A Streetcar Named Desire: Narrative

Narrative Voice and Perspective:

The play is told from a third-person omniscient viewpoint. However, the audience mainly experiences the events through Blanche’s perspective, adding a layer of subjectivity.
This point of view allows the balance between the character’s perception and reality to be a key feature.

First Impressions:

We initially meet Blanche when she arrives at Stella and Stanley’s apartment, and our perceptions are immediately directed by her brittle, refined exterior.
Stanley is presented as primitive and brutal, which immediately sets up the dynamic and conflict between the two characters.

Backstory and Exposition:

Much of the backstory and exposition in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is revealed through dialogue and monologues.
The most significant instance is when Blanche reveals her past to Mitch, offering insight into her life before she arrives in New Orleans.

Development of Plot:

The narrative follows a causal chain of events leading to Blanche’s breakdown and final descent into madness.
The tension between Stanley and Blanche escalates, with Stanley increasingly determined to uncover her past and destroy her relationship with Stella and Mitch.

Building Tension:

Williams uses symbols, foreshadowing, and dramatic irony to heighten tension within the narrative.
The poker game, the Varsity Drag, and the final rape scene are all examples of scenes where Williams uses setting, situation, and action to create a sense of impending doom.

Narrative Devices:

Visual and auditory hallucinations are used as effective narrative tools to communicate Blanche’s deteriorating mental state.
Sound, in particular, plays an important role in the narrative, with the continuous noise of the streetcar and the strains of ‘The Varsouviana’ acting as auditory symbols of Blanche’s descent into madness.

Resolution/Climax:

The climax arrives when Blanche’s past is fully revealed, leading to her ultimate abandonment by Stella and Mitch and her final breakdown.
The resolution occurs with Blanche’s departure to a mental institution, leaving the audience with a bittersweet sense of pity and horror.

Reiterate these points to solidify your understanding of the narrative techniques utilised in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.