Psychoanalytical Analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire
It is very debatable how much psychology can influence an author, or how much the author's psychological features can influence his work. According to the psychoanalytical theory, symbols can reflect repressed desires, explain what is happening in the unconscious mind and can be the root causes behind behaviours and actions. Symbolism is one the most important means of [pic]communication used by the unconscious, since it has to hide sinful thoughts. Tennessee Williams uses symbols to help him convey the meaning of a many characteristics of the characters in the play.
A powerful symbol is light and it plays a pivotal role within the play. Blanche hates light; in fact, the only type of light she can bear is candlelight. The feeling of hatred started soon after her husband killed himself. Before his death, the love she felt towards him made the world around her be revealed in a bright, vivid light. Afterwards, everything became dark and gloomy for her. Her love had been like a blinding light that was extinguished with his life. She avoids direct light because she is afraid to show people that she is not young anymore. She refuses to reveal her age, and she does not want other people to see her ageing face; she is like a faded rose. At the beginning of [pic]the play, Blanche does not allow her sister to take a close look at her and she orders Stella to turn off the over-light. She even covers the light bulb with a Chinese lantern, so as to make the light dimmer. When Mitch manages to turn on the light and looks at Blanche attentively for the first time, Blanche feels as if she were naked. She feels exposed and vulnerable in the light. It is in the dark that she feels safe and hidden from her past and the horrors it contains.
Water is another symbol used within the play. Blanche uses water to bathe herself in a hot tub every time things get difficult for her. She tells Stella that she needs to quiet...