A Streetcar Named Desire

Sounds and actions on the street constantly interrupt or backdrop the dialogue taking place within the Kowalski flat. What are the purposes of these various interruptions? How might reading them on the page differ from seeing them enacted on stage?

Mitch and Stella confront life-changing questions in the face of information given to them by Stanley. How much does he influence their decisions to sever ties with Blanche? Do you think any measure taken by Blanche could have countered the breadth and scope of his domination over those around him?

Whenever Blanche talks about Belle Reve, her language becomes dreamlike—loose and associative. What can you piece together about her experience there given the visceral details she provides? How do this trauma and the past traumas of her life influence her manner of moving about the world?