Streetcar+Symbols

Symbolism in //Streetcar//
The symbolic nature of each of the following is vitally important to an understanding of the play, and these terms reappear throughout the play. In the space below, jot down what you believe the symbol is representing in //Streetcar.//

1. **Blanche DuBois:** Blanche means "white," dressed in all white-- symbolizing purity. Her star sign means "virgin." Blanche DuBois -- "White wood," wood is something you build structures out of, she is easily molded and bent, smeone who is steadfast, she is very frail, breaks easily, breaks at the end of the play.

2. **Stella:** Mothering, nurturing, mother figure to Blanche. Stella in Greek means "star" which symbolizes Blanche's rebirth; stars often die and then reborn, stars can help guide someone, but also have the potential to burn out. Stella is referred to from Blanche as "precious lamb." Lambs are known to get led to slaughter, sacrifice.

3. **Belle Reve:** Old South, symbolic of Blanche's history, mysterious location because it is just talked about, trying to reconcile present with past. Belle Reve means "beautiful dream" so it could symbolize Blanche's subconscious living in a "beautiful dream." Blanche embodies the idea of holding onto the "old south." Symbolically, losing Belle Reve is losing Blanche's youth.

4. **The streetcars Desire and Cemeteries:** Represents Blanche's fear of death, avoiding death through sex; maintaining youth and avoiding death. Blanche rides the streetcar of desire to get to Stanley and Stella's which shows that desire, sexuality is what actually led her there. Her poor choices brought her there and also forced her out of there. Blanche also took cemeteries; Blanche discussed the death of her family members and her husband, the streetcars symbolize her subconscious. Cemeteries are also symbolic of the death of her dreams, her youth, her wealth. Blanche does not die at the end of the play, but her youth is gone and her mind has escaped her so she might as well be dead.

5. **Light/Darkness:** Blanche focuses on light and dark so much because we assume she looks older and she is trying to hide her physical being. The dark is hiding who she really is on the inside. Symbolic of Blanche's willingness to accept reality, trying to avoid reality, Blanche tries to keep the darkness as a way of shielding her past, and to hide what she has done. The darkness is her fantasies and all the things she has tried to hide.

6. **Baths:** Constantly bathing to clean herself of what she has done. Blanche wants to continue to cleanse herself continuously, but nothing is changing. The cleansing is not working because she continues to fall back into her bad habits. Blanche is addicted to lying and deceit, trying so hard to "get clean" but it is not working for her. Blanche keeps returning to the bath to be pure again, rebirth.

7. **The Blue Piano:** Blue is representative of sadness. Acts as the musical motif when Blanche is most depressed and lonesome.

8. **“Varsouviana”:** Always thinking or talking about her deceased husband when this music is playing, Blanche is feeling remorseful, (PTSD?) When people are hurt so badly they treat others the same way because she doesn't know how to cope with it. This is the music that Blanche and her husband were dancing to when she got very angry with her husband and freaked out on him, therefore whenever it plays it brings her back to that memory.