How does Tennessee Williams use lighting to represent identity in A Streetcar Named Desire? I need three points, and so fair I have Blanche's direct avoidance of light/the paper lantern.
To understand how Tennessee Williams uses lighting to represent identity in A Streetcar Named Desire, you can analyze various instances throughout the play where specific lighting techniques are employed. Here are three additional points that you can consider:
1. Contrast between Light and Darkness: Pay attention to the contrasting effects of light and darkness in the play. Williams often uses light to emphasize the truth and reality, while darkness is associated with concealment and self-deception. For example, in Blanche's first appearance, she requests that Stella turn off the light because she wants to create a soft, flattering atmosphere that conceals her fading beauty and troubled past. This symbolic use of lighting highlights Blanche's desperate attempts to hide her true identity and escape the harsh reality.
2. The Symbolism of the Paper Lantern: While you have mentioned Blanche's avoidance of light and the paper lantern, it is important to further explore its significance. The paper lantern is often seen as a fragile source of light that can easily be manipulated or destroyed, much like Blanche's fragile veneer of charm and deceit. By choosing to surround herself with dim light and paper lanterns, Blanche attempts to create an illusionary world where her true identity remains obscured, emphasizing the theme of fantasy versus reality in the play.
3. Harsh Lighting Revealing Truth: There are instances in the play where harsh lighting is used to expose characters' true identities and their flaws. For example, during the climactic scene where Stanley Blanche, the stage directions mention "a naked light bulb in the bedroom reveals starkly the room's poverty and its primary colors." This stark lighting emphasizes the harsh reality of the situation, stripping away the illusions and lies that Blanche has employed to protect her identity throughout the play.
Remember, analyzing Tennessee Williams' use of lighting in A Streetcar Named Desire requires close reading of the text and paying attention to the stage directions and descriptions provided. The lighting choices made by the director and lighting designer in various productions may also offer additional insight into the symbolism behind the use of light.