Until They Bring The Streetcars Back is a novel written by Stanley Gordon west. The book centers around a high schooler named Calvin Grant, who faces all sorts of obstacles, during his senior year at Central High School. Despite the fact that Cal is a jock, and a popular kid, he does everything in his power to help Gretchen Lutterman, the weird girl at their school, escape her abusive father, and remain her sanity. The author enhances the story by using different elements of literature. He uses characters to describe their physical features, personality, inner thoughts, and explains the reasoning behind their actions. He describes the multiple themes, that are the center/ many focus throughout the book. He also created many conflicts in the …show more content…
Cal goes through a lot trying to help Gretchen escape her toxic, abusive father. In fact he puts his live in danger, and breaks the law, while going at it. “ You promise, if I bring you the body, you’ll lock the man up, and keep him locked up until there’s a trial or something?” (162). Cal had a plan to wait till Luttermann went on his walks, than he would go inside the house, to the freezer, get the dead body of Little Jacob, take it to the police and get Luttermann arrested. He wanted to end this, once and for all. But his plan didn’t go as planned, “Son of gun, I’d blown it. I dropped Little Jacob and lost the evidence that could have set Gretchen free” (166). After Cal got the body of the dead baby, he started racing out of the house, but Lutterman started chasing him with a knife. That’s when he fumbled and dropped the dead baby. Since his first plan didn’t work, Cal came up with a new plan, that involved stealing liquor from Sid. “I vowed to swipe two or more cases on Saturday. I had to get him before he got me” (177). Without getting Sid attention, Cal would steal bottles of liquor from the store, every time he was delivering an order. And the reason why he stole the cases of liquor, was to get Lutterman, before he would hurt Gretchen or him. Even though Cal gets caught stealing the cases liquor, and gets “ Thirty days in the workhouse as a good lesson. And one …show more content…
The only way Luttermann would permanently be in jail, would be proving he was guilty in the trail. But that was hard, because Luttermann attorney was doing his best to undermine Cal. “She’s a girl and a friend. Doesn’t that make her a girlfriend?”(257). He was trying so hard to make it seem like Cal and Gretchen were dating. The attorney also suggest that Lutterman was trying to do what’s best for his daughter, and that he was a dedicated father. “This conscientious father wouldn’t let his daughter see you, would he?”(259). He implied that Luttermann rejected Cal as Gretchen boyfriend, and that might be the reason why Cal is testifying against him. He also assumes that Cal must be the baby father of Gretchen’s baby. “ If there was a baby,” Moss said, “we’re you the father?” (259). The attorney was trying to prove that Cal was Gretchen boyfriend, and the father of her baby,“ Cal,” Moss said, standing right in front of me, “did you and Gretchen plan to frame her father?”(260), and that must be the reason he wants Lutterman arrested, because he refuses their relationship. It wouldn’t be possible to win the case if it wasn’t for Mrs. Luttermann. “ There was a baby, there was a baby, there was a baby.” (261). It seemed that Cal and Gretchen were losing the case, but Mrs. Luttermann yells, that there was a baby, implying that the allegation is
In Stanley Gordon West's Until They Bring the Streetcars Back, Cal Gant, an eighteen-year-old high school senior that's going through a world of promises, cover-ups, love, friendship, family drama and a struggle to expose the horrible truths without exposing himself. Set in 1949 and 1950 in St. Paul, MN, Cal's high school innocence is broken by a revelation from a school peer Gretchen Lutterman. There are three elements that found interesting and character, conflict, theme were the ones that I chose.
In Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams uses the suicide of Blanche's husband to illuminate Blanche's insecurities and immoral behavior. When something terrible happens to someone, it often reveals who he or she truly is. Blanche falls victim to this behavior, and she fails to face her demons. This displays how the play links a character’s illogical choices and their inner struggles.
