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Escapism. That’s the first of Tennessee Williams’ themes in A Streetcar Named Desire. In fact, in this play, fantasy and reality are in constant conflict. So what was Tennessee Williams trying to say about escapism? We’ve got the 60-second answer.

Video Transcription:

You know how, after a bad day, sometimes you just want to check out? Drown your troubles in TV … or sleep? Well, then, you should relate to A Streetcar Named Desire. One of this plays major themes has to do with escapism.

Blanche DuBois considers herself a victim. She’s been dealt a bad hand—a husband who was gay, and then killed himself; the loss of her family estate; poverty; no new man, and no stability.

Granted, Blanche’s story takes place in a time when women had a much harder time taking control of their destinies. But still, what’s Blanche’s response to her run of bad luck? She escapes into drunkenness, and into a fantasy world of her own fabrication.

Tennessee Williams doesn’t criticize Blanche for this, but he uses this play to explore this theme: The tension between fantasy and reality (and the tragic results of escapism).

In A Streetcar Named Desire fantasy and reality are in constant conflict, but they’re at their worst in the clash between Blanche and Stanley. While Blanche blithely lies about her circumstances and waits for her millionaire prince charming, Stanley does everything he can to bring her crashing down to earth.

In the end, Blanche’s attempts to recreate herself—and her sister—fail in the face of a cruel reality she just can’t escape.