The use of prestige language in Tennessee Williams's A streetcar named Desire
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The article discusses the utilization of prestige language in Tennessee Williams’s A streetcar named Desire. It explores the character Blanche DuBois, who employs a pretentious and melodramatic language to project an image of high social status and conceal her true nature. Blanche embodies personal and artistic decay that pervades Williams’ work. Prestige language is characterized as formal and associated with prestigious social contexts. Blanche employs this language to create a refined and superior image, contrasting with her emotional and mental deterioration. The article also delves into the relationship between Blanche and reality, her pursuit of illusions, and her struggle to maintain an image that doesn’t align with her true nature. Through the analysis of the character and Williams’s narrative techniques, the article reveals the recurring theme of art and decay in his work.
Author: Noel, Stuart
Institution: Georgia State University
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6930737615
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: