Terrence Chu
Play: A Streetcar Named Desire
Topic: Describe the use of music and other sound effects in the play – the blues piano, the Varsouviana
polka, the locomotive, etc.
Overview
Music and other sound effects in the play have an important role in A Streetcar Named Desire
because it appears in every scene and illustrates the atmosphere of the scene. It also shows Blanche’s
emotions and even creates an emotional response in the audience.
Blue Piano
On the literal level, the blue piano expresses the spirit of the setting. However, it not only
creates a local environment but it also holds deeper meaning; the meaning connected with the blue
piano changes throughout the play. The first reference to the blue piano is “This ‘blue piano’ expresses
the spirit of the life which goes on here” (Williams 3) to show the local colors of the play. The audience
can see that the blue piano or the blues, in general, not only identifies the loneliness that Blanche feels
but also her desire to not be alone anymore. The “’blue piano’ sounds louder” (Williams 44) when
Blanche hears that Stella is having a baby; the growing sound of the ‘blue piano’ reflects Blanche’s desire
for love. Furthermore, the diction ‘blue’ already suggests these types of feelings that Blanche has but it
may even represent hope. Right before Blanche’s date with Mitch “the ‘blue piano’ is heard. It continues
through the rest of this scene and the opening of the next” (Williams 99); this shows the hope that
Blanche has for the relationship. Contrastingly, when Mitch decides to leave Blanche, “the distant piano
is slow and blue” (Williams 150); the blue piano portrays Blanche’s sorrow, sense of longing, and even
depression in the slow music. In addition, the increasing sound of the blue piano adds tension. “The
barely audible ‘blue piano’ begins to drum up louder. The sound of it turns into the roar of an
approaching locomotive” (Williams 160) to increase the pace of the play that adds to the tension.
Varsouviana Polka
The Varsouviana Polka is also known as the Warsaw Polka. Blanche hears the polka when she
remembers her dead husband. It stops at the moment of her husband’s death but resumes throughout
the play to emphasize the impact of the dreadful memory. For instance, Stanley’s presentation of the
ticket back to Laurel pushes Blanche to the verge of destruction that “the Varsouviana music steals in
softly and continues playing” (Williams 136). It often appears when she is forced to deal with the truth
or when she remembers her dead husband. By recounting this horrible memory whenever Blanche is
confronted with problems, the audience sees that the Varsouviana polka not only represents death but
also the disaster that is to come; it acts as a foreshadowing device when Blanche noticed something is
wrong with Mitch “she touches her forehead vaguely. The polka tune starts up again” (Williams 141).
The polka also has connections with Blanche’s state of mind. The audience would notice that the polka
music playing during her times of crisis, such as the period before she meets Mitch, does not match with
the situation. Since Blanche is the only one who can hear the polka, which is explained when Mitch asks
“are you boxed out of your mind?” (Williams 141), the audience can see that she is mentally unstable.
The fact that the upbeat polka does not match with the disastrous situations at hand further emphasizes
her mental instability; it also shows that Blanche loses her reality and retreats back to her past.
Terrence Chu
EVERY SINGLE QUOTATION ON SOUND AND MUSIC ANALYSIS
Scene 1
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Pg 3 “This ‘blue piano’ expresses the spirit of the life which goes on here.”- explain the
background setting
Pg 23 “the sound of men’s voices are heard” – shows the power of men
Pg 23 “blanche, at the sound of voices, retires in the bedroom.” – shows the power of men
Pg 28 “the music of the polka rises up, faint in the distance” – at the mention of her husband,
Blanche instantly remembers the polka and feels that she is going to be sick.
Scene 2
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pg 29 “Stanley enters the kitchen from outside, leaving the door open on the perpetual ‘blue
piano’ around the corner”—referring to the setting again
pg 30 “singing in the bathroom”—literal happiness during her cleansing session
pg 44 “Blanche opens her eyes. The ‘blue piano’ sounds louder”—stress an important piece of
news. It may also show that the vitality from the ‘blue piano’ is conquering Blanche and the
culture she represents.
Scene 3
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pg 55 “rhumba music comes over the radio”-- first music that plays on the radio
pg 62 “she turns the knobs on the radio and it begins to play ‘wien, wien, nur du allein.’ Blanche
waltzes to the music with romantic gestures.”
The radio in general just acts as a medium for Blanche to defy Stanley. When everyone enjoys
the music except Stanley, Stanley destroys the radio to reassert his power.
Pg 65 “the Negro entertainers in the bar around the corner play ‘paper doll’ slow and blue” –
After the men leave the poker night, the music matches the slow and blue atmosphere that
Stanley’s tantrum created
Pg 65-66 “An indistinguishable shrill voice is heard. He hurls phone to floor. Dissonant brass and
piano sounds as the room dims out to darkness and the outer walls appear in the night light. The
‘blue piano’ plays for a brief interval”—Stanley’s loneliness
Pg 67 “the low-tone clarinet moans” – match the low animal moans of Stanley and stella
Scene 4
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Scene 5
Pg 84 “as the lights fade away, with a lingering brightness on their embrace, the music of the
‘blue piano’ and trumpet and drums is heard”—when Blanche sees Stella’s love, the blue piano
plays to portray Blanche’s loneliness
Terrence Chu
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Pg 86 “a clatter of aluminum striking a wall is heard, followed by a man’s angry roar, shouts and
overturned furniture. There is a crash; then a relative hush”—reflect the animalistic behavior of
the people in New Orleans
Pg 95 “there are joyous calls from above. Trumpet and drums are heard from around the
corner”-- setting
Pg 96 “Dusk settles deeper. The music from the Four Deuces is slow and blue”—the setting
Pg 99 “in the ensuing pause, the ‘blue piano’ is heard. It continues through the rest of this scene
and the opening of the next.”—representing the hope she has for Mitch and her relationship
Scene 6
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General: the audience finally knows what the Varsouviana music in the background signify
pg 115 “polka music sounds, in a minor key faint with distance”
pg 115 “The polka stops abruptly. Blanche rises stiffly. Then, the Polka resumes in a major key.”
