1. A Streetcar Named Desire
Social Class

2. Williams’s Intentions?
He reportedly said that the true meaning of A Streetcar Named Desire was:
“ You had better look out or the apes will take over.”
How could this be interpreted in terms of class?

3. Did he mean….?
It seems hard to believe that he wanted the 1947 audience to leave the theatre convinced that a world in which a man can get away with rape is a better one than that of the decaying south.

4. Final pages of the play…
To what extent does Williams seem to be conveying to the audience that it is inevitable that the brutish and powerful in society will triumph over the weak and sensitive, but it may be that hope lies in Stella, who represents a more benevolent compromise between fanciful weakness and brutishness?
To develop your thoughts, read P86 from “Blanche moves fearfully to the portieres” to the end and discuss/make notes/write down key textual references. How do your thoughts relate to social class?

5. Exam style question
Explore how social class is presented in A Streetcar Named Desire. You must relate your discussion to relevant contextual factors.

6. CONFLICT! Individual and social
Idea 1
Blanche is a member of a declining plantation family who represents the wealthy middle and upper classes of the Old South
Stanley is a working class man, of Polish origin who is proud to be American
CONFLICT! Individual and social

7. Idea 2
Stella has compromised her old upper middle class family values for love, passion and a family
Is this a symbolic way forward for the Old South and how to survive?

8. Idea 3
Members of different classes speak and behave differently, revealing fundamental differences in values

9. Idea 4
It could be that Blanche speaks for Williams when she says, “Don’t hang back with the brutes”
Could the play be seen as tragedy of brute, working class masculinity overcoming tenderer, more traditionally middle class sensitivity?

10. Idea 5 The play is about misunderstandings between social classes.
( But is it more complex that this? Men and women?...)

11. Homework Using the essay title, produce:
An essay plan – fleshed out with further ideas and quotations for each paragraph
An introduction
One “perfect” paragraph (or two) – use mark scheme
A conclusion
(one side of A4)