A Streetcar Named Desire: close passage analysis and analysis of Blanche at the beginning of the play
Perhaps we will go over this on July 30th. ((I’ll be away on July 23rd.)
How can I improve my essay?
- Structure: let’s improve the flow through the paragraph and the grouping of key ideas (which also allows for more depth); natural flow from the ‘big picture’ concepts to close analysis
- Depth of ideas: in-depth close analysis and interpretation of author’s narrative devices to avoid story-telling
- Depth of ideas: focus on author’s views/values and purpose
- use of sophisticated analytical vocabulary/expression
How can I improve the paragraph/analysis?
Group together key ideas starting with the big picture focus:
- Blanche’s contradictory behaviour : her tendency to conceal, but desire to reveal: her sophisticated appearance belies her insecurity, uncertainty and anxiety
- Where there is a contradiction, or some ambiguity or comparisons – always set up the comparison or contradiction; and then unpack each aspect
- Blanche’s relationship with Stella
- Include references to play-writing/narrative devices
Please write a paragraph or draw upon / redo the sample below taking into account our observations above:
Blanche’s desire to hide information of her past and her present life is a major element of her mental state and reveals essential detail of her personality. Evidently, the author manifests the character as voluble and anxious, during her encounter with her sister, evincing Blanches’ need to veil herself. The primary character’s talkative nature, allows her to learn about her sister’s life, while contributing to the conversation, though revealing a trifle of her own life, but refraining from appearing too aloof. As Blanche sees the approaching sister she ‘begins to speak with feverish vivacity’ and continues to talk unduly, commenting on Stella’s ‘horrible place’ and questioning her sister’s life with husband Stanley and even his friends. Though this may appear normal, regarding the social view as that an intimate sisterly relationship includes thorough knowledge and care for each other’s respective lives, it is apparent hat Stella’s and Blanche’s is quite different. Stella’s succinct responses to her sister’s questions and the fact that ‘(Blanche) never gave (her) a chance to say much’ fortify that the central character’s purpose of the conversation is to further conceal her life from her sister. In addition when asked about her life in New Orleans, Blanche, immediately sensing danger of an aspect of her life, which she wishes to b kept from others to be unveiled, ‘suddenly stops short’ and closes the subject immediately. Thus, Williams, again indicates the main character’s impulse to conceal her past. Blanche’s latent anxiousness during her encounter with her sister is another factor that reveals her attempt to veil her past. She most aberrantly, insists upon the ‘merciless-glare’ of the light bulb to be turned off, as she doesn’t want Stella to see her, before bathed and rested. The author’s symbolic reference of the light may represent discovery, learning or knowledge, in this case of Blanche’s life, particularly her history. Her exaggeration over the dazzle of the bulb, indicate her extreme fear of exposure and apprehensive state of mind. The primary character’s loquacious and anxious nature, therefore, reinforce her desire to obscure her personal life, as an integral element of her state mind.
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