A Streetcar Named Desire

Setting & Characters

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play set up in scenes rather than acts. Although the play can be broken into two acts to satisfy the needs of audiences (who are used to one intermission in between acts), Williams wrote the play with two intermissions -- the first of regular length; the second, shorter) with the specific purpose of suggesting the passage of time. The first part takes place in late spring, the next is in the heat of summer, and the last occurs in early fall. These references to time pose a question as to whether Blanche has overstayed her welcome (as she states late in the play).

Blanche DuBois -- a fading Souther belle from an aristocratic background. She has just lost her ancestral home, Belle Reve, and her teaching position as a result of a scandal. Blanche was described by Tennessee Williams as delicate and moth-like. She is a refined, sensitive, cultured, intelligent woman who is never willing to hurt someone. Blanche is at the mercy of the brutal realistic world where her brother-in-law is king.

Stanley Kowalski -- Stanley is a common working man who is simple, straight forward and honest. he tolerates nothing but the bare, unembellished truth and lives in a world without refinements. Stanley views women in a physical and limited capacity. he could be seen as crude and vulgar, yet there is a life in him that women find attractive. He is the opposing force to Blanche's sturggles and her world of illusion.

Stella Kowalski -- Blanche's younger sister, married and lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She has turned her back to her aristocratic upbringing to enjoy a common marriage with Stanley. Stella is caught in between the two opposing worlds of Blanche and her husband. She is also a pawn in the struggle between the two. Stella is, at heart, passive and gentle.

Mitch -- (short for Harold Mitchell), is Stanley's best friend and colleague who went through the war with him. He is an unmarried man who lives with his ailing mother for whom he feels a great devotion. His soft-hearted and sensitive nature allows him to relate Blanche and her world but often places him in conflict with Stanley.

Steve and Eunice Hubbel -- Stanley and Stella's landlords who live supstairs and are very much a part of the Kowalski household. Steve is Stanley's friend and poker buddy, and Eunice acts as Stella's confidante. This couple and the location of their apartment adds another layer of atmosphere to the New Orleans setting.

Other Characters: Mexican woman, Negro Woman, Pablo, A Young Newspaper Boy, Nurse, and Doctor -- These characters make small appearances throughout the play, but contribute to the diverse New Orleans atmosphere. They punctuate the scenes with their thematic dialogue and opposing viewpoints. In short, they often serve as extensions of the lead characters. Since no one resembles Blanche or her point of view, it shows how alone she really is.

[Synopsis] [Setting & Characters] [Poetic References]

[Essay Topics] [Test] [Study Questions] [Stanley] [Mitch] [Stella]

[Blanche] [Structure & Themes] [Notes] [Letters to Jessica Tandy]

From Streetcar:"Have these grapes been washed?."

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