# data[].attributes.headline
A fabulous homework Kathryn. You evaluate the opinions of others - agree with some bits and not others and explaining why. You also integrate quotation to support your ideas. (MRS HILL

# data[].attributes.subject
A fabulous homework Kathryn. You evaluate the opinions of others - agree with some bits and not others and explaining why. You also integrate quotation to support your ideas. (MRS HILL

# data[].attributes.body
Victor rated it 5.0 stars out of 5
30 September 2016
Stell-lahhhhh!

I read this back in the late 70s and I can honestly say that, while I enjoyed it, I never fully appreciated it. It was a good, short-read for a school assignment. Nothing special.

Then I saw the film adaptation and it quickly became an all-time favorite movie. And Blanche Dubois came to life as one of the most interesting characters I have ever happened upon. Even with her vanity, manipulative behavior, the loss of the ancestral home and her lies,
"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!"

I couldn't stay angry at Blanche for long. I found myself pitying this sad and tragic character. I knew it was coming, yet I couldn't help but catch my breath (read: yelp) when she uttered her "kindness of strangers" line.

Hayleigh encouraged me to re-read the play and I'm glad she did. I have a newfound appreciation for this piece of work. The only issue I had reading this is that I kept seeing Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh throughout the book.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with the reviewers interpretation of Blanche in that while she was often an infuriating character, such as when she continuously lies about her drinking, but then I would find myself sympathising with her when she said things such as "I, I, I took the blows in my face and my body!" as it emphasised that she really was the victim in all of it, no matter how she came off sometimes.

# data[].attributes.body
Selena rated it 2.0 stars out of 5
1 April 2008

Not a fan, though, I should preface that by saying that I'm not really a fan of Tennessee Williams in general (what kind of name is that anyway? Who names their kid after a state?). I don't share his fascination with abusive relationships, nor do I find the tragic romance in them that he does (call me a prude, but I am offended at the idea that anyone could find redeeming romantic qualities in an abusive relationship, especially a male writer).

I find nothing redeeming in the character of Stanley, in any of them really. There is perhaps, an argument to be made for Blanche, since she's obviously the victim of a nervous breakdown, but given the fact that she was driven to that breakdown simple because she didn't have anyone to take care of her and couldn't live on her own, I have a hard time digging deep enough to find the sympathy there. Stanley is an abusive a-hole, Stella is an idiot for staying with him and Blanche is crazy...yet somehow, you're supposed to care about them enough to sit through 2 hours? I guess I must have missed something.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While I can relate to her not being able to condone any abusive relationship, the play deliberately shows Stella as an easily manipulated character to show how different relationships were in the 1940s. It also shows a contrast between Stella and Blanche as Blanche is more resistant to Stanley's violent and controlling ways as she isn't blinded by love and she is supposedly less naïve because of her previous experiences, which is shown when she says that Stanley can't hurt her because she has already had her heart broken.

# data[].attributes.body
Sue rated it 5.0 stars out of 5
8 June 2013
Such a powerful drama! Williams presents his word-portraits so amazingly. As I noted when I read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, he also is a master of stage direction. When reading this play, it's possible to "see" the surroundings, hear the music and voices on the street.

Stanley, Stella and Blanche come alive on the pages as Blanche drops in at her sister's home creating a simmering stew of growing emotion. The heat of a Southern summer is reflected by all that happens in the two bedroom apartment as stories are told and feelings unleashed.

Now I must watch the film...just placed on hold at the library.

Very highly recommended.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The "simmering stew of growing emotion" is a great way to describe a play such as Streetcar and I fully agree with what she mentioned about the stage directions being able to immerse the reader into the play, especially with the repeated use of the "blue piano" whenever Blanche is experiencing any strong emotions, such as when she argues with Stanley. One occasion that the blue piano is used is when Blanche finds out that Stella is pregnant and says "The blind are - leading the blind!", where we know that Blanche has become overwhelmed at the news, especially as this happened while she was arguing with Stanley..

