Because I have read Streetcar Named Desire several times already, I have decided to look at the play from a different perspective, not in terms of plot, but how the stage directions aid the story, especially lighting and color.
I feel that lighting is especially associated with the mental degradation of Blanche. One example of this includes Blanche's association and obsession with the Chinese paper lantern. She refuses to be seen in the clearest light, and thus does not want to face the truth and reality of what she really is, the reality of her future. The Chinese paper lantern is both frail and decorative, similar to the veneer of Blanche's southern belle behavior. This association is further supported by Stanley's attempt to destroy the lantern and rape Blanche, which completes her path to mental instability.
The question of costuming and coloring that is associated with Blanche and her supporting characters is also telling of their personalities. Stanley's card playing and bowling co-workers are constantly wearing bright colors and silk. These vibrant colors and gaudy fabrics support their energetic and not-so-clean-cut personalities- they are literally "colorful" individuals, from different races, backgrounds, and upbringings. Stella, although born of a higher class and economic station, keeps her aristocratic, delicate dress, but is dressed in pastels, mediating the ground between Blanche's whites and Stanley's vibrant colors. Blanche, as previously stated, wears white (in fact, her name means "White Woods"), which at an initial read is unusual. Archetypes typically wear white as a symbol of purity, but this symbol is perverted in Blanche's persona. It is a false sense of purity, which Williams frequently emphasizes by the constant dirtying of her clothes; spilling a coke on her skirt or soiling her gloves and coat from the rickety streetcars.
Character development through colors and lighting is particularly important to the play structure, and Tennessee Williams is a master of that genre. For my next book review,the random letter generator brought up "K", so I am going to be looking at some Kafka: The Trial.
I have also been eager to do some creative writing exercizes, so that might be the subject of some upcoming posts.
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