Skip to main content

What is an example of the pursuit of nostalgia in A Streetcar Named Desire?

The most important example of nostalgia in the play is Belle Reve, the Mississippi plantation on which Blanche and Stella grew up. Blanche later reveals to her sister that the property has been lost due to unpaid family debts.

Williams beautifully creates Belle Reve, which translates to English as "Beautiful Dream," as a metaphor for the collapse of the Old South. What is interesting is that he does this without judgment. He does not set up Blanche or Stella as superior remnants of a lost world of manners and chivalry, nor does he look upon the modern, post-war world with relief. 


We are introduced to the plantation through a discussion between Blanche and Stella's downstairs neighbor, Eunice:



Eunice: And you're from Mississippi, huh?


Blanche: Yes.


Eunice: She showed me a picture of your home-place, the plantation.


Blanche: Belle Reve?


Eunice: A great big place with white columns.


Blanche: Yes...


Eunice: A place like that must be awful hard to keep up.



After this last comment from Eunice, Blanche politely excuses herself, claiming exhaustion. The exhaustion is physical, as well as spiritual.


The mental image one gets of Belle Reve might be similar to that of Tara in Gone With the Wind: a large house in Greek Revival style, a symbol of the classical social order of the South -- planter class, commoner, and slave. This social order has been dismantled; but Blanche, still holding on to the memory of what was, is unable to cope.


To save the property, and to survive after being fired from her school district for inappropriate conduct with a male student, she resorts to prostituting herself at The Flamingo Motel. This choice, coupled with her being raped by Stanley, undoes the myth created around her and other Southern white women as "flowers of femininity," or Southern belles, pure and wholesome.


Unlike her sister, Blanche does not fully embrace her sexuality. To do so would require self-awareness and authenticity, and she has neither. Her sense of herself as a Southern aristocrat who truly belongs in "Belle Reve" will not allow her to face the reality of her life in the post-war world. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more