A Streetcar Named Desire Summary

Claudia Neira

A streetcar named Desire

This film is about Blanche, who suddenly appears in her sister’s life (Stella). Stella lives in New Orleans with her husband Stanley, and Blanche had to take a streetcar named Desire to get there.  When she sees her sister, she tells her that their family had lost Belle Reve, their plantation and therefore, lost all their money. Blanche pretends to be used to the luxurious life, convincing herself that she is an elegant lady and pretends to be disgusted by places that aren’t luxurious. While Blanche had depended on her family’s economy, Stella in contrast, moved in from her mansión to be more independent. That way she learned how to be a hard-working woman to survive. When Blanche meets Stanley, she flirts with him but he seems not to care because he is in love with his wife. Therefore, she flirts then with Mitch, who is Stanley’s coworker. After a while, Mitch proposes to Blanche.

Stanley never liked Blanche’s personality. He was more of a country man and hardworking, whereas she was spoiled and vain, or that’s what she pretended to be. One day Stanley discovers Blanche’s big lie. The truth was, she wasn’t at their place to visit them but to live there, because her family had lost their plantation and they were ruined. Also, she got married when she was 16 with a boy who after a while discovered that was gay. He killed himself and Blanche had to bear that pain for a long time. On the other hand, she was expelled from the school where she was working at because of her inmoral behaviour with her students. After that happened she started to drink alcohol.