Motifs

• Light

  • typically, Blanche avoids standing in bright lights where she can clearly be seen - except for during the poker night, when she wants to be seen by the men - in order to maintain her vanity
  • symbolises the reality of Blanche's past
  • dim light reflects Blanche's state of mind after and since her husband died, whereas bright light is indicative of her youthful, sexual innocence
  • Blanche covers the exposed light bulb in the Kowalski's apartment with a paper lantern, and refuses to go out with Mitch in the day
• Bathing

  • Blanche claims that this calms her nerves
  • represent Blanche trying to rid herself of the past
  • Blanche spends so long in the bath because, as hard as she tries, she can never change the past, and so the bathing doesn't stop
  • Stanley showers after beating Stella, potentially reflecting him washing away his misdeeds
• Drunkenness

  • both Blanche and Stanley drink excessively
  • Stanley's drinking is social -> he drinks at the poker night with his friends, and to celebrate the imminent birth of his child
  • Blanche's drinking is secretive -> allows her to withdraw from her harsh reality
  • drinking leads to destructive behaviour for both Blanche and Stanley: Stanley commits domestic violence, whilst Blanche increasingly deludes herself