A Streetcar Named Desire Essays (Examples)

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Streetcar Named Desire:
The symbolic dichotomy and opposition between Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski

Tennessee illiam's Blanche Dubois from an "A Streetcar Named Desire" is one of the most complex characters in dramatic literature. On one hand, Blanche represents fine, southern gentility. hen she speaks of losing the family estate Belle Reve, in contrast to the practical Stanley Kowalski, she is vague about the legal and financial complications which led her to such dire straits. She simply does not seem to understand or care. "I think it's wonderful that Belle Reve should finally be this bunch of old papers in your big, capable hands" she says sarcastically to Stanley, mocking his emphasis on his legal entitlement to his wife's share of the estate (44). Hoping that a man will save her from her predicament, she flits like a moth in her sister's apartment, creating 'magic' with paper lanterns. She represents a….

Septimus and Blanche: Victims of Patriarchal Culture
Septimus in Mrs. Dalloway and Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire are interesting fictional characters who suffer from mental illness in the 1920s. Septimus' illness stems from his wartime experiences while Blanche's illness stems from her position as an oppressed woman under patriarchy. In a sense, patriarchal society has produced both illnesses because exploitation of others, war, and oppression of women are characteristic of the patriarchal system. Both Septimus and Blanche have separated themselves from painful reality and have created a new, less painful unreality for themselves. In this essay we will compare Septimus' illness to Blanche's by investigating their symptoms, the influence of patriarchal culture on their concepts of manhood and womanhood, and the situations leading to exacerbation of their symptoms.

At the end of World War I, Septimus has all the symptoms of shell shock, later called battle fatigue, and currently called post-traumatic….

Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams. Specifically, it will compare and contrast the book vs. The 1951 and 1998 movies. Each version of this memorable play brings a different slant to a well-known and often performed classic. Williams' play is the ultimate standard, but each work illustrates just how a different slant can update a dated piece.
STREETCAR NAMED DESRE

Tennessee William's "A Streetcar Named Desire" is such a pervasive play it was made into several film versions. The 1954 version starred Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, and Kim Hunter, and was directed by noted director Elia Kazan. The 1998 made for television movie was directed by Kirk Browning and was turned into a modern opera by the San Francisco Opera Company. Each piece retains the flavor of Williams' work, but brings a new slant to the performances.

The story of "A Streetcar Named Desire" is basically the same in all three works,….


The fulfillment of desire, that is, means the eradication of desire -- by its very definition, desire is gone once its object has been attained. This plays out differently for the two characters described above; Gatsby does briefly attain his desire -- i.e. Daisy -- but also learns that, through her own decision, he will never really possess her. This dual event of fulfillment and permanent rejection is symbolically paired with his death, and the complete randomness yet strange inevitability of the death as far as the storyline of the novel goes makes it all the more tragic. Blanche never really attains her desire, and in fact can be seen as destroying it utterly when Mitch leaves her, and this final rejection is enough to break her. Unable to attain her desires, Blanche suffers a complete break from reality that effectively destroys her, as well, yet she continues living in….

Shakespeare's play, Romeo Juliet, film version: note defend effective ineffective. Do unknown young actors, Leonard hiting Olivia Hussey, opposed recognizable stars, made film appealing? Please explain
Although some might be inclined to believe that it is impossible to compare two works of art because they should each be analyzed from different points-of-view, it is only safe to consider that illiam Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet needs to be compared with the film that was inspired from it. One of the first things that the director needed to take into account was that the play that he wanted to screen contained a particularly powerful storyline and the actors thus needed to be prepared to express its full intensity. Franco Zeffirelli decided to cut some of the play's major parts and in spite of the fact that he created a less dramatic piece he managed to create a motion picture that was successful….

Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois goes to seek refuge at her sister's house. At first it seems decent enough- even though she has to bear with Stella's less than gentleman husband, Stanley Kowalski, she starts to disintegrate into madness when her once value beauty cannot get her the freedom and independence she craves. As some would say, beauty gets you far, for Blanche, nearing the age of 30, without hardly any money and losing her home and position as a high school teacher, her aging face is a far cry from her once flawless form. She was considered the "bell of the ball." She had money, she had worth suitors, and she had a good family name. Of course none of that mattered as her attempts to gain independence from her newly found poverty through being with men ended in a psychotic break that ruined any future chances of….

1950's Cinema
PAGES 9 WORDS 2695

Cinema 1950s
1950s was a decade of change for the U.S. - cinema was no exception, as it modeled itself to accommodate the social changes U.S. society was going through. Films not only provide entertainment to masses but are also believed to express the general outlook of society by the way it sets and adopts trends. 50s was marked by postwar prosperity, rising consumerism, loosening up of stereotype families, baby boom and growing middle-class. It was the time of reaction to the aging cinema, especially by the freedom loving youth who were keyed up with fast food (Mc Donald's franchised in '54), credit card (first in 1950) and drive-in theaters (Filmsite.org). Young people were fed-up with the conventional illustration of men and women. With growing interest in ock-n-oll and break-free attitude prevailing, a social revolution was very much in the offering, and that was to transfer the cinema as well -….

