has been that of paper. Her trunk consists of poems from her dead husband and documents on Belle Reve. Before arriving at Stella’s, she sends her a telegram. She is seen putting a paper lantern over the light bulb, writing on tissue paper to Shep, and singing of paper moons. Ironically while she is singing of paper moons Stanley is preparing to give her walking papers out of Elysian Fields. To some, her life has been summed up by documents. Williams uses many different actions in the play to characterize his characters. First the flirtatiousness of Blanche shows how she strives to be the center of attention. Her promiscuous nature with young men has been a means of forgiveness to her. She is seen flirting with Stanley, whom sees this as a threat. This action of hers causes him to look deeper into what she is really about. When the men are having a poker party she is seen dressing behind the curtain but with light shinning on her. The sudden eruptions of challenge during the poker parties show the need to prove their manliness, mainly Stanley’s manhood. The most prominent action in the play is the rape. The rape is the only way Stanley knows how to destroy Blanche He uses his dominance to proclaim what is his. By doing this he feels he has won. In the last scene when Blanche is being taken away the men are playing seven card stud and ironically Stanley is winning. The play “A Streetcar Named Desire” is one that uses symbolism to help explain the true meaning of its characters. There were two main characters Stanley and Blanche whose perceptions of life were merely at conflict with one another. The various actions and the symbolic nature of Stanley and Blanche shows how their conflict could only be Adcock 8 resolved in one way, the elimination of one or the other. Williams was once quoted saying “ with out my symbols I might still be employed by the Int...
