the role. Stanley
can make you laugh at his earthy wit. His frankness is refreshing.
There's no doubt about the power of his personality. He's always going
to extremes, from his adoration of Stella to his self-centered
pleasures.
  Stanley's efforts to ruin Blanche reveal still other dimensions of
his personality. Blanche not only interferes with his sex life, she
attempts to lure Stella away from him. So his hatred of Blanche is
quick and unrelenting. Perhaps you can respect Stanley for trying to
defend his cave, but must he also destroy the intruder? Do you
ravage a person merely for getting under your skin and cramping your
style? Has Blanche really done anything to provoke Stanley's venom?
Did she rob him of Belle Reve as he believes? Do Blanche's insults
stir his hatred? What about Blanche's pretenses and perpetual lying?
  Perhaps Stanley just can't tolerate the thought of being taken
advantage of. If that's the case, he may mean no harm; he merely wants
to protect his fragile ego and his way of life.
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 15}
  A further explanation of Stanley's malice toward Blanche may lie
in the fact that they are a man and a woman. As a virile hunk of man
Stanley is used to having his way with women. Blanche won't give him
his way. But his discovery that she's been a whore is his ticket to
tear away her pretenses, rape her, and bring her down to his level
once and for all.
-
  STELLA KOWALSKI
  If you didn't know that Blanche and Stella were sisters, could you
guess that they were related? Both have a refinement that the other
residents of Elysian Fields lack. They grew up together at Belle Reve.
After the sisters reached adulthood Stella left for New Orleans, where
she met and married Stanley.
  What Stella might have become without Stanley is anybody's guess.
She might have turned out like Blanche, trying futilely to maintain
appearances and lying her way through life. Perhaps she would still be
tied to the shabby gentility of the Old South because who but
Stanley would have "pulled [her] down off them columns" on the
plantation?
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 20}
  Stella is an unlikely mate for her brutal husband. She's a gentle
woman of about twenty-five, level-headed and affectionate. Sex and
bowling are the only interests she shares with him. When he plays
poker, she goes to the movies. She accepts his tantrums, his abuses,
and his coarse manners, perhaps the price she pays for having
Stanley as a husband and a sex partner.
  Stella seems to have the patience of a saint. When Blanche insults
her, Stella often listens unperturbed, as though she is insensitive.
But wouldn't you expect Stella to be hurt by Blanche's patronizing
judgments? Why doesn't Stella fight back more often? Does she
decline to defend herself because she has no ground for a defense,
or could there be something else holding her back? Is Blanche's
criticism too close to the painful truth? As Blanche berates her
little sister, an unconscious hostility may be building inside Stella,
something that may have begun years ago when the sisters were young.
At the end of the play, when Stella commits Blanche to an asylum,
you might regard Stella's action as her ultimate expression of
antagonism toward her older sister.
  Of course Stella may send Blanche away for her own good. She may
prefer to believe that Blanche is insane rather than face the truth
about Stanley. In effect, Stella chooses to sacrifice her sister
rather than to destroy her marriage. Actually, it's uncertain
whether Stella knows that Stanley raped Blanche. If she knows and
closes her eyes to the fact, however, she is probably behaving true to
form. Stella has learned a useful lesson from her older sister- how to
deceive oneself to avoid coping with painful reality.
-
  HAROLD MITCHELL ("MITCH")
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 25}
  When Blanche meets Mitch, she is ready to turn her life around.
Ordinarily, Blanche might have her eye out for a rich and courtly
gentleman like the legendary Shep Huntleigh. Now she settles for
Mitch, a good-hearted and honest fellow, but also a rather dull and
self-conscious one.
  Why is Blanche drawn to him? Obviously, it's not his awkward
manner or stumbling speech that attracts her. Nor is it his short
supply of intellect, money, wit, or looks. She is struck by his
courtesy. He is the first person to treat her like a lady since her
arrival in New Orleans. Second, he is an unmarried man. And his
sense of propriety, in contrast to the other men in Stanley's
poker-playing crowd of slobs, makes him stand out like a prince. He
also happens to be lonely and is looking for someone to love.
  Mitch is enthralled by Blanche the moment he sees her. She is
clearly more refined, charming and intelligent than the women he's
used to. He knows that his mother would approve. That's important to
him. You rarely hear Mitch speak without mentioning his mother.
  Blanche would be a good substitute for his mother. Blanche dominates
Mitch, too, practically leading him around on a leash. He won't even
kiss her without permission.
  When you consider their personalities, what are the prospects for
a successful match between Blanche and Mitch?
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 30}
  Stanley's revelations about Blanche's past put an end to the
relationship. You don't see Mitch when he hears the truth about
Blanche, but you can imagine his grief and shock.
-
  EUNICE HUBBELL
  The Hubbells own the building where the Kowalskis rent the
first-floor apartment. Eunice and her husband live upstairs. Eunice
pries into the daily lives of Stella and Stanley. You might call her
nosy, or to be kind, neighborly. She probably deserves kindness
because, like a big sister, she helps Stella in times of distress. For
example, she gives refuge to Stella whenever Stanley goes on a
rampage. The sounds that come from the Hubbells' apartment add to
the jungle-like ambience of Elysian Fields and reveal that fighting
and lovemaking are not restricted to the street floor of the building.
  Eunice's comment to Stella about the rape of Blanche illustrates how
Eunice, whose instincts are generally tender, has come to terms with
the unspeakable vulgarity around her: "Don't ever believe it. Life has
got to go on. No matter what happens, you've got to keep on going."
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 35}
-
  STEVE HUBBELL
  Steve is one of Stanley's poker and drinking cronies. Like
Stanley, he is crass and inelegant. He fights with his wife Eunice,
throws dishes at her, and later, comes crawling back to her
apologetically.
-
  PABLO GONZALES
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 40}
  Pablo is the fourth member of Stanley's card-playing gang. Like
the others, he is slovenly in mind and body.
-
  A YOUNG COLLECTOR
  When he comes to collect for the newspaper he gets a kiss from
Blanche instead of his fee. Blanche's encounter with the boy calls
to mind two other boys in her experience: her young husband and the
student in her English class whom she seduced.
-
                                        {STREETCAR|CHARACTERS ^paragraph 45}
  NURSE AND DOCTOR
  They come to accompany Blanche to the asylum. The nurse, or
matron, is just about to stuff Blanche into a straitjacket when the
doctor, recognizing that a gentle hand is needed, steps in. Blanche
rewards the doctor with thanks.

STREETCAR|SETTING
                            OTHER ELEMENTS
-
                               SETTING                      (WSTRSETT)
-
  Streetcar arrived on the stage in 1947. But don't assume that the
story takes place in that year. Think of the story unfolding from
May to September of any year you choose. It's true that Stanley and
Mitch were army buddies in World War Two, but they could just as
well be veterans of Vietnam or any other war.
  The entire drama is played out on a single set. The street called
Elysian Fields crosses the front of the stage. Through the transparent
front wall of a shabby two-story structure, you see Stanley and
Stella's flat, two rooms separated by a curtain. Beyond the
apartment's rear wall, also transparent, you see the French Quarter of
New Orleans.
  Williams may have wanted you to feel that the drama enacted in the
Kowalskis' flat was merely an extension of life in the city, and so he
specified see-through walls in his stage directions. Outside you
find railroad yards, a big water tank, empty lots and river docks-
in short, nothing pretty or natural. In the characters you see another
kind of ugliness: meanness, lying, hatred and more. Another
possibility is that the transparent walls symbolize Williams' approach
to the people in the play. It's not that you know them inside and
out by the time the play ends, but that the characters' actions invite
you to probe the inner workings of their hearts and minds.
                                            {STREETCAR|SETTING ^paragraph 5}
  Throughout the play you hear the sounds of the city. The tinny music
of a "Blue Piano," suggesting sadness and lost love, recurs in several
scenes. In addition, trains roar, radios blare, couples fight and make
love. Windows and doors are kept open all summer, blurring the
distinction between inside and outside. Stanley and his friends seem
to have erased that distinction from their lives, too. Like animals in
heat, they lack inhibition. Stanley especially lets it all hang out.
He says whatever he thinks, regardless of the consequences.
  If you know New Orleans you know the French Quarter. It's an
historic section of the city, a hive of narrow streets, alleyways,
markets, coffee-houses, honky-tonks and shops of all kinds. It's known
for its quaint charm. Elaborate wrought-iron balconies laced with
flowers extend from the facades of numerous buildings. Some of the
residents may live in squalor, but they put up a pretty front. In a
sense, they may remind you of Blanche DuBois.

