A Streetcar Named Desire is set in New Orleans in the 1940’s. At this time the United States had recently escaped the Great Depression in the late 1930’s, but much of America was still suffering, especially after the war when Europe struggled to pay reparations which contributed to the problems with the economy. The lack of money in America is represented through the lives of Stella and Stanley, as well as their neighbours and friends, and the idea is further explored when we learn about the loss of Belle Reve (the DuBois family’s plantation) although this would have been largely influenced by the abolition of slavery. Within the first two scenes of the play, the setting is used to help reveal more about the protagonists. This refers to Blanche
