Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What does Williams's
depiction of Blanche and Stanley's lives say about desire?
2. The plot
of
A Streetcar Named Desire is driven by the dueling
personalities of Blanche and Stanley. What are the sources of their
animosity toward one another?
3. A
Streetcar Named Desire can be described as an elegy, or poetic
expression of mourning, for an Old South that died in the first
part of the twentieth century. Expand on this description.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Describe the use of light
in the play. What does its presence or absence indicate?
2. How does Williams use sound
as a dramatic device?
3. How does Blanche's fascination
with teenage boys relate to her decline and fall?
4. Compare and contrast Mitch
to the other men in the play.
5. Compare and contrast Blanche
and Stella.
