English 10

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 

Music in Streetcar Named Desire is played to evoke feeling and tone with the play. Every time that Allan is mentioned, the polka plays. Blanche stated that, “the polka tune were played when Allan-” died. The polka music is reminiscent of the guilt that Blanche feels because of Allan’s death. Even though Blanche did not murder Allan, she feels like she had a role in his death. The sounds of the polka remind Blanche of what she has lost. In the scene where Blanche reveals the truth about her past to Mitch, the polka tune also plays. The usage of music in the play is detrimental because it adds a level of feeling and tone in the play. Instead of the actors relying on only themselves to evoke feeling in the audience, they have the addition of music, which proves to be useful when talking about touchy subjects for the characters – such as Allan’s death. Also, the sound of the Blue Piano is significant to the place where they live and the spirit of their life. The sounds of the Blue Piano evoke the feeling and tone of their community. 

While bathing, Blanche sings the tune It’s Only a Paper Moon. The song is about how love turns the world into a fake fantasy. Blanche’s singing the song represents the way that she is living. Blanche sings the song about phony love while she cleanses herself in the hot bath. The use of the singing in the bathtub represents Blanche’s confidence with the world and her views of love and life.

The use of music, Blanche’s singing, the Blue Piano and the drums evokes different feelings such as livelihood, love, suspense and drama. 

Acts 4-6 

These three acts are very revealing of Blanche’s personality. Blanche’s concern for her sister fuel her dislike for Stanley. Blanche reveals to her sister that “he’s common!” Blanche believes that her sister deserves much better, but Stella and Stanley are attracted by their differences and desires. Stanley, as a realist, tells Blanche early on that “[He doesn’t] go in for that stuff.” Meaning that he wont fall into her world of illusions and encourage her just as Stella does. Blanche pretends to be a glamourous, pure woman, but instead she’s old and washed out and she is not as beautiful as she once was.

When Blanche kisses the young man, we realize her malice intentions. Blanche asks to kiss him, perhaps because he is young and pure, the way that she wants to be. Blanche actions are like a fairytale where an old witch who needs to take the beauty of a young woman to have the beauty that she once had. Blanche in scene 6 plays hard to get with Mitch. Blanche wants Mitch to take care of him and takes advantage of him in his sensitive state of his mother’s sickness. Blanche also tells Mitch the situation of her husband’s death that she feels responsible for. Blanche’s personality is a reflection of the trauma that she went through with the death of her young husband and the tragedy of losing Belle Reve. Mitch falls victim of Blanche’s neediness because he wants someone after his mother dies. In a way, Blanche and Mitch are using each other. Blanche is really settling for the first man she can find because she realizes that she’s old and not as beautiful as she once was. Her dependency is one of her worst qualities, as Blanche cannot stand to be alone. 

Light and colour played a key role in Acts 1-3 of A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche was introduced in clothing that was suited for a “summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district” (Page 15). Blanche is supposed to be the image of purity and truth, but early on we detect Blanche’s nervous nature and alcoholic tendencies. Later on, Blanche has picked up a lantern for a bare bulb at Stella’s house because she “can’t stand a naked light bulb” (Page 55). This may also represent Blanche not being able to handle the truth. When Blanche is confronted with a problem, like talking about the plantation or the death of her loved one, she is able to get away from the subject or claims she’s feeling ill. 

In a description for the Poker Game, the men’s shirts are clearly  described.

“The poker players-Stanley, Steve, Mitch and Pablo-wear coloured shirts, solid blues, a purple, red-and-white checked, a light green” (Page 45). 

The colours all represent virtues, as blue is truth, divine and heavenly, purple is good judgement and happiness, red is passion and fertility, white is innocence, perfection and purity and green is life nature, fertility and wellbeing. The colours also contrast masculinity and femininity. The use of colours in descriptions allow for further characterization and are a detrimental part of the play as they have been included for almost every character. From the characterization a better understanding of social aspects and character relationships are able to form. The use of colours in A Streetcar Named Desire allow for an idea to be transferred without being too blatant. 

The movie, Finding Forrester, involved many motifs about light and sight. These motifs all play a key role in further development of the characters. Important characters are introduced through the use of light and sight. Like Jamal, the protagonist in which the film is based around is first introduced in his sleep, his eyes open as his mom attempts to wake him up for school, a literal and metaphorical awakening. Forrester plays Jamal’s mentor, but as he is first introduced, Forrester is looking out the window, with binoculars, which plays into a both the light and sight motifs. 

Windows play a key role throughout the movie. Forrester informs Jamal that he leaves the house only to clean his windows. Forrester is stuck in his apartment, just as he is stuck in his life. As his brother died, he finds it hard to leave the house. When Jamal takes him to a baseball game he becomes very anxious in the crowd. Forrester keeps the windows very clean, this is because Forrester is metaphorical looking through the windows without any judgement. Keeping the windows clean is allowing a clear view to the world without any prejudice. When Forrester dies, Jamal is seen opening the window. No longer does he have to clean the dirt (“stereotypes”) from the window, but is able to break through from the stereotypes.The camera then pans through the window to see Jamal and his Brother playing Basketball together. This unites Jamal and his Brother after Jamal loses his mentor, Forrester. 

The Russian Trader explains Kurtz situation and begs Marlow to take him away quickly. The Russian and Kurtz have had their ups and downs, but he has never seen Kurtz in such grave condition. The manger leaves to talk to Kurtz and Marlow returns to the steamer. From the deck of the steamer, Marlow sees a beautiful Native woman nervously pacing on the coast. He is later told that this is Kurtz mistress. Her influence over Kurtz causes trouble for the Russian. Kurtz is head yelling and claims that the manager came for the ivory instead of coming to help him. The manager takes Marlow aside and tells him that he will report Kurtz as he is no longer well enough to run the station. Marlow is disgusted with the manager and claims that Kurtz is a “remarkable man.” 

Later, the Russian trader confesses to Marlow that Kurtz ordered the attack of the steamer. Kurtz was hoping that the Manager would order the ship to turn back after assuming Kurtz was dead. Marlow tells the Russian that the manager has plans of hanging him, but the Russian is not surprised. The Russian gets tobacco, shoes and bullets from Marlow and then leaves on a canoe with natives. 

In the middle of the night, Marlow is awoken by a cacophony. He then realizes that Kurtz is missing and decides to look for Kurtz himself. Marlow follows Kurtz trail, but then realizes the danger of the situation as Kurtz could easily call for the natives to have him killed. Marlow convinces Kurtz to come back and the next morning they leave on the steamer. The natives are seen at the shore waving to Kurtz and Marlow sounds the whistle. The natives scatter away and the pilgrims open fire. The only person remaining on the shore is Kurtz mistress, but Marlow cannot see if she is hit by a bullet as his view is obscured. 

The manager is pleased that Kurtz will be dead soon and is ignoring Marlow. Marlow has separated himself from the rest of the Company since the incident with Kurtz and the Manager the first night that Marlow arrived. Kurtz admits to Marlow that he is “waiting for his death.” Marlow sees Kurtz having some sort of epiphany, scared and afraid, Kurtz escapes to the dining hall and not long after a servant comes to tell Marlow that Kurtz is dead. Kurtz is buried the next day by the Pilgrims. 

Marlow comes down with illness himself. At this time he almost dies, but he can’t recall much about his time when he was sick. Marlow recovers and comes to the realization that Kurtz was a great man because “he had something to say. And he said it.’ Marlow then returns to Brussels. 

In Belgium Marlow is given a pamphlet about Suppression of Savage Customs. Marlow goes to visit Kurtz fiancee, without any real reason. He gives her a package of letters and a picture. Marlow tells her that he knew him as well as two men could know each other. Marlow lies and tells his fiancee that Kurtz last word’s were her name. Marlow ends the story by saying that the river is here “to lead into the heart of an immense darkness” (Page 111). 

This image represents Marlow’s isolation for the rest of the company. He realizes early on how terrible the Company’s treatment towards natives are. Marlow is offended when he is given the pamphlet about savages. Marlow was like Kurtz in the sense where he didn’t get along with the rest of the Company. Marlow isolated himself on purpose because he could believe the hypocrisy of the Manager. 

