Is the Play " a Streetcar Named Desire" a Tragedy for Blanche or Stella?
Is the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” a tragedy for Blanche or Stella?
Aristotle stated “the structure of the best tragedy should…be… complex” representing” incidents arousing pity and fear “. It’s understood that the focus of tragedy is human suffering and a tragedy must be accessible to audiences, creating a shared catharsis. Although Aristotle refers to classical tragedies, a domestic tragedy like “A Streetcar Named Desire” ensures a greater understanding as it is realistic. Blanche, as the protagonist, endures more suffering than Stella, following Aristotle’s theory that a tragic hero should evoke pity and fear. This should reveal harmatia that they do not initially realise, which coupled with their sense of hubris leads to their downfall and peripetia. However, Blanche in the end falls into a dreamlike state meaning she doesn’t realise her flaw. Clearly, it’s Stella who experiences the fate of a tragic heroine because she realises her actions, experiencing anagnorisis, and although she is surrounded by people, she is, essentially, more alone than Blanche. “Streetcar” opened in 1947 causing a storm of controversy. George Jean Nathan, who condemned the play’s “unpleasant “nature- “The Glands Menagerie”- was unsure how to interpret Blanche, whose deteriorating mentality challenges whether her demise was truly tragic, questioning if Williams created the “objective correlative” needed for a tragedy. Characteristics of Williams’ mother, believing she was aristocratic, and his sister’s schizophrenia, are evident in Blanche’s behavioural breakdown, suggesting the play explored William’s emotions and family. One interpretation explores Blanche’s “psychological struggle to negotiate nostalgia with reality” leading her to depend on Stella, believing she could help her escape a condemned reputation. In the beginning, Blanche has already fallen through society due to the loss of Belle Reve, her husband’s suicide, her poorly disguised drinking problem and her
Aristotle stated “the structure of the best tragedy should…be… complex” representing” incidents arousing pity and fear “. It’s understood that the focus of tragedy is human suffering and a tragedy must be accessible to audiences, creating a shared catharsis. Although Aristotle refers to classical tragedies, a domestic tragedy like “A Streetcar Named Desire” ensures a greater understanding as it is realistic. Blanche, as the protagonist, endures more suffering than Stella, following Aristotle’s theory that a tragic hero should evoke pity and fear. This should reveal harmatia that they do not initially realise, which coupled with their sense of hubris leads to their downfall and peripetia. However, Blanche in the end falls into a dreamlike state meaning she doesn’t realise her flaw. Clearly, it’s Stella who experiences the fate of a tragic heroine because she realises her actions, experiencing anagnorisis, and although she is surrounded by people, she is, essentially, more alone than Blanche. “Streetcar” opened in 1947 causing a storm of controversy. George Jean Nathan, who condemned the play’s “unpleasant “nature- “The Glands Menagerie”- was unsure how to interpret Blanche, whose deteriorating mentality challenges whether her demise was truly tragic, questioning if Williams created the “objective correlative” needed for a tragedy. Characteristics of Williams’ mother, believing she was aristocratic, and his sister’s schizophrenia, are evident in Blanche’s behavioural breakdown, suggesting the play explored William’s emotions and family. One interpretation explores Blanche’s “psychological struggle to negotiate nostalgia with reality” leading her to depend on Stella, believing she could help her escape a condemned reputation. In the beginning, Blanche has already fallen through society due to the loss of Belle Reve, her husband’s suicide, her poorly disguised drinking problem and her