A Streetcar Named Desire: Character & Key Quotes: Allan Grey

A Streetcar Named Desire: Character & Key Quotes: Allan Grey

Character Overview: Allan Grey

  • Allan Grey is a critical character who is never seen on stage, yet his influence is deeply felt throughout the play.
  • Allan was Blanche DuBois’ young husband, a poet, whom she discovered in bed with an older man. This sent him into such despair that he committed suicide.
  • Allan’s death became a significant turning point in Blanche’s life, leading to her emotional instability and desperation.

Allan Grey’s Impact on the Play

  • Allan is the reason for Blanche’s tragic downfall; her inability to accept her part in his death contributes to her descent into madness.
  • Allan represents Blanche’s lost innocence, and the onset of her disillusionment.
  • The fact that he is never physically present in the play makes him a symbolic figure.
  • “The boy - the boy died.” - Blanche. This quote is Blanche’s sidestep admission of Allan’s suicide to Mitch.
  • “And then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again” - Blanche. With this metaphor, Blanche offers her perception of Allan’s world going dark, which could also represent her own dark descent.

Understanding Allan Grey through Blanche DuBois

  • Blanche never forgives herself for the despair that led Allan to suicide, which is later revealed through her proclamation to Stella: “I loved someone, too, and the person I loved, I lost.”
  • The destructive impact of Allan’s death pushes Blanche into a lifestyle of temporary, transient relationships, in a vain attempt to wash away the guilt and forget the past.

Literary Devices in Allan Grey Context

  • Imagery: Allan, like his personality, is described in lyrical, poetic terms which serve to contrast the harsh realities of Blanche’s present life.
  • Symbolism: Allan’s suicide gunshot echoes throughout the play, symbolizing the lasting impact of traumatic memories.
  • Dramatic Irony: Allan’s homosexuality was first seen as a scandal, but as the play continues, it becomes an ironic twist emphasizing Blanche’s continued delusions.

This analysis should assist you in constructing a detailed, analytical narrative, capturing the essence of Allan Grey’s character and his impact on Blanche’s life.