STREETCAR|THEMES
                                THEMES                      (WSTRTHEM)
-
  The following are themes of A Streetcar Named Desire.
-
  1. THE VICTORY OF THE APES
  One of Blanche's impassioned speeches to Stella depicts Stanley as
an ape. It's true, there is something apelike about him. You see his
primitive qualities from the first moment of the play, when he comes
home lugging a package of bloody meat.
  Stay alert throughout the play for many allusions to the subhuman
quality of life in Elysian Fields. Sometimes the place is described as
a jungle. Shrieks and groans pierce the hot, humid air. Mitch is
described as a bear, the women are called "hens." Stanley and Stella
emit "low, animal moans."
                                             {STREETCAR|THEMES ^paragraph 5}
  Blanche is the only champion for civilization in the play. "Don't
hang back with the brutes!" she tells Stella. What conclusion can be
drawn from the fact that the brutes ultimately destroy her? Are
Blanche's values useless in a savage world?
-
  2. LONELINESS
  Loneliness is a fearful plague. Look at what it's done to Blanche.
Bereft after her husband's suicide, she became a prostitute to fill
her emptiness. She molests young boys and has constructed a web of
pretense to delude herself and others that she is charming and
sociable. She invents tales about her gentleman friend Shep Huntleigh.
Whether he's a real or an imaginary person isn't important. He is real
enough to comfort Blanche and to keep hope alive that someday she'll
be rescued from loneliness.
  The pain of loneliness brings Blanche and Mitch together. No doubt
Blanche prefers men of another stripe, but rather than remain a lonely
spinster for the rest of her life, she's willing to put up with him.
Mitch, too, hopes to find a woman to replace his mother, who will soon
die.
                                            {STREETCAR|THEMES ^paragraph 10}
-
  3. INVENTING A BEAUTIFUL PAST
  When most of us glance back to the past, we wear rose-colored
glasses, and if the present is bleak, the past appears still rosier.
In Streetcar, hardly a character is immune from visions of a beautiful
past.
  Blanche's manner and way of speaking suggest the sort of past she
has lodged in her memory. You'd think she grew up in grandeur and
gentility of the Old South, at least until you hear her tell Stella
the history of Belle Reve's decline. Why does Stella recall the
white-columned plantation with fondness? Would she have left the place
at an early age if life there had been so attractive? The name Belle
Reve (beautiful dream) indicates, perhaps, that both Blanche and
Stella believe in an illusion.
-
                                            {STREETCAR|THEMES ^paragraph 15}
  4. REALITY VS ILLUSION
  In symbolic terms, the conflict between Stanley and Blanche pits
reality against illusion. What is reality? To Stanley reality is
what you can touch and see. Stanley feels right at home in reality-
that is, among real people, the kind who act natural and who say
what they think and feel. Since a human is an animal, according to
Stanley he ought to act like one. To put on airs, to deny one's
instincts, to hide one's feelings- those are dishonest acts.
  No wonder Blanche rejects reality in favor of illusion. Reality
has treated her unkindly. Too much truthfulness destroyed her
marriage. Taking refuge in dreams and illusions, therefore, she
plays a perpetual game of let's pretend. She says what ought to be
true, not what is true.
  Stanley can't tolerate idealists like Blanche. What she calls
"magic" Stanley calls "lies." Losing her way altogether at the end
of the play, Blanche can no longer distinguish illusion from
reality. So she goes to an asylum, the only place where that
distinction doesn't make any difference.
-
                                            {STREETCAR|THEMES ^paragraph 20}
  5. SEXUAL VIOLENCE
  The proverbial conflict between males and females has often been
termed the "battle of the sexes." Sexual hostilities rage throughout
the play. On one side you have Blanche, who is a veteran of
considerable sexual give and take. She lures the newspaper boy into
her arms, but thinks the better of it, and frees him after only one
kiss. She wins Mitch's affection but claims "high ideals" to keep
him at a distance. When Mitch discovers that he's been hoodwinked,
he attempts to rape her. Blanche wards off the attack like a
seasoned warrior.
  Only Stanley is unconquerable. He sees right through Blanche's
sexual pretenses. At the end of his war with Blanche, he rapes her,
proving that in sexual combat, he is the winner and still champion.

STREETCAR|STYLE
                                STYLE                       (WSTRSTYL)
-
  This play about people trapped in frightful conditions brims with
poetry. A poem doesn't always need elegant words. In fact, the
inelegant residents of Elysian Fields speak in the blunt,
straight-forward idiom of common people. Only Blanche's manner of
speaking soars above the ordinary. Figurative language gushes
naturally from her lips. For example, she tells Mitch how life's
joys have been extinguished: "And then the searchlight which had
been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment
since has there been any light that's stronger than this- kitchen-
candle...." Why did Williams give Blanche the gift of poetic speech?
Yes, she's an English teacher, but perhaps he had other purposes.
How does her eloquence affect her relationship with Stanley, for
instance?
  You also find poetic language, rich with imagery, in Williams' stage
directions: "The houses [of New Orleans] are mostly white frame,
weathered grey, with rickety outside stairs and galleries and quaintly
ornamented gables." To help create the mood of the play, Williams
prescribes the sound of a "tinny piano being played with the
infatuated fluency of brown fingers." To give you a sense of the
character, he calls Stanley a "gaudy seed bearer" and a "richly
feathered male bird among hens." Blanche's uncertain manner, as well
as her white clothes, suggest "a moth."
  Apes, hens, a moth- Williams' images make up a menagerie. Why does
the playwright repeatedly compare his characters to animals? Does
Williams keep you mindful of the constant tension between man's
civilized impulses and his beast-like instincts?
  The playwright may also be highlighting the symbolic clash between
Stanley and Blanche. To be sure, Stanley stands for primitivism.
Blanche speaks up for civilization. May she also represent the
romantic traditions of the past? Don't be satisfied with only those
interpretations of Stanley and Blanche. Try to extract additional
symbolic meanings in the conflict between the play's antagonists.
For example, what can you make of the fact that one is a dreamer and
pretender, the other a realist?
  You're always sure to find carefully-chosen symbols in a Williams
play. Even the names of people and places carry symbolic weight. The
streetcars, "Desire" and "Cemetery," evoke among other things,
Blanche's need for love and her fear of death. Other names reveal
Williams' irony and humor: he assigns the name "Elysian Fields," a
paradise in ancient mythology, to a cheerless street in modern New
Orleans. "Blanche" means white, the color signifying purity. "Stella,"
the earthy sister, means star. And "Belle Reve," of course, means
"beautiful dream."

STREETCAR|VIEW
                            POINT OF VIEW                   (WSTRVIEW)
-
  Unlike The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire has no narrator
to tell you the story. No one comes between you and the characters
on the stage. The story is presented as it is in most plays- by
characters simply playing their parts. What the characters
represent, how they interact, how they resolve conflicts all help to
establish the playwright's point of view.
  In the script of the play Williams includes plenty of material
that describes the set, the appearance of the characters, the sound
and light needed to create moods and so forth. But he doesn't tell you
how to view the characters: Is Blanche sane or insane? Does Stanley
have redeeming qualities? Is it right for Stella to commit Blanche
to an asylum? Although these are questions that Williams probably
wants you to answer for yourself, he gives you his own bias by
focusing the play on Blanche.
  Blanche stands apart as the central figure. Streetcar is her
story, and you have a ringside seat to her private agony and
disintegration. You never see anyone except Blanche on stage alone.
Minor characters like the newsboy and the flower peddler are
interesting only insofar as they touch Blanche. By the time the play
ends you know Blanche better than any other character. You probably
understand why she acts as she does and appreciate what has happened
to her. That doesn't mean you cherish her. But you might feel
compassion for her, as you might for anyone who has lost her way.
  How you feel about Blanche and how you interpret her actions will
ultimately determine your views not only about the other characters,
but about the themes and ideas conveyed by the play as a whole.

STREETCAR|FORM
                          FORM AND STRUCTURE                (WSTRFORM)
-
  Most plays have acts. Streetcar doesn't. Rather it is divided into
eleven scenes occurring in chronological order and taking place
between May and September.
  In most productions of a play, you'll find intermissions at
natural breaks in the action. In many productions of Streetcar,
intermissions come after Stanley has won his first major victory
over Blanche, at the end of Scene Four. A second break sometimes
occurs when Scene Six concludes, after Blanche has won Mitch's love.
Thus, the first third of the play ends with a defeat for Blanche,
the second with a triumph.
  The last scenes follow Blanche's decline into permanent defeat-
her insanity. You might observe a kind of rhythm in the action of
the play, a pulsing series of episodes, which may explain why Williams
chose to build the play using several short scenes instead of a few
longer acts. There's a rhythm of conflict and reconciliation:
Stanley and Stella have a row, then make up. Eunice and Steve fight,
then make up. Blanche, as usual, is out of step with the others. She
establishes a liaison with Mitch, which then breaks up. Perhaps the
regularity of the pattern is meant to suggest vaguely the rhythm of
passion, which reaches a climax in the rape scene. The suggestion
becomes more plausible if you think of the play as a sexual battle
between Stanley and Blanche.
  A Streetcar Named Desire is episodic. A drawing of the play's
structure traces the conflict between Blanche and Stanley and also
parallels the state of Blanche's emotional and mental health.
-
                                               {STREETCAR|FORM ^paragraph 5}
                         (See illustration.)■Çbn_wgla2.cif■Ç
-
  Scene 1: Blanche arrives in New Orleans, meets Stanley; each takes
the other's measure. Blanche generally optimistic.
  Scene 2: Conflict over loss of Belle Reve. Blanche submits papers to
Stanley.
  Scene 3: Poker night. Blanche meets Mitch. Blanche hopeful about the
future.
  Scene 4: Blanche berates Stella. Stanley defeats Blanche in
competition for Stella's allegiance.
  Scene 5: Blanche plans for future; she kisses newsboy. Blanche hopes
that Mitch will provide love.
  Scene 6: Date with Mitch. Blanche wins Mitch's love.
  Scene 7: Preparation for party. Blanche in high spirits.
  Scene 8: Stanley gives Blanche bus ticket; Blanche horrified.
  Scene 9: Mitch visits Blanche, attempts rape. Blanche distraught.
  Scene 10: Stanley returns; rapes Blanche. Blanche destroyed.
  Scene 11: Blanche sent to insane asylum.

