Light as a Metaphor in A Streetcar Named Desire

Light as Metaphor

Chinese Lantern (Scene 11, pg. 116):

Stanley: “You want the lantern?”

[He crosses to dressing table and seizes the paper lantern, tearing it off the light bulb, and extends it toward her. She cries out as if the lantern was herself.]

• The lantern keeps Blanche from seeing herself aging. It creates an illusion of something beautiful, which she values highly.
• It highlights one of the themes in A Streetcar Named Desire:  the denial of reality
• When Stanley rips off the Chinese Lantern, it increases the tension of the scene and the conflict between romanticism and realism. The lantern represents romanticism because it slightly conceals the reality of Blanche’s situation, and dims the indoor of Stanley & Stella’s house. The light represents the reality of the current situation, hence Stanley likes it because he is a straight-shooter. Stanley is realistic as he accepts himself for being common.

Blanche’s insanity (Scene 10, pg. 159)

[The shadows and lurid reflections move sinuously as flames along the wall spaces]

• The diction and imagery of light become darker and menacing when Blanche speaks of her past, such as when she is trying to contact Shep Huntleigh
• Light now has a destructive nature, and may have something to do with desire
• The flame of the candle represents Blanche’s desire to charm. In this scene, Blanche’s desire to charm turns destructive because her lies are revealed, and hence the light develops a backlash.
• Her desire to charm has gone to far and she becomes engulfed in lies.

 

Mitch’s desire to see Blanche in the light (Scene 9, pg. 144-145)

Mitch- “What it means is I’ve never had a real good look at you, Blanche. Let’s turn the light on here.”

Blanche-“Light? Which light? What for? [Fearfully]

Mitch- “This one with the paper thing on it”[He tears the paper lantern off the light bulb. She utters a frightened gasp.]

Blanche: “I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it! —Don’t turn the light on!

• Mitch feels that he doesn’t know the “real” Blanche because he has never seen her in a lighted room. In fact, Mitch complains that they never meet during the day, and only go to dimly lit places on dates. Blanche is self conscious about her aging. She feels she deserved to have romance that lasted in her youth. She may be appearing to correct the world with magic but she is also trying to correct her own mistakes and cope with the guilt of pushing her husband to suicide.

 

Lighting candles (Scene 6, pg. 104)

Blanche-“We have both been anxious and solemn and now for these last few remaining moments of our lives together—I want to create—joie de vivre! I’m lighting a candle.”

• The act of lighting a candle is desire-driven, and an example of Blanche’s passion. She has a romantic vision of life, and enjoys creating a sensual mood when with men, specifically Mitch.
• She wants to exemplify her charm, and lighting candles and speaking in French highlights this.
• She is aging and life is short; Blanche wants to use her charm to win over Mitch while she is still able to.

Cigarette (Scene 5, pg. 97):

Blanche-“Can you give me a light?”

Young Man- “Sure. This doesn’t always work.”

Blanche: “It’s temperamental? Ahh-thank you!”

• Williams is using the lighting of a cigarette to show how her own perception of beauty, and how she cannot accept the fact that her looks are temperamental, just as light is.
• Uses the act of lighting cigarettes to interact/talk with men, an “ice-breaker”. The light is her own charm, but its dim.