A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams doesn't directly hold a "moral to the story", however, many different insights to societies customs and their flaws. Through main characters, Blanche and Stanley , Williams reveals the social struggle for men and women. Blanche, a high class southern bell, foils charachter Stanley who seemingly has just as many struggles as Blanche, however, differs in his social standing and manners. Both seek security and acceptance from society, but struggle to attain it. Having lost everything Blanche seeks to hold her social power and dignity by looking down upon Stanely, making fun of him for his polish decent and his blue collar job. Blanche also takes advantage of Stanely's weak masculine nature by holding her sexuality over his head. Stanely, just as lost and confused in his life, as he cannot live up to societies definition of a man, is infuriated by Blanche. Her hypocrisy eats at him and forces him to develop a deep hatred of her. Stanely knows Blanche technically has no real social advance on him since she lost her plantation, and seeks to destroy her further for acting above him. Ultimately, despite Stanely being married to Blanche's sister, Stanely rapes Blanche. Through this act Stanely takes any power Blanche had had over him. Through these charachters, Williams reveals the flaws of traditional men/women roles, and what can happen when they cannot be lived up to.
I completely agree with this. Stanley is just about as unstable as Blanche, yet he feels like he needs to have power over her because of the way she acts so refined around him and probably made him feel like a meat head. Stanley claims power by acting: buying Blanche a train ticket, yelling for Stella until she came down, cross examining Blanche.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how Williams points out the limits and dangers of both contemporary masculinity and femininity.
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