STREETCAR|SCENE_I
                               THE PLAY                     (WSTRPLAY)
-
                              SCENE ONE
-
  At the start of A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams
paints a loving portrait of New Orleans.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 5}
  NOTE: Williams spent several months in the city before writing the
play. He lived in a flat overlooking the streetcar tracks where one
car named Desire and another called Cemetery ran back and forth
every day. Somehow the names of the streetcars and their ceaseless
comings and goings struck his poetic mind with "having some symbolic
bearing of a broad nature on the life in the [French Quarter]- and
everywhere else, for that matter...."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Like April in Paris, May in New Orleans is one of those legendary
times of year. The air is warm but not yet thick with summer heat.
Brilliant flowers sprout on sills and terraces. Open doors and windows
blur the distinctions between sidewalk and living room. You walk
down the street in the French Quarter and hear the sounds of a jazz
piano and the voices of the people. The smells are sweet from
cargoes of coffee and bananas in freighters along the river.
  Williams' affection for the place extends even to the run-down
section of town between the railroad tracks and the waterfront. There,
you find a street named Elysian Fields.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 10}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The name comes from Greek myth. Elysium was a happy land, a
paradise free from rain, snow, cold or misfortune of any kind. When
you get further into the play you'll doubtlessly recognize the irony
in Williams' choices of names.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 15}
  Stanley Kowalski comes on stage first, walking with his friend
Mitch. He is a hulk of a man carrying a package of bloody meat,
which he heaves to his wife Stella, standing on the first floor
landing. Williams probably wants you to imagine Stanley as a modern
caveman, returning to his mate with the kill for the day. Instead of
wearing a leopard skin, however, he's carrying a bowling jacket.
Stanley tells Stella that he's on his way to bowl and she, his
faithful mate, follows him to the alley.
  Shortly after Stella leaves, Blanche DuBois, carrying a suitcase,
hesitantly walks down Elysian Fields. From her gestures and her
clothing you can tell instantly that she is a stranger. She Looks as
though she ought to be headed for a summer tea party in the garden
district instead of searching for the rickety, two-story building
occupied by the Kowalskis.
  As soon as she speaks- to ask directions from Eunice Hubbell, the
Kowalskis' upstairs neighbor- you can be sure that Blanche is used
to more refined surroundings. Despite Blanche's doubts that Stella
really lives in such a place, Eunice assures her that she's found
the right address. When Blanche discloses she is Stella's sister,
Eunice escorts Blanche into the apartment. Eunice wants to chat, but
Blanche asks to be left alone, claiming to be tired from her trip.
As she leaves, Eunice offers to tell Stella of Blanche's arrival.
  Until now you have no reason to doubt that Blanche is anything other
than what you've observed and heard: a worn-out traveler from
Mississippi where she teaches school and owns her family's ancestral
home, Belle Reve, a large plantation with a white-columned mansion.
  As soon as Eunice goes out, however, you watch Blanche, apparently
upset and nervous about something, find whiskey in a closet and
quickly swallow half a glassful. Then she mutters to herself, "I've
got to keep hold of myself!"
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 20}
  Whatever has caused Blanche's agitation begins to unfold soon
after Stella returns. Blanche chatters at a feverish pace. As she
speaks, she reveals her unsettled emotional state. In just a brief
dialogue with her sister, Blanche expresses affection, shock, modesty,
concern for Stella, vanity, resentment, and uncertainty about herself.
While almost every sentence reveals another dimension of Blanche's
inner turbulence, the dialogue also illustrates the relationship
between the sisters.
  Blanche explains that she has suffered a nervous breakdown and has
therefore taken a leave from her teaching job in the middle of the
term. Blanche then disparages Stella's messy apartment and
reproaches Stella for gaining so much weight. (Blanche does not know
that Stella is pregnant.)
  Stella almost apologizes for the size of her apartment. She also
starts to prepare Blanche for meeting Stanley and his friends. They're
not exactly the type of men Blanche is accustomed to. Perhaps Stella
already realizes that Stanley and Blanche are not going to get
along. They come from two different worlds. Since Stella came
originally from the same landed gentry as Blanche, she somehow must
have leapt across a social chasm, for now Stella worships Stanley
despite his rough cut. She admits that much of his appeal is sexual.
  Blanche finally turns the conversation to news of home. She fears
telling it, just as anyone might shrink, say, from bearing the
grievous news of a loved one's death. Blanche announces that Belle
Reve has been lost. Before Stella can ask why, Blanche launches into a
passionate and morbid apology which assigns blame for the loss on a
parade of sickness and death that marched through the family. Every
death had to be paid for with a little piece of Belle Reve, and
gradually the place just slipped away through Blanche's fingers.
  More shocked than angry, Stella says nothing. Blanche thinks that
Stella doubts the story and cruelly lashes out at her sister: "Yes,
accuse me! Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go! I
let the place go? Where were you! In bed with your- Polack!"
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 25}
  Blanche's attack on Stella suggests the intensity of her feelings
about the loss. On the other hand, she could be covering up the facts,
possibly to protect herself, possibly because she can't face the
truth. Unable to accept responsibility, she may be casting blame on
the dead people in her family and ultimately on her little sister, all
characters, take note, without the capacity to defend themselves.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: It takes a particularly skillful actress to play Blanche.
She possesses many villainous qualities. In this scene you have
observed her being cruel, bossy, hypocritical and dishonest. Yet,
the actress who portrays her must preserve the goodwill of the
audience. If you didn't like Blanche at least a little, her struggle
with Stanley, which is about to begin, would be far less compelling
than it is.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_I ^paragraph 30}
-
  When Stella runs to the bathroom in tears, Stanley and friends,
Steve and Mitch, return from bowling and plan a poker game for the
following evening. You see that Stanley easily lives up to Stella's
description. He is crude and animal-like, but he knows his sexual
attractiveness and uses it unsparingly.
  Notice how Stanley treats Blanche during their first encounter. Is
there any apparent reason for him to be nasty to her? Does he simply
lack grace? Or has he just taken an instant dislike to Blanche?
Perhaps her airs annoy him. Perhaps he can't tolerate Blanche's
prattling about looking fresh and powdering her face. Because Stella
has told him about her sister, Stanley may long ago have made up his
mind to dislike her. It's also possible that Stanley, like an animal
smelling danger, senses that Blanche may come between him and his mate
in their small living quarters.
  Finally, when Stanley asks about her marriage, Blanche cannot talk
about it with him. Is the subject too painful? Or does she have
something to hide? You'll find out later, but for the moment, she
feels too sick to continue.