# data[].attributes.body
3.0 out of 5 stars A Streetcar Named Desire? Perhaps I'll walk...

8 January 2016

After studying this play on my course, I find everything a little bit over-dramatic for my tastes (I say that full well knowing the irony). Character like Mitch and Stanley tend to come across a little flat, and although they serve their purposes in moving the story forward, I feel like more could have been done with them.

Julian P. Outram

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't agree that Stanley's character comes across as "flat", mainly because he is so violent and rude that I find myself wondering what awful thing he will do next, such as when he "lurches up and tosses some watermelon rinds to the floor" or "tosses the instrument out of the window. I do believe that Mitch's character was a bit dull, as he was presented as someone who couldn't do anything wrong, as if he had no faults of his own. For example, when he finds out that Blanche has lied to him, he doesn't forgive her, or even really give her a chance to explain, but immediately assumes the worst. But, as the reviewer said, I suppose this was a device used to move the story forward.

# data[].attributes.body
3.0 out of 5 stars  Showing its age a little...

5 May 2015

An enjoyable, but short, play. It's all a bit stereotypical now and the casual violence, and cruelty, to the women difficult to stomach. That said it is easy to see why it caused a stir at the time therefore of historical interest at the very least.

Grant F Ferguson

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree that the play is short, but I think that this is a good thing as is doesn't draw out the plot too much and makes it seem as if Blanche's life is all falling apart at once, which is also shown by her revealing information on "All those deaths!" and "the loss" of Belle Reve in the first scene. I also agree that the play is stereotypical in today's society, but that is part of the charm as it wouldn't be entertaining to read a play that is the exact same as everyday life. I think that the play is good at expressing what life was like for women in the 1940s, and so it should be "difficult to stomach" for people now as so much has changed.

# data[].attributes.body
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant

8 January 2008

Arguably Tennessee Williams' best loved and most popular play, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is guaranteed to grip you from start to finish.

Set in 1950s New Orleans, the highly pretentious Miss Blanche Dubois visits her sister and brother-in-law, Stella and Stanley Kowalski. Blanche, "virtuous", sensitive and 'moth-like' is a cultured antithesis of Stanley with his overt sensuality and primal behaviour, providing the audience with a wonderful drama of emotions.

Williams cleverly unravels Blanche's shocking history through Stanley, whose determined investigations reveal her past mistakes from her inability to receive closure from her young husband's death. The delightful use of explicit and precise stage directions results in a fantastic array of tension-building music, dramatic irony and intricately inter-woven symbolism.

The eleven scenes span over a long period of time, condensing the play into major dramatic events which intensify the emotions of both the characters and the audience. This is futher affirmed by the small set - the tiny apartment bespeaks confinement, accentuating the emotional density and the power and menace of Stanley's physical presence.

As the loss of literature, language, music and culture (everything that Blanche epitomises) is replaced with desire and lust, Blanche slowly 'fades' into her illusions; unable to cope with a changing world and ultimately losing her grip on sanity altogether.

Peter Shaffer wrote of Williams: "He could not write a dull scene." I could not agree more; 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is rightfully one of the best pieces of modern American literature as it will undoubtably be remembered, discussed and enjoyed for years to come.

Emma Stimson, A-level student.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree that the play is mostly interesting and memorable. I find her interpretation of Blanche's past being revealed by Stanley useful as I hadn't considered it very much before.
I don't agree fully that there are no dull moments, as I find that when Blanche is trying to flirt with Mitch she becomes an uninteresting and cliché character that is commonly seen in plays, especially that are set in the 1940s as Streetcar is. Adding to this, Blanche seems often desperate for a husband, like when she says "Honey, would I be here if the man weren't married?" I find that Blanche is the most interesting when she is challenging social roles of the time, such as being more capable to look after Belle Reve than the men in her family.