Origins and Characteristics of the Law and Legal Systems in the U.S.
The Origins and Characteristics of the Law

and Legal Systems in the United States

The origins and characteristics of the law and legal systems of the United States

It is a commonplace observation to state that the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the U.S. are the origin of and provide the characteristics of the legal systems of the U.S. But in order to truly understand the ideas behind these landmark legal documents one must delve deeper into history. What of the texts that influenced America's Founding Fathers? Most may know that the Magna Charta, the English charter from the year 1215, was an influence. But the English weren't the only influential opinion-makers for revolutionary Americans. The Scottish and the French were too. The Scottish Declaration of Arbroath, for example, has been linked by scholars as an influence on Thomas Jefferson,….

Scorsese equates him with "a magician enchanted by his own magic." This freedom allowed Welles to create from narrative techniques and filmic devices a masterpiece that is self-aware of its own form. It intends to communicate this self-consciousness to the audience, thus contradicting the classical canons of filmmaking whereby the camera ought not to be noticed and the shots should be seamless. In other words, Welles expanded the art form of cinema, using the camera the way a poet uses a pen. He even created fake news footage in unique ways to enhance the film's appearance. His immense influence can be seen more on the art form as later with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Censorship was still rife in Hollywood. The league of decency suppressed adult themes. Elia Kazan's adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) was censored. What we would see now as almost innocent -- a….

For instance, renowned designer Barbara Matera explained that when Glenn Close first tried on the Norma Desmond costume described above, she "winced under its weight" (New York's Top Costume Shop Reveals Its Secrets 1996:3). The costume's designer, Anthony Powell, instructed Close to turn around and face the mirror, and "upon seeing the stunning result her whole attitude changed" (4). Other anecdotal accounts on the design process from Matera included: "e love shows that have underwear scenes" (referring to bustles, corsets, and pantaloons), and "bird costumes can be very taxing"; these comments provide some insight into the creative challenges that face costume designers and makers today.
Each character that appears in a production must be individually assessed, and gradually each movement of each character and each costume must then be integrated into a cohesive whole that presents the imagery desired. "At any rate," Cole et al. say, "slowly, harmoniously, must the….

Film History
PAGES 18 WORDS 8657

movie industry in America has been controlled by some of the monolithic companies which not only provided a place for making the movies, but also made the movies themselves and then distributed it throughout the entire country. These are movie companies and their entire image revolved around the number of participants of their films. People who wanted to see the movies being made had to go to the studios in order to see them. They made movies in a profitable manner for the sake of the studios, but placed the entire industry under their control and dominated over it. The discussion here is about some of those famous studios inclusive of that of names like Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Culver, RKO, Paramount Studios, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios, Raleigh Studio, Hollywood Center Studio, Sunset Gower Studio, Ren-Mar Studios, Charlie Chaplin Studios and now, Manhattan Beach….

The director makes this point very clearly in the scene where David and Dianna win some money.
They tumble among the bills, consummating their love for money as much as, or more so than, their love for each other. The scene is quite remarkable even beyond the basic idea of sex literally on top of money. Lyne spends significant amounts of time exploring the cash-filled crevices of his stars. While certainly a cinematic first, this union of love and money is a hollow pleasure.

The above quote also emphasizes the attitude projected by the film, which is a reflection of the contemporary world, where money and sex and power are closely associated. In a sense the film also points to another problematic aspect of the modern world; that the value of money is regarded above all else - including love and human relationships. The entire film is built around an exploration….

Good Man is Hard to Find
Flannery O'Conner's short story, a Good Man is Hard to Find is a modern parable. The story is laced with symbolism and religious subtext. In many ways the piece is similar to classical Greek plays about pride and retribution.

efore launching into a discussion of O'Conner's story it is important to understand the woman and her motivations to write. O'Conner was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 to her devout Catholic parents, Edward and Regina O'Conner. Flannery spent her youth attending Catholic parochial schools. In 1938, the family moved to a town just outside Atlanta called Milledgeville where Flannery continued her education. Unfortunately, her father would ultimately die in this town as the result of complications from the disease lupus. Flannery went on to Georgia State College for Women and then proceeded to the State University of Iowa where she received her MFA in 1947.

It….

Anthony Quinn
PAGES 10 WORDS 3289

Anthony Quinn was often thought of as being larger than life. He was a talented actor who played many diverse roles and is now a Hollywood legend.
Anthony Quinn was born Anthony Rudloph Oaxaca Quinn on April 12, 1915 in Chihuahua, Mexico of a Mexican-Indian mother and an Irish father. When he was four years old, his family moved to California, where he was raised in poverty in East Los Angeles and shined shoes and sold newspapers.