Pg 115 “Mitch gets up awkwardly and moves toward her a little. The Polka music increases.
Mitch stands beside her”
Scene 7
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Pg 119 “Blanche is singing in the bathroom…”—good mood when she is in the bath. The lyrics to
the song shows that she wants to deceive people.
Pg 128 “the distant piano goes into a hectic breakdown”—reflects that Blanche knows
something is wrong
Scene 8
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pg 130 “the music fades”—stopped thinking about problem with Mitch by using useless phrases,
a lame joke for example, to keep her occupied.
pg 131 “the Negro entertainers around the corner are heard”—to add to the New Orleans
atmosphere
pg 134 “the piano fades out”—Blanche is not in her lonely state. She temporarily stopped
thinking about the potential problem with Mitch.
pg 136 “the Varsouviana music steals in softly and continues playing”—the music reinforces her
predicament here, and the audience realizes that she is now on the verge of being trapped in a
situation where it will equal the death of her husband
Scene 9
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pg 139 “The rapid, feverish polka tune, the ‘Varsouviana,’ is heard. The music is in her mind; she
is drinking to escape it…”—literal. Drinking to escape the reality.
Pg 139 “the polka tune stops”—believes that Mitch’s arrival is going to resolve everything
Pg 141 “she touches her forehead vaguely. The polka tune starts up again”-senses that
something is wrong when Mitch came
Pg 141 “the polka music dies out again”-to show that only she can hear the polka
Terrence Chu
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Pg 148 “the polka tune fades in” after Mexican woman—the ‘flores para los muertes’ reminds
her of her dead husband
Pg 149 “After a moment, Mitch rises and follows her purposefully. The polka music fades
away”—she thought Mitch is coming back. As the polka leaves, it represents that she feels that
there is hope that this relationship problem would be resolved.
Pg 150 “the distant piano is slow and blue” – show the depression she has when Mitch leaves
Scene 10
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Honky tonk music—cheap out of tune piano such as heard in a bar, brings a garish note to the
drama to be enacted
Pg 151 “as he rounds the corner the honky-tonk music is heard. It continues softly through the
scene”—what I wrote above
Pg 159 “she sets the phone down and crosses warily into the kitchen. The night is filled with
inhuman voices like cries in a jungle”—builds tension. Shows that even the sense of hearing is
distorted. Portrays Blanche’s final breakdown into a primal state in that she loses her sanity.
Pg 160 “the barely audible ‘blue piano’ begins to drum up louder. The sound of it turns into the
roar of an approaching locomotive”—add tension
Pg 161 “the ‘blue piano’ goes softly. She turns confusedly and makes a faint gesture. The
inhuman jungle voices rise up.”—sense of foreboding
Pg 162 “the hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly”—the illustrate the fact
that Blanche is raped
Scene 11
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Pg 166 “The ‘Varsouviana’ rises audibly as Blanche enters the bedroom”—she is about to face
another problem
Pg 171 “She looks fearfully from one to the other and then to the portieres. The ‘Varsouviana’
faintly plays”—building up the last scene
Pg 172 “Eunice goes back to the portieres. Drums sound very softly”—building up the last scene
Pg 174 “The ‘Varsouviana’ is playing distantly… there is a moment of silence—no sound but that
of Stanley shuffling the cards” – This almost make it sound like the time has stopped. It further
emphasizes the pity that Stella and even the audience feels for Blanche.
Pg 174 “The ‘varsouviana’ is filtered into a weird distortion, accompanied by the cries and noises
of the jungle. Blanche seizes the back of a chair as if to defend herself”—her world is distorted.
Emphasizes that Stanley has defeated the culture she represents.
Pg 175 “The greeting is echoed and re-echoed by other mysterious voices behind the walls, as if
reverberated through a canyon of rock… the echo sounds in threatening whispers”—eerie
feeling. May portray Blanche’s mental instability.
Pg 177 “his voice is gentle and reassuring as he crosses to Blanche and crouches in front of her.
As he speaks her name, her terror subsides a little. The lurid reflections fade from the walls, the
inhuman cries and noises die out and her own hoarse crying is calmed”—The gentle and
Terrence Chu
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reassuring voice of the doctor is the closest thing she can find to her idea of ‘rest’ so she decides
to follow him.
Pg 179 “the luxurious sobbing, the sensual murmur fade away under the swelling music of the
‘blue piano’ and the muted trumpet”—Stanley’s ‘blue music’ triumphed Blanche’s ‘trumpet
music.’ Blue = new American music. Trumpet = old American music. The new American has
defeated the old American.