STREETCAR|SCENE_II
                              SCENE TWO
-
  It's poker night at the Kowalskis. Stella plans to take Blanche on
the town to get her out of the house while Stanley and his cronies
drink beer and play for modest stakes.
  While Blanche soaks in the tub Stella urges Stanley to be kind to
Blanche. Stanley ignores Stella's pleas. He wants to know more about
the loss of Belle Reve. He can't understand that the place is just-
gone! He wants to see a bill of sale or papers of some kind to confirm
Blanche's story. He cites the Napoleonic Code that says what belongs
to the wife also belongs to the husband and vice versa. If Belle
Reve is gone, it's his loss as well as Stella's.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Stanley is right. Because the Louisiana Territory was owned by
France before President Thomas Jefferson bought it for the United
States, French civil law, the so-called Code Napoleon, was used for
a long time to govern Louisiana's civil affairs. In the Code you
find rules about inheritance and property. In recent years, however,
the Code has gradually been superseded by new laws and court
decisions.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_II ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Stanley suspects that Blanche used the money from Belle Reve to deck
herself in furs and jewels and costly dresses. In defense of
Blanche, Stella tells him that the furs are cheap and the jewelry is
fake, but Stanley refuses to let the matter rest.
  Taking Blanche's side could not be easy for Stella, yet she stands
up for her sister. She may believe Blanche's story. Or perhaps
Blanche's nervous condition has aroused Stella's sympathy. In either
case, Stella is caught in the middle. Before Blanche emerges from
the bathroom, Stella escapes to the porch, leaving Stanley to face
Blanche alone.
  Not suspecting what is in store, Blanche comes out of the bathroom
and banters cheerfully with Stanley. She plays the role of coquette,
flaunting her helplessness and fishing for compliments. But he is wise
to her flirtatious antics, and she is not impressed with his
brutishness. Considering his sexual power, he may also be testing
the water. Does she have the strength to resist him? He probably would
like to find out.
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_II ^paragraph 10}
  Blanche could probably go on all day, but Stanley grows impatient
with the chatter. Suddenly he booms out "Now let's cut the re-bop!" He
wants to know the truth about Belle Reve. When he cites the Napoleonic
Code to Blanche, she taunts him, "My, but you have an impressive
judicial air!" She sprays him with perfume, teasing him some more. Her
seductive manner drives him to say that he'd get the wrong ideas about
her if she wasn't Stella's sister. The remark sobers her a little. She
grants that while she may fib a little, she wouldn't lie about
something as important as Belle Reve. She'll show the papers to
Stanley if he wants to see them.
  Impatient for the papers, Stanley grabs for them inside Blanche's
trunk. What he finds is a packet of love letters and poems written
by Blanche's late husband, Allan. Blanche refers to her husband as a
"boy." It's a curious usage. Blanche and he were married when both
were very young. Allan died before he reached manhood. In another
sense, Allan lacked the qualities to be considered a man in the
fullest sense of the term. You'll find out why further in the play. In
any event, Blanche treasures his letters and vows to burn them now
that Stanley's hands have touched them.
  Finally, she hands Stanley a towering pack of legal papers that span
the history of Belle Reve. This time, Blanche attributes the loss of
the plantation not to the numerous deaths that occurred there, but
to the "epic fornications" of generations of DuBois men. Stanley is
befuddled by the mass of papers. Perhaps Blanche was telling the truth
after all. He explains his interest in Stella's welfare, especially
now that she's going to have a baby.
  The news of Stella's baby stirs Blanche. She rushes out to find
Stella and to tell her that she and Stanley have settled their
differences. Blanche brags that she conquered Stanley with wit and a
bit of flirting. But you'll notice that her triumph over Stanley is
mostly wishful thinking. If he were to retell what happened during
this scene, the story would probably be a lot different.
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_II ^paragraph 15}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: You might think of A Streetcar Named Desire as a modern
equivalent of a classic tragedy, in which you follow the suffering and
gradual defeat of a person who probably doesn't deserve it. As the
hero fights to survive he cannot keep from sinking further into
hopelessness and despair. It seems as though his fate has been
predetermined. As you continue the play, try to discern other
similarities between Blanche and a typical tragic hero.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

STREETCAR|SCENE_III
                             SCENE THREE
-
  The poker game is still underway when Blanche and Stella return from
their night out. Stanley, on a losing streak, lashes out at Mitch
for wanting to go home. He also snaps at Blanche, whacks Stella on the
thigh, and orders the two women to leave the men to their game.
  Alone with Stella in the other room, Blanche observes that Mitch had
seemed noticeably more courteous and sensitive than the other men.
When Blanche and Stella laugh aloud, Stanley shouts, "You hens cut out
that conversation in there." But Stella protests. In her house
she'll do as she pleases.
  Does it seem as though a row is about to begin? When Blanche turns
on the radio, Stanley demands that it be turned off. When she refuses,
he does it himself. The poker players, like nervous animals before a
storm, become restless with Stanley's antics. When Mitch drops out
of the game, Blanche seizes the chance to talk with him. Observe
Blanche in conversation with Mitch. She's a study in deception. She
knows just how to charm him. She talks of the beauty of sick people.
(Stella has told her that Mitch is devoted to his sick mother.) She
playfully slurs some words, pretending to be slightly drunk. She tells
him that Stella is her older sister (a lie), and that Stella's need
for help has brought her to town (another lie).
  Blanche asks Mitch to cover a naked light bulb with a colored
paper lantern, bought earlier that evening. Mitch obliges, unaware
of Blanche's intention to hide her real age and, when you consider her
other deceptions, perhaps a lot more than that. At any rate, Blanche's
wiles work on Mitch. He is won over instantly, hypnotized by her
charm.
  Blanche clicks on the radio. You hear a beautiful waltz. Caught up
in the music, Blanche dances gracefully. Mitch imitates her awkwardly,
like a dancing bear.
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_III ^paragraph 5}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The waltz, Wien, Wien, nur du allein, is a sentimental
expression of love for old-time Vienna, the city of dreams. The song
conjures up images of elegance and splendor that contrast with the
run-down apartment of the Kowalskis. Ironically, at the time A
Streetcar Named Desire was written the beauty of Vienna existed only
as a memory. The city lay in ruins from heavy bombing during the
war. Watch for other discrepancies between reality and illusion in the
play.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_III ^paragraph 10}
  Stanley, in a rage, stalks into the room, grabs the radio and throws
it out the window. Then he charges Stella and strikes her. Before he
can land another blow, the other men rush forward and pin his arms
behind him. He suddenly becomes limp, as though exhausted by his
tantrum. To sober him up, his friends drag him to the shower.
  Meanwhile, Blanche, distraught and frightened, has organized a hasty
escape upstairs to Eunice's with Stella in tow.
  Soon Stanley emerges dripping. Somehow his meanness has vanished.
Now he's like a vulnerable little boy almost in tears, crying for
his baby, his Stella. Half dressed, he stumbles outside to the front
pavement and howls again and again, "Stella! Stella!" Eunice warns him
to leave her alone, but after a time Stella comes out the door and
slips down the stairs to Stanley. The two embrace. Stanley then
lifts her and carries her into the dark flat.
  Does it surprise you to see Stella return to Stanley so soon after
he abused her? Obviously, she loves him desperately. Perhaps she is
aroused by Stanley's bestiality.
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_III ^paragraph 15}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Williams learned a good deal about uninhibited sexuality
from the writings of the English novelist D. H. Lawrence
(1885-1930). An artist-rebel, Lawrence scorned conventional sexual
behavior. Williams, himself a sexual nonconformist, admired both
Lawrence and his work. One of Williams' plays, I Rise in Flame,
Cried the Phoenix, is based on the last days of Lawrence's life.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Blanche seems shaken by Stanley's outburst. Mitch returns and
tries to comfort her. Together, they smoke a cigarette. Apparently
still dazed and confused by what she had witnessed, Blanche thanks
Mitch for his kindness.

STREETCAR|SCENE_IV
                              SCENE FOUR
-
  The next morning Stella, tired but evidently content after a night
of love, lies peacefully in bed. Blanche expresses dismay over last
night's brawl, but Stella objects. It's scarcely worth speaking of.
Anyway, all is forgiven because Stanley felt ashamed afterwards.
  Stella admits to her sister that Stanley's brutish manner appeals to
her. In fact, it's rather thrilling. Stella recounts the excitement of
her wedding night when Stanley charged around the apartment breaking
lightbulbs with the heel of her shoe. How might Blanche have reacted
in a like situation?
  You've already seen Blanche treating Stella tactlessly. But now
she becomes downright cruel. Stanley is a madman, she says, and if
Stella had any sense, she'd leave him immediately.
  To understand Stella, you might ask why she chooses to stay with her
ill-tempered husband. Is she a model of broad-mindedness? Or is she
a weakling? Or has she become a fatalist, that is, someone who just
accepts her lot in life? As you'll see later, Stella's personality and
values will help to seal Blanche's fate.
  Blanche urges Stella to come away with her. She proposes opening a
shop of some kind with money provided by Shep Huntleigh, a rich
acquaintance. Although Shep may be only a figment of her
imagination, Blanche starts to write him a telegram: "Sister and I
in desperate situation...." In truth, of course, the despair is all
Blanche's.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_IV ^paragraph 5}
  For Stella most of life's anxieties and troubles are made trivial by
what she calls the "things that happen between a man and a woman in
the dark." Stella calls it love, but Blanche terms it "brutal
desire" and begins to address Stella on the subject of Stanley's
bestiality. Blanche, as though a spokesman for civilization, talks
of man's noble accomplishments in art and poetry. All that, she
says, has passed Stanley by. Blanche ends with a passionate plea:
"Don't- don't hang back with the brutes!"
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Blanche's speech illustrates one of the play's major
conflicts, a symbolic clash between civilization and barbarism. By the
end of the scene, you'll be able to chalk up a victory for one of
them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_IV ^paragraph 10}
-
  After Blanche finishes, Stanley reveals that he'd overheard the
whole conversation. Stella's moment of decision has come. Will she
be swayed by Blanche's eloquence? Stanley's grin of triumph, flashed
at Blanche over Stella's shoulder, suggests that it was really no
contest.

