On Tuesday 1st April (the Tuesday before we broke up for the Easter Holidays) the Merchant Taylors’ Reading Group had the pleasure of hosting a joint Reading Group session with our St Helen’s counterparts. We enjoyed a lively discussion of Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire, and enjoyed a selection of flapjacks, Easter-themed cupcakes, chocolates and sandwiches.
Writes Dhylan H. (Fifths)
We revisited the play, which we had previously read in the Reading Group last year. Our discussions spanned a wide range of topics, including which character evoked the most pity by the end of the play, the nature of Blanche and Mitch’s relationship, and who was the more fortunate one in this couple. Another particularly engaging debate centred on whether Stella’s decision to stay with Stanley was in fact the right one.
We also considered Williams’ purpose for writing the play and agreed that he used the play to reflect the state of America in the late 1940s, using Stanley to represent the new ‘progressive’ immigrant population – essential to the country’s future success and prosperity. At the same time, Williams expressed his reservations for this ‘new’ America through Stanley by portraying him to be a forceful and violent figure. Contrastingly, Blanche symbolises the fading aristocracy of the Deep South, a class now in decline as America was undergoing a significant societal shift.
We concluded the session by bringing to life the iconic “STELLA!” scene of the play. Rien D took on the role of Stanley, Noah W played Pablo, and I portrayed Mitch. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable way to end the afternoon.
The Reading Group continues to thrive under the leadership of Ms Scott and we look forward to another similar joint Reading Group session soon, where we hope to explore and share ideas on another text. More participants from Divisions and Fourths are always welcome to attend in En32 for Thursday’s Hour.
