Back to Literary Analysis

A Streetcar Named Desire Motifs

Motifs and symbols tracked across analyzed chapters, with links back to chapter summaries and chapter analysis pages.

blue piano music

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

candle

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

fan

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

paper lantern

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

animal/ape imagery

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

artistic breakthrough

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

artistic vocation

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

astrological signs

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

astrology (identity)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

atomizer spray bottle

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

awards as markers of success

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

baby/childbirth reference

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

bathtub/soaking

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

Belle Reve plantation

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

big water‑tank

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

birth and family origins

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

birthday dinner

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

blue color

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

blue jacket

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

blue piano

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

blue piano (underlying melancholy)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

blue piano as spirit of place

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

bottle – volatile aggression

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

bottles

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

bowling

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

bowling alley as masculine leisure

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

broken Changeling production

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

broken furniture

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

broom as control

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

broom cleaning

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

bus ticket

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

bus ticket as forced exile

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

candle lighting

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

candlelight

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

candles on a cake

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

candles representing false celebration

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

cards and poker night

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

cat screech as omen

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

cathedral bells

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

cats

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

chance/Providence

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

cigarette smoking

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

clothing and fur displays

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

clothing contrast

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

color symbolism

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

colored comics as innocence

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

commercial theater vs artistic integrity

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

cracked mirror – fractured self

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

crew roles

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

critical acclaim

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

dates as a scaffolding of time

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

door‑key

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

door/key metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

drinking and aggression

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

Elysian Fields street name

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

empty chair

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

family obligations

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

feather and fur pieces

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

fire and smoke

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

fire cries

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

Flamingo Hotel as dubious refuge

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

flower in a junkyard (Glass Menagerie reference)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

flowers

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

fork

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

glass/coke spill (loss of control)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

grapes

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

greased car as stalled progress

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

greasy fingers

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

green glass lamp shade

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

green‑white chair

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

gypsy's backwards paper

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

highball glass for fleeting relief

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

hot tub as temporary sanctuary

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

humorous repartee

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

iconic performance legacy

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

illness and death as final curtain

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

intermission points

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

isolation

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

jazz music – chaotic reality

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

jazz/blue piano

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

justice and outsider status

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

kindness of strangers line

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

language as soul

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

late‑career decline

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

laughter

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

letters

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

letters/slip of paper

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

lie enumeration

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

light bulbs as fragile hope

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

light switch

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

light vs darkness

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

light‑blue blind as fragile hope

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

light‑bulb smashing

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

liquor bottle

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

locomotive headlight

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

medical uniform

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

memory of first performance

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

Mexican flowers

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

mirror

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

mirrored accusations

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

mirrors

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

money scarcity

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

moths

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

music as emotional cue

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

music cues

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

New Orleans

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

nighttime setting

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

operator phone as failed communication

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

palm leaf fan (fragility)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

paper (London Observer)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

paper lantern (softness)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

paper moon lyric as illusion

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

parrot story

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

personal loss

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

phone

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

phone call

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

plague

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

plaster statuette of Mae West

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

Pleiades stars

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

poker as life gamble

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

poker game

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

poker nights

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

polka music

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

posthumous recognition

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

production dates

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

psychosis

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

pyjamas – pretended intimacy

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

radio/lantern light

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

rain

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

realism versus lyricism

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

repeated song refrains

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

roses (romantic pursuit)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

seahorse pin

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

setting locale

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

shadows

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

shirt

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

spilled drink

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

stage as mirror of society

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

stage productions as milestones

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

Streetcar (title reference)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

streetcar as journey

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

striped robe

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

telephone

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

telephone – desperate rescue

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

tension

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

theater as a life metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

theatrical cast

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2

tiara

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

tiara – false royalty

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12

tiger/brando as raw sexuality

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

train as external pressure

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

train noises

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6

trunk/box of papers

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4

truth vs deception

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

unwashed grape

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

Varsouviana waltz

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

Varsoviana polka

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11

violence

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

water sound

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

water/bath ritual

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

watermelon rinds

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

weight measurements

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

weight/physicality

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

wet polka‑dot drawers

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

whiskey bottle as escape

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

whiskey drinking

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3

window

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11