STREETCAR|SCENE_V
                              SCENE FIVE
-
  To keep her hope alive, or at least to keep up the pretense of hope,
Blanche composes a letter to Shep Huntleigh, informing him that she
intends to make room in her crowded social life to visit him in
Dallas.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Regardless of whether Shep is imaginary or real, to Blanche he
represents a chance to be rescued from her plight. He's a savior, a
symbol of a vanishing breed- the gallant, romantic, and wealthy
Southern gentleman. More than likely, such a man is Blanche's
mirage. Earlier you heard her rage against the real Southern gentlemen
she knew.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            {STREETCAR|SCENE_V ^paragraph 5}
-
  While Blanche reads a piece of the letter to Stella, you hear
angry shouts and curses from upstairs. Steve and Eunice are
embroiled in one of their periodic arguments. Later they make up
and, like Stella and Stanley after the poker game, clasp each other
fiercely. Have you noticed the characters' fluctuating emotions?
Rapidly, their joy may turn to anger or anger to joy. They hit
emotional peaks and valleys in swift succession. Could these
fluctuations signify the characters' instability? Or do they
suggest, as some critics have noted, the rhythms of sexual passion?
  Some time after, Stanley startles Blanche by mentioning a certain
man named Shaw from Laurel. Shaw claims to have met a woman named
Blanche at Laurel's Hotel Flamingo, a seedy place frequented by the
town's lowlife. Stanley stops short of calling Blanche a whore, but he
strongly implies that Blanche is something other than an English
teacher. Blanche denies it, of course, but nervousness gives her away.
  While Blanche might like Stella as a confidante, someone to whom she
can unburden herself, it's not a role Stella savors. However,
Blanche asks Stella for advice about Mitch, soon to arrive for another
evening out. Like a young girl just starting to date, Blanche asks how
freely she can grant sexual favors and still retain her beau's
respect. For a teenager the question is a puzzlement. For a grown
woman, whose career includes a spell as town whore, the problem is
both comic and tragic, but important nevertheless.
-
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_V ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The further you explore the play, the more psychological turns
and byways you'll discover. By now the play has turned almost into a
psychological drama, recalling works by Chekhov, the Russian
playwright, who let characters unveil their mental processes without
help from a narrator or from the remarks of other characters. You
understand the inner being of characters almost solely from the
words they say. In his later years Tennessee Williams often
acknowledged Chekhov's influence on his work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Soon after Stella and Stanley leave for the evening, a boy of
about high school age comes to collect for the newspaper. Blanche
makes advances. She flirts with him, and finally, to the boy's
astonishment, plants a kiss on his mouth. Afterwards she mutters,
"It would be nice to keep you, but I've got to be good- and keep my
hands off children." Blanche says the words as though she's
recalling her past, suggesting perhaps that she's had encounters
with children before.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_V ^paragraph 15}
  Why does she kiss the young man? Is she a sexual deviant? Does the
encounter make her feel young? Is she testing her seductive powers?
Later, after you learn more about Blanche's past, you might develop
additional theories. Similarly, you might ponder the boy's response.
Was he stunned with surprise? Did he submit out of courtesy?
  Blanche's brush with the boy has buoyed her morale. Moments later,
Mitch arrives bearing a bouquet of roses. Coquettishly she presses the
flowers to her lips and calls Mitch her "Rosenkavalier."
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The central moment in the Richard Strauss opera Der
Rosenkavalier is the presentation of a silver rose to a beautiful
young woman. The allusion certainly goes way over Mitch's head, but he
catches the spirit of Blanche's words and smiles appreciatively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

STREETCAR|SCENE_VI
                              SCENE SIX
-
  It's two a.m., and Blanche and Mitch are returning from an evening
out. The streets are empty. Even the streetcars have stopped. However,
Blanche asks Mitch whether "Desire" is still running. She's teasing
him, inquiring about the state of his desire- presumably for her.
You may understand Blanche's subtle joke, but Mitch doesn't.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: "Desire" carried Blanche to Elysian Fields. The other
streetcar was "Cemetery." Such names may allude remotely to the
excessive desire and string of deaths that led to the loss of Belle
Reve. In another sense, Blanche desires to find beauty in life. If she
loses the desire, she might as well be dead. By the end of the play,
other explanations may become apparent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_VI ^paragraph 5}
-
  Blanche and Mitch sit on the steps outside the building. Would he be
a suitable mate for Blanche? Probably not, but Blanche can't be
particular at this point in life. Mitch is a man, and that's what
she wants. Now you see Blanche deftly baiting a trap. Mitch is easy
prey for her. But she has to make him believe that he's caught her,
not vice versa.
  Blanche seems to enjoy toying with Mitch. At one point
overconfidence almost gives her away. She laughs cynically at
Mitch's sincerely meant, but prosaic, declaration, "I have never known
anyone like you."
  Inside the apartment, Blanche lights a candle instead of turning
on the light. Whimsically, she suggests they pretend to be Parisian
artists. In French, Blanche says, "I am the Lady of the Camellias, and
you are Armand."
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_VI ^paragraph 10}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Blanche, speaking in French, surely knows that Mitch has no
idea what she's talking about. The Lady of the Camellias is a
courtesan in a 19th-Century novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Her lover
Armand reforms her, but before long she dies of consumption.
Giuseppe Verdi's famous opera La Traviata is based on the story.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Also in French, Blanche asks, "Will you sleep with me tonight?" Poor
Mitch! He doesn't understand that Blanche is making a fool of him. But
is she being unkind to him? Or is she just having a bit of innocent
fun?
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_VI ^paragraph 15}
  Blanche feigns interest as he describes gym workouts and the
firmness of his stomach muscles. Mocking him, Blanche says that his
bodyweight is "awe-inspiring." You might feel sorry for Mitch. After
all, he's not at fault for being something of a buffoon. Although he's
a grown man, he's still under his mother's wing. When Mitch reveals
that his mother asked to know Blanche's age, you can be sure that
marriage is on his mind.
  Before she accepts a proposal, Blanche needs to be sure that Mitch
knows nothing about Shaw and about her soiled reputation. If Stanley
were to tell him... well, you can see why she ominously calls
Stanley her "executioner."
  Possibly to win Mitch's sympathy, Blanche relates the story of her
marriage. It's a tragic tale of love, homosexuality, and violence.
It's hard not to feel moved by it. All of a sudden you understand
Blanche far better than before. She's tortured by guilt about her
husband's death.
  The story brings Mitch close to tears. Realizing that Blanche is
as lonely as he, Mitch takes her in his arms and kisses her. Blanche
sobs in relief. She's worked hard to land Mitch, and in triumph,
declares "Sometimes- there's God- so quickly!"

STREETCAR|SCENE_VII
                             SCENE SEVEN
-
  After four months Blanche and Stanley are still at odds. Is there
any doubt which of them will win in the end?
  Stella is setting up for Blanche's birthday celebration when Stanley
comes home elated. "I've got th' dope on your big sister, Stella,"
he says. A supply man who's been driving through Laurel for years
has told him the X-rated story of Blanche DuBois. Her daintiness and
squeamish ways are nothing but a big act.
  Stella refuses to believe the outrageous story, but Stanley
insists that Blanche had been told to leave town for being a hotel
whore and for seducing one of the seventeen-year-old boys in her
class.
  As Stanley tells the story, Blanche soaks in the tub and
cheerfully sings "Paper Moon," a pop tune about a world that's "as
phony as it can be."
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: The stage directions often prescribe playing background
music that relates to the action. In Scene Six, as Blanche recalled
her husband's suicide, you heard "The Varsouviana" a polka that was
played at the Moon Lake Casino on the night Allan shot himself. You'll
soon hear it again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Stella urges Stanley to be kind to Blanche, who needs
understanding because of her tragic marriage. But Stanley won't
relent. Moreover, he's already informed Mitch about Blanche's sordid
past. Stanley claims that he felt obliged to warn Mitch that Blanche
is a fraud, but you might suspect other reasons for his action.
                                         {STREETCAR|SCENE_VII ^paragraph 10}
  Blanche's marriage to Mitch is now out of the question. To
compound the injury, Stanley has bought Blanche a bus ticket back to
Laurel. What's to become of Blanche, Stella wonders. Stanley's
answer shows how little he cares.
  Emerging from the bathroom, Blanche reads distress on Stella's face,
but Stella won't disclose the reason. That task belongs to Stanley.