Before he launched his acting career, Quinn worked at a variety of odd jobs including a boxer, butcher, street corner preacher and a worker in a slaughterhouse. At one point, he had even been a painter before trying his hand at acting. He launched his film career playing small character roles in several movies in 1936, including his debut in a movie called Parole. He also had small parts in worn Enemy and Night Waitress….

Nan Goldin: Punk Expressions
Nan Goldin captures a raw, energetic visual spirit in her photography -- images of individuals outside the mainstream, persons who live in the sub-culture of the modern day world. These people are transsexuals or drug addicts, some of whom are involved in the punk music scene, others of whom are part of the underground by virtue of their "third gender" status, which Goldin applies to them. She does not photograph them as one who is reviled but rather as one who admires them and wants to be around them. Thus, her aesthetic judgments of her subjects are never scathing or attacking: rather, she presents them as they are -- boldly, objectively, almost defiantly, with their poses, attitudes, facial expressions (the eyes staring directly into the camera and hence into the viewer's saying, "Take me as I am" as in Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a Taxi, NYC,….

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2 Pages
Essay

Sports - Women

Symbolic Dichotomy in a Streetcar Named Desire

Words: 666
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Streetcar Named Desire: The symbolic dichotomy and opposition between Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski Tennessee illiam's Blanche Dubois from an "A Streetcar Named Desire" is one of the most complex…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Sports - Women

Mrs Dalloway and a Streetcar Named Desire

Words: 1454
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Septimus and Blanche: Victims of Patriarchal Culture Septimus in Mrs. Dalloway and Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire are interesting fictional characters who suffer from mental illness in the 1920s.…

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2 Pages
Term Paper

Film

Play Called a Street Car Named Desire

Words: 580
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams. Specifically, it will compare and contrast the book vs. The 1951 and 1998 movies. Each version of this memorable play brings a…

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4 Pages
Research Proposal

Literature

Lust and Desire in American

Words: 1197
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Research Proposal

The fulfillment of desire, that is, means the eradication of desire -- by its very definition, desire is gone once its object has been attained. This plays out differently…

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3 Pages
Essay

Film

Shakespeare's Play Romeo Juliet Film Version Note

Words: 859
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Shakespeare's play, Romeo Juliet, film version: note defend effective ineffective. Do unknown young actors, Leonard hiting Olivia Hussey, opposed recognizable stars, made film appealing? Please explain Although some might…

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3 Pages
Dissertation or Thesis complete

Family and Marriage

Six Degrees of Separation Defines Freedom in America

Words: 960
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Dissertation or Thesis complete

Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois goes to seek refuge at her sister's house. At first it seems decent enough- even though she has to bear with Stella's less…

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image
9 Pages
Term Paper

Film

1950's Cinema

Words: 2695
Length: 9 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Cinema 1950s 1950s was a decade of change for the U.S. - cinema was no exception, as it modeled itself to accommodate the social changes U.S. society was going through.…

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image
9 Pages
Essay

Business - Law

Origins and Characteristics of the Law and Legal Systems of the United States

Words: 2347
Length: 9 Pages
Type: Essay

Origins and Characteristics of the Law and Legal Systems in the U.S. The Origins and Characteristics of the Law and Legal Systems in the United States The origins and characteristics of the…

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3 Pages
Essay

Film

Scorsese's Journey Through Film Scorsese's

Words: 1314
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Scorsese equates him with "a magician enchanted by his own magic." This freedom allowed Welles to create from narrative techniques and filmic devices a masterpiece that is self-aware…

Read Full Paper  ❯
image
10 Pages
Term Paper

Plays

Theoni v Aldredge Discussion of

Words: 2995
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Term Paper

For instance, renowned designer Barbara Matera explained that when Glenn Close first tried on the Norma Desmond costume described above, she "winced under its weight" (New York's Top…

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image
18 Pages
Term Paper

Film

Film History

Words: 8657
Length: 18 Pages
Type: Term Paper

movie industry in America has been controlled by some of the monolithic companies which not only provided a place for making the movies, but also made the movies…

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image
7 Pages
Term Paper

Women's Issues - Sexuality

American Cinema Patterns of Sexual

Words: 2282
Length: 7 Pages
Type: Term Paper

The director makes this point very clearly in the scene where David and Dianna win some money. They tumble among the bills, consummating their love for money as much…

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image
4 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Good Man Is Hard to Find Flannery

Words: 1512
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O'Conner's short story, a Good Man is Hard to Find is a modern parable. The story is laced with symbolism and religious…

Read Full Paper  ❯
image
10 Pages
Term Paper

Film

Anthony Quinn

Words: 3289
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Anthony Quinn was often thought of as being larger than life. He was a talented actor who played many diverse roles and is now a Hollywood legend. Anthony Quinn was…

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image
3 Pages
Reaction Paper

Art - Photographic

Sexual Frustration in the Photography of Nan Goldin

Words: 1011
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Reaction Paper

Nan Goldin: Punk Expressions Nan Goldin captures a raw, energetic visual spirit in her photography -- images of individuals outside the mainstream, persons who live in the sub-culture of the…

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