A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play by Tennessee Williams describing a culture clash between Blanche DuBois—a pretentious, fading relic of the Old South—and Stanley Kowalski, a rising member of the industrial, inner-city immigrant class. The first stage version was produced by Irene Mayer Selznick with Marlon Brando starring as Stanley, Jessica Tandy as Blanche, Kim Hunter as Stella, and Karl Malden as Mitch. Brando portrayed Stanley with an overt sexuality that made Brando, Stanley, and Tennessee Williams into cultural touchstones. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948.

Comparison with other works

Williams' Streetcar explores a similar situation to the works of Chekov, who explored the parallel fall of the upper class in turn of the century Russia. Stanley may represent the proletariat (working class) which desires to overthrow the bourgeoisie.

Related Topics:
Chekov - Proletariat - Bourgeoisie

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