For instance, Dally did not have much to live for. No family that loved him except for Johnny, just a couple of Old’ friends. He already has a police record, because of how is is so disobedient to the laws. The only fun in Dallys life was picking up girls and finding some new ways to break the law. He never cared for anyone but Johnny, and once Johnny had died that was the end. Dallas did not know how else to handle himself. When Darry got the phone call Ponyboys thoughts scattered then came to a conclusion, “But I knew that was what he wanted, even as the lot echoed with the cracks of the shots, even as I begged silently please, not him… not him and Johnny both - I knew he would be dead, because Dally Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted”(154). Like Pony said, Dally always got what he wanted and he definitely did. Once Johnny died he did not care about anything in life. Conversely, Johnny had a lot to live for. He is only sixteen years old and he has a lot ahead of him. Johnny was very law abiding he tried hard not to get into any trouble or break any laws. Now that he has made that mistake with Bob he thinks he has ruined his whole life. He has not, there is much more ahead of him. Johnny had died a hero by saving all those kids at the burning church. He finally understands, “Listen, I don’t mind dying now. It's worth it, It’s worth saving those kids. Their lives are
John didn’t want to take the trash out because it was putrid, the smell was just rancid. Later, John and Lorraine decided to throw a party, Lorraine didn’t want to throw the party at first but later went along with it. John was a very heavy drinker, it was like an avocation, he did it all the time. You would always find him at the cemetery behind a grave, he was very nocturnal They only wanted a certain amount of kids there but the kids kept bringing more people, and soon enough it was a full house. They made and ate a whole bunch of food, there were hors d’oeuvres everywhere. Norton found out about the party and he smashed most of Mr.Pignati’s pigs. He was acting in an antagonistic manner. He was a very ingrate person, he didn’t care about anything, all he cared about was himself. Additionally, Mr.Pignatti came home to a house full of teenagers partying, he was not happy. John and Lorraine were mortified and got arrested and taken back to their houses. Lorraine knew she had gotten herself into a predicament when the police were taking them back to their houses. Lorraine kept telling prevarications to her mother because her mom is very strict when Lorraine is around men. She was very had a satisfying proficiency when it came to her mom; she always told lie after lie and never got caught, until
Or, as Mary Ann Corrigan later puts it [as does Judith J. Thompson, 38], the Blanche-Stanley struggle is purely an external dramatization of what is going on inside Blanche’s head: “the external events of the play, while actually occurring, serve as a metaphor for Blanche’s internal conflict” [Corrigan, 392]. Critics who share Sharp’s and Corrigan’s views feel that Streetcar is essentially a psychological drama about Blanche’s internal struggle with herself.”
When discussing the notion that “Love can often lead to the creation of an ‘Outsider’." there are cases in our literary examples that would agree with the statement, and some that would not. Outsiders in Much Ado About Nothing, Pride and Prejudice and A Streetcar Named Desire are created by both love and other themes, whether it be class, power, disinterest or a scandal.
During early times men were regarded as superior to women. In Tennessee William’s play, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Stanley Kowalski, the work’s imposing antagonist, thrives on power. He embodies the traits found in a world of old fashioned ideals where men were meant to be dominant figures. This is evident in Stanley’s relationship with Stella, his behavior towards Blanche, and his attitude towards women in general. He enjoys judging women and playing with their feelings as well.
In conclusion, Gretchen is a hero in many ways in the book, Until They Bring the Streetcars Back. Gretchen is a girl who isn't treated well, but she was always worried and warm hearted towards Cal and to those around her. In addition, she showed courage by telling Cal about her father’s abuse, and that was a risk she took at a cost no matter what happened. Finally, she was a tenacious person who kept on going despite the challenges that came in her way. Just like most characters in the book Gretchen did not save lives, but she did teach us something. She taught us that no matter how complicating things might get we should know that things will change. Although Gretchen was an outcast in school and lacked communication, she was smart in her
In this case, there were multiple motives take in into deliberation, however the most interesting and promising motives for the crime belonged to John Byers. Byer has a criminal past with a history of domestic violence against his ex-wife Sandra Slone stated in the book Devil’s Knot “Byers came to the her house around 6 A.M, demanding to take the children, he then “began to threaten her, telling her he wanted full custody of the kids, that he was going to kill her” (pg 20)”. She also says “her ex-husband had threatened to kill her or have someone else kill her several times in the past; that she sought a restraining order against him (pg 21).” Not only was he violent to her, but to his own children. She told Lax the private investigator for the defense team that “he used to beat her and the children but did so in a way which left to visible marks or bruises when dressed” (pg 205). It is not only his blood related children he bea...
Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is a play wrought with intertwining conflicts between characters. A drama written in eleven scenes, the play takes place in New Orleans over a nine-month period. The atmosphere is noisy, with pianos playing in the distance from bars in town. It is a crowded area of the city, causing close relations with neighbors, and the whole town knowing your business. Their section of the split house consists of two rooms, a bathroom, and a porch. This small house is not fit for three people. The main characters of the story are Stella and Stanley Kowalski, the home owners, Blanche DuBois, Stella’s sister, Harold Mitchell (Mitch), Stanley’s friend, and Eunice and Steve Hubbell, the couple that lives upstairs. Blanche is the protagonist in the story because all of the conflicts involve her. She struggles with Stanley’s ideals and with shielding her past.
Until They Bring The Streetcars Back is a novel written by Stanley Gordon West. The story takes place in 1949 here in Minnesota St. Paul. The main character’s name is Calvin and the story revolves around him and the people he encounters. It is a sad and complexed story. It allows the readers to relate what is happening in the book and connect it to real life situation. So far there quite few conflicts that rose up in the in the book and although they are not solved yet, they bring some excitement and eagerness to the readers. One of the main conflict in the book is that a person Calvin knows named Gretchen is going through physical and sexual abuse by her father and Calvin has to figure out a way to help her. After realizing helping someone
she was told "to take a streetcar named Desire, and then to transfer to one
There are 3 major themes in the play A Streetcar Named Desire, the first is the constant battle between fantasy and reality, second we have the relationship between sexuality and death, and lastly the dependence of men plays a major role in this book.
Our lives are consumed by the past. The past of what we once did, what we once accomplished, and what we once could call our own. As we look back on these past memories we seldom realize the impact these events have on our present lives. The loss of a past love mars are future relationships, the loss of our family influences the choices we make today, and the loss of our dignity can confuse the life we live in the present. These losses or deaths require healing from which you need to recover. The effects of not healing can cause devastation as apparent in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. The theme of A Streetcar Named Desire is death. We encounter this idea first with the death of Blanche and Stella's relationship as sisters. Blanche and Stella had a life together once in Bel Reve and when Stella decided to move on in her life and leave, Blanche never could forgive her. This apparent in the scene when Blanche first arrives in New Orleans and meets Stella at the bowling alley. Stella and Blanche sit down for a drink and we immediately see Blanche's animosity towards Stella. Blanche blames Stella for abandoning her at Bel Reve, leaving Blanche to handle the division of the estate after their parents die. As result of Stella's lack of support, we see Blanche become dependent on alcohol and lose her mental state. Blanche comes to be a a terrible reck through out the play as we learn of the details of her life at Bel Reve. Her loss of the entire estate and her struggle to get through an affair with a seventeen year old student. This baggage that Blanche carries on her shoulders nips at Stella through out eventually causing the demise of her relationship. As Blanche's visit goes on with Stella, the nips become too great and with the help of Stanley, Stella has Blanche committed to a mental hospital, thus symbolizing the death of the realtionship they once had. The next death we encounter in the film is the death of Stella and Stanley's marriage. Our first view of Stanley is of an eccentric man, but decent husband who cares deeply for his wife. However, as as Blanche's visit wears on, we come to see the true Stanley, violent and abusive.
... way. A Streetcar Named Desire shows us the perfect lesson of not to judge a book by its cover, because in reality they may be a mess. Nobody has any idea as to what is going on inside a person, unless you get to know them.