Analysis On The Conclusion Of Tennessee Williams’s Book, A Streetcar Named Desire Vs The Film Adaptation

The endings to A Street Car Named Desire are different in both the Tennessee Williams play and the Tennessee Williams movie. Both stories begin with the same plot, in which Stella struggles to decide between Stanley and Blanche. Kazan alters the ending from Tennessee Williams’ original. The audience’s reactions are dramatically altered by the impact of different endings.

Eunice tells Stella during the play that Stanley’s actions are not acceptable and her life will continue. Stella takes Stanley’s baby, then returns it to him. Once the baby has stopped crying, life appears to have returned to its normal state. Blanche’s absence does not affect the way people live. Stanley has the better hand in this situation, and wins the “poker match” because Blanche is not there. Stella’s frantic crying shows her anger at Blanche being admitted to an asylum. The “7 card-stud” at the end of the performance tells you that it’s time to go back to the normal play. This ending differs from the movie as Stella’s decision is different.

Stella’s life is not the same in the movie. The movie has Eunice not giving Stella her baby. As Blanche is leaving, Stella begins to think of what Stanley has done. It makes Stella sick, so she tells Stanley “Don’t You Touch Me, Don’t Ever Touch Me Again.” Her hatred towards Stanley influences her decision in the end. Mitch is sceptical when he sees Stella being removed from the house. He yells, “What have I done to you?” Stanley is the one who lost, even though Blanche won’t have won at poker. Stella is still inside Eunice, while Stanley calls her. It is difficult to understand this change because the results of the play are different from the movies. This ending reveals the difference between Stanley, Blanche and No One as the winner of the pot.

The audience is confused by the different endings. It would be less drastic to make a change earlier in the film than at the end. The meanings of the movie and play are altered. Many wonder why there are differences in the endings if it was just a few months after the publication of the book. The alternative endings negatively affect the interpretation of the endings.