STREETCAR|SCENE_VIII
                             SCENE EIGHT
-
  Naturally, Mitch doesn't show up for the birthday dinner. Blanche
tries vainly to keep up her spirits and tells a joke. Stella laughs
weakly, but Stanley remains stone faced. As he reaches across the
table for another chop, Stella calls him a "pig." She orders him to
wash his greasy face and fingers and to help her clear the table.
  Stanley throws his plate and cup on the floor. "That's how I'll
clear the table!" he bellows.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Audiences watching Streetcar often laugh at Stanley's
table-clearing technique. While Stanley's action contains humor, it
also has its frightening aspect. When he allows himself to be
dominated by violence, he has the potential to do unspeakable damage.
                                         {STREETCAR|SCENE_VIII ^paragraph 5}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Stanley berates Stella. Since Blanche arrived, he's been a
second-class member of his own household. As you watch Stanley reclaim
his position as "king" of the roost, he reveals that he's embittered
by the wedge that Blanche has placed between him and Stella. Perhaps
you can sympathize with him on that score.
  After Stanley stalks out, Blanche tries to phone Mitch to find out
why he stood her up. Meanwhile, Stella goes to Stanley on the porch
and starts to weep. Stanley embraces and comforts her. He assures
her that Blanche's departure will set things right once more.
They'll make love using the colored lights again, and they'll make all
the noise they want.
  Suddenly, you hear Steve and Eunice's shrieking laughter upstairs.
It serves as a reminder that Elysian Fields is a type of jungle, where
primitive impulses and instincts prevail.
                                        {STREETCAR|SCENE_VIII ^paragraph 10}
  To bring the so-called party to an end, Stanley presents Blanche
with a birthday gift. Blanche perks up in surprise, but when she
sees that it's a bus ticket to Laurel, she gags in anguish. Can you
find any justification for Stanley's cruelty? However you view
Stanley, he seems determined to drag Blanche's life to a tragic
conclusion.
  As the scene ends, Stella's labor begins, and Stanley rushes her
to the hospital.

STREETCAR|SCENE_IX
                              SCENE NINE
-
  Later that evening Blanche is drinking alone. "The Varsouviana" in
the background suggests that she is thinking about her past.
  Mitch arrives, unshaven and dressed in work clothes. This is a Mitch
you haven't seen before. Blanche quickly hides the bottle. You can
tell that he's ready to accuse Blanche of deceiving him. Why he
needs to do so is puzzling.
  Gruffly, he ignores her offer of a kiss and turns down a drink.
Although Blanche is slightly drunk, she's not unaware that Mitch is
troubled. As her tension mounts, the music playing in her mind
intensifies. Mitch can't hear it, of course, and thinks only that
Blanche has drunk too much.
  Mitch accuses her of "lapping up [liquor] all summer." Then he
startles her by forcing her to turn on a bright light. "I don't
think I ever seen you in the light," he says. To get a good look at
her, Mitch tears the paper lantern off the light bulb. If you recall
that he mounted the lantern on the night they met, what does its
removal probably symbolize?
  Mitch charges Blanche with deceit. She protests vigorously,
preferring to call her misrepresentations "magic." She says, "I
don't tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth." Clearly, Blanche and
Mitch view the world differently. To Blanche illusions are harmless
fabrications that make her feel young and alluring. However, Mitch,
like Stanley, can't distinguish between illusion and deceit.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_IX ^paragraph 5}
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: If Blanche is a tragic figure, she needs a tragic flaw, a
quality of personality that leads to her destruction. Ordinarily the
flaw may be rather harmless; it might even be admirable. But because
of the circumstances in which the tragic figure finds himself, the
flaw is lethal. With this in mind, you can probably infer Blanche's
tragic flaw from her dialogue with Mitch.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_IX ^paragraph 10}
  Blanche tries to defend against Mitch's charges by lying. Earlier
Blanche won his sympathy with the woeful tale of her marriage. Now she
tries to sway him with the next chapter of her heartbreaking story.
She explains why she had become intimate with strangers.
  Suddenly, they are interrupted by the calls of a blind Mexican
vendor, selling funeral flowers made of tin. Frightened, Blanche tells
the uncomprehending Mexican that death led to loss of Belle Reve and
to the decline of her happiness and love. She begins to repeat
confusing fragments of conversations from her past. The opposite of
death, she says, is desire. To prove that she had not been warped by
death, she gave herself to young soldiers stationed near Belle Reve.
Some might call her action degrading and immoral. Blanche saw it as an
affirmation of life.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: Some critics think that Blanche seems too delicate to have
been the whore for a company of soldiers. On the contrary, say other
critics. Because Blanche is loving and sensitive, she reacted
vehemently to her husband's death. It took a monstrous act to fill her
vast emptiness. Her nightly intimacies with soldiers, therefore, are
fully understandable.
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_IX ^paragraph 15}
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
  Unmoved or possibly bewildered by Blanche's tale, Mitch declares
that he wants Blanche to give what she's denied him all summer- her
body. Only if he'll marry her, she protests. Disgusted, Mitch says
that Blanche isn't clean enough to bring into the same house as his
mother. He advances, intent on raping her. To scare him off Blanche
rushes to the window shouting, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" as Mitch runs off.

STREETCAR|SCENE_X
                              SCENE TEN
-
  Blanche is left alone and without hope. A weaker person might do
away with herself. But Blanche is likely to find a way out, perhaps in
her fantasy world. When this scene opens you find Blanche talking
aloud to herself about a moonlight swim in a rock quarry. Is she
drunk? Or has her mind become unhinged? You can't be sure until
Stanley comes in.
  First she asks about Stella. The baby hasn't come yet, so Stanley
will spend the night at home. Blanche suddenly becomes wary, alarmed
at the thought of being alone in the apartment with him.
  He asks about her fine attire. Blanche explains that Shep
Huntleigh has invited her on a Caribbean yacht cruise. Stanley plays
along with Blanche's fantasy, asking questions and implying that
Shep may want more than just Blanche's companionship. She objects
and starts to lecture him on the transitory nature of physical things.
What lasts, she says is "beauty of the mind and richness of the spirit
and tenderness of the heart." To some extent these words may define
a philosophy of life that Blanche has unsuccessfully tried to live by.
On second thought, perhaps you can find evidence that supports
Blanche's partial success.
  She stops short, realizing that she's casting pearls before swine-
wasting her words on someone who can't appreciate them. Stanley
bristles at the word "swine," but holds his tongue. Not for long,
however, for when Blanche tells how she has put Mitch in his place for
being cruel to her, Stanley explodes in anger. As Stanley's temper
builds, Blanche senses danger. To emphasize her terror, stage lighting
suddenly engulfs the room in long dancing shadows and lurid
reflections. Blanche rushes to the phone to call Shep for help.
Meanwhile Stanley retreats to the bathroom to don his special silk
pajamas.
  He comes out barechested, and grinning. His threatening words
cause Blanche to smash a bottle on the table edge and use the jagged
top to fend him off. Stanley is excited by the prospect of
rough-housing with Blanche. He approaches her cautiously. When she
swings at him, he catches her wrist and forces her to drop the weapon.
She collapses at his feet. Then he picks up her limp form and
carries her into the bedroom.
                                            {STREETCAR|SCENE_X ^paragraph 5}
  Is there any reason for Stanley to rape Blanche? Is he a savage or a
rapist at heart? Or does he only want to cap his victory over
Blanche with this ultimate act of degradation? Rape is such a
complex and violent crime that it's usually not easy to identify the
motives, although they are worth thinking about.
  You might ask who is the winner in the end? And the answer might
well be both- Stanley because he achieved gratification: sex, even
though it was rape; and Blanche, because she did not submit to her
baser instincts and had to be raped.

STREETCAR|SCENE_XI
                             SCENE ELEVEN
-
  Blanche, of course, has told Stella about the rape. As a new mother,
Stella looks to the future with hope and refuses to believe
Blanche's story. At the start of this scene Stella tells Eunice, "I
couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley." Eunice
concurs: "Don't ever believe it. Life has got to go on. No matter what
happens, you've got to keep on going."
  Even if Stella and Eunice secretly believe Blanche's story- you
can't tell whether they do or don't- they've chosen to deny its
validity. Stella has probably convinced herself that Blanche
invented the rape to avoid going back to Laurel. Also, after Mitch
threw her off, Blanche lost touch with reality, so Stella has arranged
a "rest" for Blanche at an insane asylum in the country. Some
critics have observed that Stella sends Blanche away as an act of
revenge for all the abuse she's taken from her older sister. On the
other hand, Stella may have Blanche's best interests in mind.
  Blanche has confused her trip to the country with the cruise on
Shep's yacht, and as this scene opens, Blanche is preparing her
wardrobe. Stella caters to Blanche's every wish, hoping to keep her
sister calm before she leaves. She's also feeling remorseful about
having committed Blanche to an asylum. When the time comes for Blanche
to be taken away, Stella cries out in despair. Perhaps she still
harbors doubts about the alleged rape.
  During this scene Stanley and his friends are back at the poker
table. This time Stanley is winning. It seems fitting that he should
be ahead. This is the day he resumes his position as king of his
castle.
  Blanche's voice diverts Mitch's attention from the game. You can't
be sure what Mitch is thinking, but his gaze is preoccupied, as though
he's pondering what might have been.
                                           {STREETCAR|SCENE_XI ^paragraph 5}
  Soon the car from the asylum arrives. When Blanche sees that the
doctor is not Shep Huntleigh, she returns to the apartment, pretending
to have forgotten something. The matron follows and prepares a
straitjacket in case Blanche balks or grows violent. Distressed,
Blanche begins to hear voices as reverberating echoes. Then you hear
the polka playing in the distance. The same lurid reflections you
saw on the night of the rape begin to dance on the apartment walls.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
  NOTE: All through the play Williams has used sound and light to
focus attention on something he wants you to remember. It is a
technique you'll find in the works of other American playwrights, like
Eugene O'Neill and Thornton Wilder. The montage of images sweeping
across the stage in this scene of Streetcar demonstrates how vividly
the technique can portray characters' emotions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          {STREETCAR|SCENE_XI ^paragraph 10}
-
  Stanley and the matron approach Blanche, who becomes increasingly
panic-stricken. Stanley tells her cruelly that she hasn't forgotten
anything of value unless she means the paper lantern, which he tears
off the lightbulb and hands to her. Blanche cries out as if the
lantern were herself. She tries to run, but the matron grabs her.
Outside, Stella moans, "Oh, God, what have I done to my sister?"
  Finally the doctor speaks kindly. Blanche responds with relief and
takes his arm. While being escorted to the waiting car, she tells
the doctor, "Whoever you are- I have always depended on the kindness
of strangers."
  Stella is distraught. Stanley comes to her aid. As Blanche is driven
away, Stanley puts his hand inside Stella's blouse. It appears that
life will soon return to normal for the Kowalskis and for the other
residents of Elysian Fields.

