A streetcar named Desire, “Repetition”

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/14/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
Analyzing the consequences of the author's strong use of repetitions
Blanche and Stanley's bad behavior
Bringing back harsh reality
The domination of reality
The omnipresence of the past
The behavior of the characters who repeat their actions
Conclusion

Abstract

In most of the classic plays we studied in high school, numerous events and rebounding occurred one after the other that enabled the plot to move forward. At the end of the play, the situations used to evolve and the characters' lives had often changed. However, in this work, the final situation is almost the same as that at the beginning because all the characters return pretty much to their initial situation at the end of the play. True, Stanley and Stella have a baby but they go on living together in the same place, Mitch stays alone and still spends his time taking care of his mother and Blanche becomes lonely again. Besides, the most striking example of the permanence of the situation is that the same event, the poker night, occurs at the beginning of the play and is also the last scene.

This event which seems to frame the play, is not the only action repeated several times in it. Actually, after a thorough reading, we notice that throughout the play the characters, especially Blanche, repeated a few actions and that some themes are recurrent. This observation brings us to question in what way these repetitions influence Blanche's behavior and state of mind. Do these actions help Blanche dismiss the past from her mind and begin a new life? Or is it the contrary? Do they quicken her departure from sanity? To what extent does the other characters' behavior influence her views on life?