Scene One of A Streetcar Named Desire Essay -- A Streetcar Named Desir

Scene One of A Streetcar Named Desire What is the dramatic significance of scene one of the play A Streetcar named Desire? Scene 1 of this play has great dramatic significance. In this essay, I will be looking at key points throughout the scene that reveal the key features of the plot, characters, theme and imagery plus how it is used to give the audience a taster for what is to come. Scene one is set in New Orleans, I feel this is used because in peoples mind beforehand it has a strong emotional presence and is often associated with many types of genres such as music. Sight and smell are often used in plays to help people get a sense of atmosphere and this is no exception. Cleverly as always to make something stand out in the media eye Williams takes this one step further by combining the strong senses of glorious unbelieving sights of New Orleans and the vast cultural display of music to create a strong, atmospheric potion. It offers a romantic vision of dingy life(referring to the not so perfect world they live in). The mix of characters demonstrates the way that New Orleans has changed to other southern American cities. It was originally a catholic settlement while most southern cities were protestant The music of the blue piano is cleverly used in the background to portray to feel of changing life throughout the city, while seemingly also reacting to the changing moods in the play through hate and anger of Blanche’s arguments with Stanley to love and forgiveness when Blanche arrives to stay with Stella. I feel it is also used to take the sting out of the feel of poverty. The polka music displays its original musical style, whilst being used for far more striking and startling incidents su... ...nough’ in many situations to get his point across. Stanley’s middle-scene entrance with meat underlines his primitive qualities as if he were taking it back to his cave fresh from the kill. It also displays a strong sexual bond between him and Stella which is also shown as noticeable by other characters. Stanley shouts â€Å"Catch!† as he throws the meat to the negro woman who yells â€Å"Catch What?†. The negro woman and Eunice see this as sexual and hysterical in his act of tossing the meat to a delighted Stella. This is a very cleverly thought out & structured first scene as this certainly prepares the audience for what is to come. Many class conflicts and clashes with high tempo drama from all sides of the story are certainly expected to remain throughout while a classic twist could and hopefully will be to carry on the great start could be on the cards.