STREETCAR|TEST
                            A STEP BEYOND
                           TEST AND ANSWERS
-
                                 TEST                       (WSTRTEST)
-
  _____  1. Blanche proposes that Stella and she escape from Elysian
            Fields because Blanche
-
            A. feels threatened by the lifestyle of the place
            B. knows that her younger sister feels trapped by the
               circumstances of life
            C. wants company when she leaves New Orleans
-
  _____  2. When Blanche calls Mitch her "Rosenkavalier," she is
-
            A. trying to impress him with her knowledge of opera
            B. poking fun at his awkwardness
            C. having a bit of harmless fun
-
  _____  3. Mitch asks Blanche why she attempted to enjoy their date
            even though she didn't feel like it. His question
-
            I. shows that Mitch is naive
           II. reveals that Mitch does not understand Blanche's values
          III. illustrates the clash of cultures you find in the play
-
            A. I and III only
            B. II and III only
            C. I, II, and III
-
  _____  4. Stanley feels obliged to tell Mitch about Blanche's
            degenerate past because he
-
            A. wants to destroy Blanche's chance to marry Mitch
            B. doesn't want his old army buddy to be fooled
            C. will feel guilty if he doesn't
-
  _____  5. In addition to being the name of a streetcar, "Desire"
-
            A. refers to the love between Mitch and Blanche
            B. symbolizes the life force in Blanche and other
               characters
            C. stands for Blanche's self-destructive personality
-
  _____  6. Blanche tells the truth about
-
            A. the loss of Belle Reve
            B. her activities in the hotel called Tarantula Arms
            C. Shep Huntleigh
-
  _____  7. Stanley can't abide Blanche because
-
            I. she interferes with his sex life
           II. she considers herself superior to him
          III. of her numerous pretenses
-
            A. I and II only
            B. II and III only
            C. I, II, and III
-
  _____  8. Elysian Fields is often called a jungle and its residents
            described in animal terms largely because
-
            A. the play is full of violence
            B. the language of the play reflects Blanche's point of
               view
            C. it's a dangerous place to be
-
  _____  9. Mitch and Blanche are attracted to each other because both
-
            I. have been in love with people who died
           II. feel out of place in the brutal world around them
          III. are lonely and in need of love
-
            A. I and III only
            B. II and III only
            C. I, II, and III
-
  _____ 10. Blanche is committed to an asylum at the end of the play
-
            A. to symbolize the victory of brutality over gentility
            B. as poetic justice for her sinful life
            C. to keep her safe from further harm
-
  11. In which ways is the conflict between Stanley and Blanche more
than a mere disagreement between two incompatible people?
-
  12. How does Tennessee Williams create the mood for Streetcar?
-
  13. How does Stella try to bridge the gap between Blanche and
Stanley?
-
                               ANSWERS
-
  1. A     2. C     3. C     4. A     5. B     6. A     7. C
  8. B     9. A    10. A
-
  11. The question implies that Stanley and Blanche are symbolic
figures. Your task is to determine what each stands for.
  You know that Stanley is lusty and animalistic. He rages and grunts,
but isn't he more than just an uncaged ape? Outside the house, he
holds a responsible job at a factory. He travels a good deal and
apparently earns enough money to provide for Stella and even to feed
and support Blanche for several months. What does Stanley like to
do? He bowls, plays cards, and drinks. If television had been in use
in the 1940s, he probably would watch ballgames and sitcoms. Except
for his violent streak, he's probably not very much different from
millions of other middle-class urban men.
  Does Williams mean to imply that Stanley symbolizes middle-class
America? Or do Stanley's actions merely suggest that life in that
level of society brings out men's basest, most animal-like instincts?
  Stanley's adversary, Blanche, represents another stratum of
society altogether. Her people used to be wealthy landowners. In the
early days, the DuBois family probably owned slaves. Blanche herself
is well-educated and appreciates poetry and music. During much of
the play she tries to maintain the illusion that traditional values
are alive and well. In the end, she is destroyed.
  What conclusion might be drawn? That Stanley's world now dominates
Blanche's? That Blanche stands for a faded and useless way of life?
That man's bestial instincts, repressed by civilization, will again
reign supreme? Obviously, the conflict between Stanley and Blanche may
be interpreted in many ways. Regardless of how you see it, you can
feel certain that it is more than just a misunderstanding between
two people who don't see eye to eye.
-
  12. Before you tackle this question, decide what moods you found
in the play. "Mood" is an elusive term. A piece of literature as
complex as Streetcar might contain several moods simultaneously.
  Here are some possibilities: (1) violent, angry, and tense; (2)
sad and sentimental; (3) sexual and animalistic; (4) morbid and
tragic; (5) grotesquely comical. Williams creates such moods using
characters' words and actions as well as music, lighting and stage
directions. The "Characters" section of this Book Notes provides
numerous examples of how dialogue and action shape the mood of the
play. For example, Stanley's bellowing into the night for Stella to
return to him creates a sense of savagery that hangs in the air
throughout the play.
  If you examine Williams' stage directions, you'll discover
prescriptions for mood-enhancing sound effects (trains, voices in
the background, gunshots) and music (a waltz for romance, a faint
polka to convey the feeling of lost happiness). Similarly, the stage
lighting, from the dim glow of Blanche's lanterns to the oppressive
glare around the poker table, helps to set the mood of each scene.
Williams leaves little to chance. He knows how to create moods and
gives play directors plenty of help.
-
  13. It takes skill to mediate between two people who detest each
other. If you've ever tried, you can appreciate the problem Stella
faces throughout the play. She employs various tactics to force
Stanley and Blanche into peaceful coexistence. None of her methods
work, however.
  From the beginning she pleads for understanding. To keep Blanche
from being shocked, Stella prepares her sister to meet Stanley. She
explains that Stanley may be different from the sort of men Blanche
may be accustomed to. Later, Stella points out Stanley's
attractiveness, especially in bed, but her words fall on deaf ears.
  Similarly, Stella can't convince Stanley to accept Blanche. He is
unmoved by Blanche's delicate condition and the tragic loss of her
husband. He distrusts Blanche the moment he meets her. Once he's
made up his mind, nothing can sway him.
  During most of the play Stella acts as a buffer between the
adversaries. Gradually, she drifts toward Blanche's side. Her sister
needs help. But if Stella isn't careful, she stands to antagonize
Stanley.
  Ultimately she sends her sister away. Why Stella sides with
Stanley in the end is worth exploring. What has Stella realized
about her sister, about Stanley, and about herself? Why can't she
simply continue to serve as intermediary? What might Williams be
saying by having Stella and Stanley reunited at the end of the play?

STREETCAR|TERM_PAPER_IDEAS
            TERM PAPER IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING   (WSTRTERM)
-
  CHARACTERS
  1. How real are the play's characters? To what degree are they
grotesques or caricatures of real people?
-
  2. What are the sources of conflict between Stanley and Blanche?
In what ways does the nature of their conflict change as the play
progresses?
-
  3. In what ways are Stanley and Blanche symbolic figures?
-
  4. How does each character contribute to Blanche's breakdown? What
does Blanche contribute herself?
-
  5. Regardless of her past, why is Blanche a generally sympathetic
figure? Explain.
-
  THE MEANING OF THE PLAY
  1. Do the themes in the play have contemporary relevance? In what
ways?
-
  2. Is Williams' portrayal of the world totally pessimistic, or
does he leave room for at least a little optimism? Defend your answer.
-
  3. Does Williams prefer Blanche's world of traditional Southern
gentility or Stanley's of modern hedonism? What is your evidence?
-
  THE PLAY AS DRAMA
  1. How does the setting contribute to the mood and meaning of the
play?
-
  2. What kinds of symbols does Williams insert in his play, and
what does symbolism add to the play's mood or meaning?
-
  3. In which ways does the use of sound contribute to the mood of the
play?
-
  4. How does Streetcar compare to a classical Greek tragedy?

