When the audience are first introduced to Blanche at the start of the play she is immediately revealed to be a high class, stereotypical lady which is shown in the stage directions. These characteristics depict to the audience that Blanche seems to be incongruous in Elysian Fields, and that it is also her first time there.
The first stage directions in the play clearly portrays Elysian fields, (which is based in New Orleans), as a deprived and solemn town where the higher class workers of America would not likely be found. New Orleans is described in the novel as a poor province, nevertheless unlike corresponding cities in America it is known to have a "raffish charm." Due to the category of individuals that are said to live in Elysian fields, the housing would most possibly not be up to the highest of standards which is revealed in the stage direction "white framed, weathered grey," this illustrates to the audience that the area is perceptibly not preserved very well and worn down. The buildings are noticeably not the variety of modern buildings which are constructed more in the central cities. The author endeavours in attempting to give this impression to the audience and says that the buildings give an "atmosphere of decay.".
The main commerce in Elysian Fields must have been the importation and exportations of banana and coffee beans, seeing that the author articulates that there are "warehouses with faint redolence's of banana and coffee." The moment in time which Street Car Named Desire was written was just subsequent to the slave trade so the major work force in Elysian Fields must have been of the Negro society.
Although it is said that blues music by Negro entertainers is being played at a bar room around the corner, the sign that there is a mixed ethnicity is shown in the stage directions where it has "one white and one coloured taking in the air at the top of the building", which also shows the companionship among the people.
