Analysis of Scene One of 'a Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams
A Streetcar named Desire
Scene 1 analysed
Simran Kaur Sandhu, 12G
Williams’ begins the scene with a description of New Orleans’ Elysian Fields; the town in which it is set. It seems old and slightly poor which begs the audience to ask the question ‘why?’ as America during the 1950’s was known for its stability and its economic boom in which all areas of America were invested in. So had this town been neglected, is it that cut off from mainstream America? The section is described as having a ‘raffish charm’ unlike most other American cities – Williams uses this to suggest a more casual lifestyle in Elysian Fields. Williams uses the conversation between the Negro woman and Eunice to show that racial ethnicities mix easily in Elysian Fields, strange for 1950’s America during which racial segregation was the norm and the fight for racial equality had just started. Williams is trying to convey that the place in which the play is set is unlike any other place in America, a place where formalities are nearly all forgotten.
The ‘blue piano’ is introduced here and is used throughout the scene. It is clearly an important part to the play as a whole and is used to set the tone for the town. The term ‘blue’ is often used to describe sadness within someone. New Orleans is the town of jazz, where mainstream jazz was born – the blue piano could be indicative of the town’s jazz roots and therefore an apt way for Williams to describe the atmosphere for the scene. Playing blues on the piano could indicate a sad ending for the play, almost a forewarning for the audience that not all endings are happy. Williams’ use of the ‘blue piano’ in tense, sad or uncomfortable moments in the scene emphasises the characters emotions and adds dramatic flair to the scene.
Williams’ dialogue in the first scene really introduces his characters at their most honest stage. Their reactions to each other reveal to the audience their most key traits and Williams’ descriptions of them hint at their
Scene 1 analysed
Simran Kaur Sandhu, 12G
Williams’ begins the scene with a description of New Orleans’ Elysian Fields; the town in which it is set. It seems old and slightly poor which begs the audience to ask the question ‘why?’ as America during the 1950’s was known for its stability and its economic boom in which all areas of America were invested in. So had this town been neglected, is it that cut off from mainstream America? The section is described as having a ‘raffish charm’ unlike most other American cities – Williams uses this to suggest a more casual lifestyle in Elysian Fields. Williams uses the conversation between the Negro woman and Eunice to show that racial ethnicities mix easily in Elysian Fields, strange for 1950’s America during which racial segregation was the norm and the fight for racial equality had just started. Williams is trying to convey that the place in which the play is set is unlike any other place in America, a place where formalities are nearly all forgotten.
The ‘blue piano’ is introduced here and is used throughout the scene. It is clearly an important part to the play as a whole and is used to set the tone for the town. The term ‘blue’ is often used to describe sadness within someone. New Orleans is the town of jazz, where mainstream jazz was born – the blue piano could be indicative of the town’s jazz roots and therefore an apt way for Williams to describe the atmosphere for the scene. Playing blues on the piano could indicate a sad ending for the play, almost a forewarning for the audience that not all endings are happy. Williams’ use of the ‘blue piano’ in tense, sad or uncomfortable moments in the scene emphasises the characters emotions and adds dramatic flair to the scene.
Williams’ dialogue in the first scene really introduces his characters at their most honest stage. Their reactions to each other reveal to the audience their most key traits and Williams’ descriptions of them hint at their