ENCW 205: Art & Identity in New Orleans

Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is a classic American play that is full of sex, violence, and symbolism. The first instance of symbolism, or foreshadowing in this case, that I noticed in the play was in scene one, on page 6, when Blanche first arrives at her sister’s home: “They told me to take […]

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A Streetcar Named Desire was  character driven play mainly following the life of Blanche after she lost everything and had to move into an apartment with her sister. While there, we as spectators get to watch as she slowly succumbs to the trauma she’s been through. While many things may have lead to her decline […]

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At the sound of Stanley calling for her, Stella steps outside. She stands at the top of the stairs, looking down with an expression that is equal parts fed up and exhausted. Stanley stares back at her, his own expression guilty and pleading. She descends slowly, keeping her eyes on him, though now her expression […]

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Mexican Woman [she is at the door and offers Blanche some of her flowers]: Flores? Flores para los muertos? Blanche [frightened]: No, no! Not now! Not now! (p. 148) It was the death of her husband that led to Blanche DuBois’ desire for men – to fill the void in her heart left by his […]

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Edna is a sad character made out to be a hero because of her circumstances. Let me explain. From the beginning, Edna is presented as a woman bored with the mundanity  and her position in her own life. When we first meet her, we hear her (or perhaps the narrator) introducing the reader to how […]

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Chopin’s novel presented a rebellious and independent awakening of the character Edna Pontellier. Edna discovered herself in some way or the other in every chapter. Her discoveries were followed by the desire to be independent and to cater to her own needs instead of others. Chopin showed how Edna’s character initially unhappily conformed to societal […]

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In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy […]

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And the ladies, selecting with dainty and discriminating fingers and a little greedily, all declared that Mr. Pontillier was the best husband in the world. Mrs. Pontillier was forced to admit she could think of none better. (pg. 11) This isn’t the first time we see Edna Pontillier’s deep-rooted dissatisfaction with her lot in life, […]

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The circumstances surrounding Edna’s death at the end of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening have long been a topic of debate among literary scholars and readers. The ending of the novel is left open to interpretation since the text does not explicitly state Edna died. However, the most widely believed notion is that Edna committed suicide. […]

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Among the high society creoles at the Grand Isle, there is one young Spanish girl who resides there, Mariequita. She is described to have a “round, sly, piquant face and pretty black eyes” and small hands in contrast to her “broad and course” feet (Chapter 12). Although not much is known about Mariequita’s past, it […]

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It isn’t hard to see how Edna’s feelings for her children might not have been the most sincere. In the 19th century, women were taught from a young age that eventually they would one day marry and have children, that it would be their greatest joy and their sole purpose in life. Whenever we see […]

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