What Does Poker Symbolize in a Streetcar Named Desire?

In Tennessee Williams’ play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” poker symbolizes a number of things. For Blanche DuBois, poker represents her last connection to her former life as a southern belle. She is clinging to the past and is unwilling to let go of it. For Stanley Kowalski, poker represents his power and control over his wife, Stella. He uses it as a way to dominate and control her.

PRO TIP:Poker symbolizes the power struggle between Stanley and Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. Stanley’s poker game is a representation of his dominance and control over Blanche, as it is one of the few moments in which his power is made evident. As the game progresses, so does Stanley’s confidence and ambition, and further highlights his power over Blanche.

Poker also symbolizes the divisions between the two characters. Blanche is from a different world than Stanley. She is from a world of refinement and sophistication, while Stanley is from a world of brute force and violence. The two characters are unable to bridge the gap between their worlds, and the poker game represents that division.