These lyrics sum up Blanche’s approach to life. First you’ve got Magical Realism , which is a generally realistic setting with some odd fantasy thrown in.
She was so wild that the low-class Flamingo Hotel asked her to move out. It is used by him to foreshadow events later on in the play but also to represent characters and the social class that they in turn also represent. Harburg and Billy Rose Sung by Vivien Leigh while doing her hair . The success of the song represented something of a revival for the group, after a few years of declining sales. A Streetcar Named Desire Scene 7 Summary & Analysis ... She wants the feminine magic of the moon, but as her song indicates that moon is paper and, by extension, can easily rip.
While Blanche is singing "It's Only a Paper Moon," Stanley reveals that Blanche has a notorious reputation in Laurel. Somebody Loves Me (1924) (uncredited) Music George Gershwin Often, music is used as a relief to trauma. Meat "It's Only a Paper Moon" Alcohol This is the song that Blanche sings when she is bathing. As Blanche sits in the tub singing “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Stanley tells Stella the details of Blanche’s sexually corrupt past. A Streetcar Named Desire is actually realism of several different varieties. It's Only a Paper Moon (1933) (uncredited) Music by Harold Arlen Lyrics by E.Y. The lyrics of “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” the popular 1940 s ballad Blanche sings while bathing, summarize Blanche’s situation with regard to Mitch. In the United States it held the number-one position on the Billboard singles chart for twelve weeks, from November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944. "Paper Doll" was a hit song for The Mills Brothers. The A Streetcar Named Desire quotes below all refer to the symbol of Paper Lantern and Paper Moon.
Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).
Motif Tracking: A Streetcar Named Desire – Music . The army camp close by referred to Blanche as "out-of-bounds" and she was kicked out of her job for being mixed up with a seventeen-year-old boy. Harburg and Billy Rose, 1933 for an unsuccessful Broadway play, The Great Magoo and used later that year in the movie Take A Chance. The lyrics of this song, "It's a Barnum and Bailey world, Just as phony as it could be, But it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me," represent Blanche's life philosophy which She wants the feminine magic of the moon, but as her song indicates that moon is paper and, by extension, can easily rip. Active Themes In A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams uses music, lights, and dialogue to illustrate Blanche DuBois’ dependence on illusion and her descent into madness. Summary: In A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams uses music heavily in his stage directions. In this case, the fantasy enters the picture when the audience gets to see and hear some of Blanche’s imagined horrors: shadows on the wall, the eerie polka music overhead, the sounds of echoing voices. Blanche wants to hide behind a make-believe world rather than face reality.