CRITICS
                             THE CRITICS                    (WGLACRIT)
-
  ON SYMBOLISM IN THE GLASS MENAGERIE
  Roger B. Stein thinks that Williams wanted his play to be more
than a social and personal tragedy. To suggest the story's deeper
meaning, he crowded The Glass Menagerie with Christian symbols.
-
  Amanda, who condemns instinct and urges Tom to think in terms of the
mind and spirit, as "Christian adults" do, is often characterized in
Christian terms. Her music... is "Ave Maria." As a girl, she could
only cook angel food cake. She urges Laura, "Possess your soul in
patience," and then speaks of her dress for the dinner scene as
"resurrected" from a trunk. Her constant refrain to Tom is "Rise an'
Shine," and she sells subscriptions to her friends by waking them
early in the morning and then sympathizing with them as "Christian
martyrs."
  ...In a very small sense both Amanda and Laura are searching for a
Savior who will come to help them, to save them, to give their drab
lives meaning.
                                     -"The Glass Menagerie Revisited:
                                  Catastrophe without Violence," 1964
-
  ON THE USE OF TIME IN THE GLASS MENAGERIE
  The lives of the characters are touched by the past, present, and
future. But as critic Frank Durham points out, time is used in a
poetic way, too:
-
  Tom stands with us in the immediate present.... But through his
consciousness we are carried back in time to his life in the drab
apartment before his escape.... Within this train of memory there
are two types of time, the generalized and the specific, and through
the use of these two we are given a deeper insight into the lives
and relationships of the Wingfields. The first scene in the apartment,
the dinner scene, is an example of generalized time. It is not any one
particular dinner but a kind of abstraction of all the dinners
shared by the trio in their life of entrapment....
                   -"Tennessee Williams, Theater Poet in Prose," 1971
-
  ON A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
  Some early theatergoers were attracted to A Streetcar Named Desire
by its sensationalism. Others objected to its sordidness. Here is part
of theater critic Brooks Atkinson explanation of the artistry of the
play:
-
  As a matter of fact, people do appreciate it thoroughly. They come
away from it profoundly moved and also in some curious way elated. For
they have been sitting all evening in the presence of truth, and
that is a rare and wonderful experience. Out of nothing more
esoteric than interest in human beings, Mr. Williams has looked
steadily and wholly into the private agony of one lost person. He
supplies dramatic conflict by introducing Blanche to an alien
environment that brutally wears on her nerves. But he takes no sides
in the conflict. He knows how right all the characters are- how
right she is in trying to protect herself against the disaster that is
overtaking her, and how right the other characters are in protecting
their independence, for her terrible needs cannot be fulfilled.
There is no solution except the painful one Mr. Williams provides in
his last scene.
                                               -"'Streetcar' Tragedy-
                        Mr. Williams' Report on Life in New Orleans,"
                                             The New York Times, 1947
-
  George Jean Nathan, another respected theater critic, found less
to admire in Streetcar:
-
  The borderline between the unpleasant and the disgusting is... a
shadowy one, as inferior playwrights have at times found out to
their surprise and grief. Williams has managed to keep his play wholly
in hand. But there is, too, a much more shadowy borderline between the
unpleasant and the enlightening, and Williams has tripped over it,
badly. While he has succeeded in making realistically dramatic such
elements as sexual abnormality, harlotry, perversion, seduction and
lunacy, he has scarcely contrived to distil from them any elevation
and purge. His play as a consequence remains largely a theatrical
shocker which, while it may shock the emotions of its audience,
doesn't in the slightest shock them into any spiritual education.
                             -"The Streetcar Isn't Drawn by Pegasus,"
                                  The New York Journal-American, 1947
-
  IMAGERY IN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
  Much of the verbal and theatrical imagery that constitutes the drama
is drawn from games, chance and luck.... Indeed, the tactics and
ceremonial games. in general, and poker in particular, may be seen
as constituting the informing structural principle of the play as a
whole. Pitting Stanley Kowalski, the powerful master of Elysian Fields
against Blanche DuBois, the ineffectual ex-mistress of Belle Reve,
Williams makes the former the inevitable winner of the game whose
stakes are survival in the kind of world the play posits.
                                                    -Leonard Quirino,
           "The Cards Indicate a Voyage on A Streetcar Named Desire,"
                           Tennessee Williams: Thirteen Essays, 1980.

ADVISORY_BOARD
                            ADVISORY BOARD                  (WGLAADVB)
-
  We wish to thank the following educators who helped us focus our
Book Notes series to meet student needs and critiqued our
manuscripts to provide quality materials.
-
  Sandra Dunn, English Teacher
  Hempstead High School, Hempstead, New York
-
  Lawrence J. Epstein, Associate Professor of English
  Suffolk County Community College, Selden, New York
-
  Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English Department
  State University of New York at Stony Brook
-
  Beverly A. Haley, Member, Advisory Committee
  National Council of Teachers of English Student Guide Series
  Fort Morgan, Colorado
-
  Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher
  Tamalpais Union High School District
  Mill Valley, California
-
  Marvin J. LaHood, Professor of English
  State University of New York College at Buffalo
-
  Robert Lecker, Associate Professor of English
  McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
-
  David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies
  State University of New York College at Geneseo
-
  Bruce Miller, Associate Professor of Education
  State University of New York at Buffalo
-
  Frank O'Hare, Professor of English and Director of Writing
  Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
-
  Faith Z. Schullstrom, Member of Executive Committee
  National Council of Teachers of English
  Director of Curriculum and Instruction
  Guilderland Central School District, New York
-
  Mattie C. Williams, Director, Bureau of Language Arts
  Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois
-
-
                    THE END OF BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
             TENNESSEE WILLIAMS'S THE GLASS MENAGERIE AND
                       A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


                               BIBLIOGRAPHY                 (WGLABIBL)

MENAGERIE_&_STREETCAR
                           FURTHER READING
-
                            CRITICAL WORKS
-
  Durham, Frank. "Tennessee Williams, Theater Poet in Prose." In
Parker, Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie,
pp. 121-34. A discussion of the play as a type of poem.
  Jackson, Esther M. The Broken World of Tennessee Williams.
Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. A study of Williams' use
of non-realism.
  Miller, Jordan Y., editor. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A
Streetcar Named Desire. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1971. A
rich selection of essays about Streetcar as a movie, as a Broadway
production, and as a work of dramatic art.
  Nelson, Benjamin. "The Play is Memory." In Tennessee Williams, the
Man and his Work. New York: Ivan Obolensky, Inc., 1961, pp. 98-112.
Insightful discussion of characters and themes in The Glass Menagerie.
  Parker, R. B., editor. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The
Glass Menagerie. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1983. A collection
of writings about the play, including reviews of the original
production.
  Rader, Dotson. Tennessee: Cry of the Heart. Garden City:
Doubleday, 1985. A personal memoir of Williams.
  Spoto, Donald. The Kindness of Strangers. Boston: Little, Brown,
1985. Deals with Williams' life and art.
  Stanton, Stephen, S., editor. Tennessee Williams: A Collection of
Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1977. Several essays
about Williams, the man, and his plays. One interpretive essay
specifically on The Glass Menagerie.
  Stein, Roger B. "The Glass Menagerie Revisited: Catastrophe
without Violence." In Stanton, Stephen S., editor, Tennessee Williams:
A Collection of Critical Essays, pp. 36-44. Fascinating study of the
Christian symbolism in the play.
  Tharpe, Jac. Tennessee Williams: Thirteen Essays. Jackson:
University Press of Mississippi, 1980. Critical essays on Williams'
work.
  Williams, Tennessee. Memoirs. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1975.
To know the man you must read this autobiography.
-
                         AUTHOR'S MAJOR WORKS
-
              1940    Battle of Angels
              1944    The Glass Menagerie
              1947    A Streetcar Named Desire
              1948    Summer and Smoke
              1950    The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
              1951    The Rose Tattoo
              1953    Camino Real
              1955    Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
              1957    Orpheus Descending
              1959    Suddenly Last Summer (screenplay)
              1959    Sweet Bird of Youth
              1960    The Fugitive Kind (screenplay)
              1960    Period of Adjustment
              1961    The Night of the Iguana
              1963    The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
              1973    Small Craft Warnings
              1975    Memoirs (autobiography)
              1977    Vieux Carre
              1978    A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur
              1980    Clothes for a Summer Hotel
-
-
         THE END OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
             TENNESSEE WILLIAMS'S THE GLASS MENAGERIE AND
                       A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE