Barnes & NobleA Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

A literary masterpiece with a controversial twist

This novel was a literary masterpiece with a controversial twist. This classic has behaviors that are outdated so reading it in contemporary times was a struggle simply due to the fact I cannot relate to some of the things done and said in the novel. The subtle use of H*llenism was an excellent way to portray Blanche’s character development. “They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off at—Elysian Fields!”. This is the author’s way of signifying that Blanche’s old life is dead and gone and that she is in her “afterlife” which is signified by her being told to enter a car named Desire which was what began the death of her social standing. Then the actual death by transferring to a streetcar named Cemeteries and lastly, she would end up in the Elysian fields. In traditional Hellenistic fashion there are three places you can go to in the afterlife. The majority of people go to The Asphodel Fields, it is here where the dead become Shades, Shades are a dimmed down version of their personalities had they still been alive. Tartarus on the other hand is the H*llenistic version of H*ll. Hades reserved this place for the worst of the worst. However, the author sent Blanche to The Elysian Fields which is the part of the Underworld reserved for the people who led exceptionally good lives or the heroes which were commonly demigods. The fact that the author believed Blanche to be worthy of a place like that is a testament to what he thinks of her and her character. As a huge fan of H*llenism this sentence made me fall in love with the novel and it’s lessons. While this story is not for the faint of heart it is one that evokes a range of emotions. After Blanche is r*ped, we find out that her sister does not believe her and instead decided to send her to a mental institution. While as readers we know what is happening and the injustice behind it so we must also look past it to the harsh truth that the author is presenting us. I have no complaints or critiques about this book. The author wrote the story perfectly and shaped the characters to fit their molds in a way that shows why this story is considered a classic.