A Streetcar Named Desire: Theme & Key Quotes: Fantasy

Understanding the Theme: Fantasy

The theme of fantasy is embodied primarily in Blanche DuBois, who constructs an alternate reality as a means of self-defense against harsh realities.
The contrast between Blanche’s illusions and the world around her creates a stark duality and intense dramatic tension throughout the play.
Blanche’s elaborate web of fantasies and lies eventually crumbles, leading to her mental collapse, illustrating the dangerous consequences of living in denial.

Characters and Fantasy

Blanche DuBois: Her flight from the truth of her past into a world of her own creation showcases how extreme circumstances can drive an individual into a fantasy world.
Though other characters like Mitch and Stella also indulge in fantasies, none is so fully consumed or damaged as Blanche.
Stanley Kowalski, representing hard, confronting truth, serves as the primary destroyer of Blanche’s illusions.

Significant Quotes

“I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them.” - Blanche DuBois. This quote beautifully sums up Blanche’s denial of the truth and her desperate desire for beautiful lies.
“The girl is lying to herself. The rest of us ain’t lucky enough to be able to do that.” - Stanley Kowalski. Stanley’s perspective on Blanche’s fantastical world is cruel yet poignant, encapsulating the theme from an external viewpoint.

Literary Style, Language and Devices

Tennessee Williams uses dramatic irony effectively to enhance the theme of fantasy. The audience is aware of Blanche’s real age and past, but the characters in the play are deceived by her façade.
The playwright repeatedly employs symbolism. The paper lantern Blanche places over light bulbs symbolises her effort to soften reality’s brash glare.
Motif of light and darkness represents truth and illusion respectively, reflecting the theme of fantasy consistently throughout the play.
Stage directions in the play provide a deeper understanding of the emotional state of characters as well as subtle hints towards their fantastical notions.

Revise and reflect on these points to develop a strong understanding and encouraged critical analysis on the theme of ‘Fantasy’ in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.