If I forget Thee, Jerusalem and The God of Urushalim both convey a message of the importance of Jerusalem. From the poems, you can understand the religious and cultural importance to both Palestinians and Israelis. Both poems have the same message, but the difference is the perspectives of the authors. One is written from an Arab perspective while the other is written from a Jewish perspective. Jerusalem will be in both their hearts forever, because they cannot forget Jerusalem without forgetting their culture, religion and self. The poems are very similar, both using blood as imagery, but the author of The God of Urushalim makes the poem more personal to the situation by referring to Monsters and Brothers. This idea is that the enemy is a monster and the brothers must unite to remember Jerusalem. 

The kitty is heliotropic. He enjoys basking in the sun all day. 

The kitty is translucent. 

After the kitty’s father is the paterfamilias. 

After an altercation, the kitties were fuming. 

A megaton blew the kitty fifty feet in the air. 

The kitty suffered from lyssophobia. 

After winning the championship baseball game, the kitty was noted as an apotheosis by his fans. 

Playing golf in the rain was precursor for being struck by lightning. 

The kitty has an idée fixe for Fancy Feast. 

The kitty hears an euphony. 

The kitty went to university to study cosmology. He now considers himself an expert on this subject. 

The kitty has been split by schism.

The kitty is a funambulist. 

The kitty is now reiterated. 

The kitty has been bowdlerized. 

Marlow sits on the deck of his steamboat, slowly drifting off to sleep. He hears the Manager of the expedition and his Uncle conversing. They are talking about Kurtz. The men mention that Kurtz is alone and once the manager sent him an assistant, but the assistant came back with a note saying, “Clear this poor devil out of the country, and don’t bother sending more of that sort. I had rather be alone than have the kind of men you can dispose of with me.” (Page 45) Now all that the manager receives is Ivory of the best sort from Kurtz. Marlow also hears that Kurtz is now ill. His health is no longer in very good condition. The manager also mentions to have a wandering trader hung because the manager is no longer happy with his work. The uncle says that, “The climate may do away with this difficulty for you” (Page 45), which means that the manager might not have to deal with Kurtz if he is killed by tropical disease. Marlow is stunned by the way that the two are conversing. 

Marlow begins a journey to Kurtz station. A stack of wood is left by a Russian trader fifty miles from Kurtz station. The trader is a man that Marlow has overhead the Manager complaining about. After a cry is heard at the place where the ship is stopped for the night, the men onboard prepare for an attack. Marlow is told be a native man a “Cannibal” as they are referred to in the book that he wants to eat the voices in the distances. He realizes that the men are starving and the only food they had was throw overboard by the “Pilgrims” (traders). The manager gives permission for Marlow to continue through the fog, even though he earlier said to stop because the water was not safe. Marlow refuses to continue as he does not believe that the Natives will attack. The “Pilgrims” then open fire after seeing they are surrounded by natives. Marlow scares the attackers away by sounding the steamer whistle. The helmsmen dies by Marlow’s feet, instead of feeling any empathy, Marlow is disgusted by the dead body. Marlow believes that Kurtz is dead because of the Native attacks. 

Marlow later throws the helmsman body overboard. The pilgrims are upset that they did not give him a proper burials and the cannibals are upset that they lost a possible meal. Marlow blames the helmsmen’s death on the helmsmen’s impatience. If he hadn’t shot at the men in the bushes, he would not be dead now. As the inner station comes into view (Kurtz station) the pilgrims and Marlow are happy that it is still intact, as they expected it to be destroyed by the natives. 

At the shore, Marlow is greeted by the Russian trader. Everyone is fine in the inner station and the Russian trader believes that the natives attacked because they don’t want Kurtz to leave. Everyone has been apotheosizing Kurtz existence. 

This photo is an expression of freedom. There is no way of the natives being able to communicate with the white men. They are beaten, abused and forced into slaveries. They have no way of defending themselves because the White Men will simply not hear what they say. This photo is representative of discrimination, freedom, slavery, violence and silence. All factors that are represented in Heart of Darkness. 

Wanton - of cruel or violent action 

Begrimed - blackened with ingrained dirt

Reposed - temporary rest

Cipher - a secret or disguised way of writing

Malevolently -a wish to do evil to others