A Streetcar Named Desire Short Summary

“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a play by Tennessee Williams. It became one of his most famous works. The play got a publication in 1947 and has won several prizes since it was published. The play is set in Louisiana at a time immediately after WWII.

The Short Overview of Plot

Blanche Dubois gets to New Orleans to stay with Stella Kowalski, her sister. The two grew up with wealth, and Blanche is surprised to see her sister living poor. Blanche reveals that she has arrived because her family died and left her penniless. Stanley, Stella’s husband, is suspicious of this and sees it as a ploy to get the money he saved for their baby who was on the way.

Stanley hosts a game of poker with his friends, Pablo, Steve, and Mitch. Blanche turns the radio on, and Stanley loses it, throwing the radio out through the window. He also hits Stella, angry that the women are ruining his poker. Everyone leaves, but Stella comes back. Mitch and Blanche start a romance that night. Blanche insults Stanley while talking to her sister, not knowing that he was listening outside their door.

Stanley gathers information about Blanche but has no evidence. Mitch and Blanche go on a bad date, but they reconnect later on. Blanche tells Mitch how she feels hated by Stanley. Mitch tells her to stay with him.

On Blanche’s birthday, Stanley reveals information about Blanche concerning her escapades with men at Flamingo Hotel and other scandalous events. He had also already told Mitch, and hence the latter skipped the party. Stanley presents a gift, a ticket for Blanche to Laurel.

Stella goes into labor, and they go to the hospital. Mitch arrives and confronts Blanche who justifies her lies by blaming her loneliness. He ends the relationship. Stanley goes home from the hospital. He finds Blanche who says she intends to run away. In anger, Stanley attacks and rapes her.

Some weeks later the men gather for poker again while Stella helps in packing Blanche’s stuff. Blanche was being taken to a mental facility from a series of hallucinations that had gotten worse over time. The doctor arrives to take her away, and she panics, running into the room. She is restrained by the nurse. Mitch watches dumbfounded. Blanche is taken away and does not look back.