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What does blanche's language reveal about her character in street car named desire
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The Oppression of Women in A Street Car Named Desire
A street car named desire leads its self to feminist criticism due to the very distinct gender roles in which a male dominance prevails. The play reveals the victimization of two women Stella Kowalski and Blanche DuBois who are consistently overpowered by Stella’s husband Stanley and society’s norms. Blanche is a beautiful woman who struggles to live up to her expectations as a southern belle and shows many signs of mental instability due to the death of her young husband many years ago. While Stella on the other hand married an abusive husband whose relationship with her is a rollercoaster of excitement and disappointment. Southern Society perceived the ideal woman as one who followed the ways of the Virgin Mary, staying pure until marriage and tending to their husbands every whim. However in street car the women are treated more like slaves having to cooking and cleaning to please Stanley with no recognition for their hard work. In animal farm the pigs reward the animals for their hard word determination to build the working on the windmill and their bravery in the battle of the cowshed. Even before Blanche arrival she resorts to prostitution after the loss of her job which in society’s eyes made her unworthy of marriage. The living conditions were very poor with three people living in a cramped apartment that consisted of only two rooms. With only a sheet separating the bed room from the kitchen there was little privacy for the women to change and pamper themselves in without being disturbed. The pigs on the other hand had a
Bevilacqua 2 spacious farm house with plenty of beds and a fireplace to keep them warm in the winter. Society norms forced them to take on the few wo...
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...d that a majority of blanches stories were a lie. Stanley and blanches relationship mimicked that of Napoleon and snowball in which napoleon felt threatened by snowballs presence and found the only way to maintain control was to exile him. Blanches inability to accept Stanley’s superiority is what leads Stanley to taking irrational measures and raping her. Stanley’s act mixed with the guilt of her lost love ultimately leads up to her mental breakdown which renders her in a state in which she must be institutionalized. In the end it would be Stanley’s behavior that would destroy Blanche and leave Stella questioning her love for him. Stanley had turned Stella against her own sister, abandoning blood in seek a better life with Stanley. In my opinion that is far more detrimental to there well beings than simply doing hard labour on a farm regardless of who’s running it.
Throughout the play, the playwright Edward Albee made it so there is a clear showing of several different literary allusions. But in this case, in that particular scene, the focus is on Tennessee Williams A Street Car Named Desire. First of all, In the beginning of the scene, the point where she is talking to herself, you can spot that she makes some references to “The Poker Game” the painting based on the scene in which fragile Blanche comes in on her animalistic brother-in-law Stanley's poker game. And secondly, George, when he enters with the flowers in hand, or snapdragons, he is seen quoting a line of dialogue that comes from Williams play, the famous line "Flores para los muertos," which means flowers for the dead. Now here is the explanation or the comparison that can be made here. We all know that, in the play Streetcar, this particular line is used to foreshadow Blanches death. Not her physical death though, more so, it is used to foreshadow her emotional and spiritual death. In Woolf, George is using that line to foreshadow his announcement of "sonny-Jim's" death. Not only that, but it is also used to proceed the spiritual decimation of his and Martha's marriage. In addition to that, there is m ore death foreshadowing that can be seen, when we think or the part where Martha yells "Pansies! Rosemary! Violence! My wedding bouquet!" This line is making a reference to Hamlet, the part where Ophelia does her crazy speech where she offers imaginary flowers. Martha is heard using the word violence instead of violets in order to characterize her marriage. This offers shadowing of death also since Ophelia gives her mad speech before drowning herself. I think the greatest theme that this scene, this Act and the play in...
“A Street Car Named Desire” is a critically acclaimed play by Tennessee Williams, which emphasizes the sexual desire and tension between characters Blanche Dubois, Stanley Kowalski, Stella Kowalski and Harold Mitchell. Throughout the play, Blanche is so nervous and on edge that a slight disturbance could shatter her sanity. However, Blanches ambition for love and “magic” is what truly affects the other characters in the play and cements the idea that Blanche is a proper lunatic. A street car named desire not only focuses on tense family relationships present in the play but as well as the affects of insanity caused by an individual ambition, which in this case is the desire for love through the protagonist Blanche Dubois. In the play “ A street car named desire” by Tennessee Williams, Williams creates the idea that Blanche’s crazed ambition for “magic” and love is impossible because of her destitute and unforgettable past and her ambition for love leads to her own collapse and downfall.
... ignorance; and this was the undeniable tragedy that caused her downfall in the end. Stanley was angry when Blanche told Stella that she did not like him, but he never gave her a chance. Stanley despised her from the beginning. Neither Stanley nor Mitch was intelligent enough to comprehend that not everything is black and white. They perceived her as a deceitful whore. Stella chose her violent husband over her sister. Also, Mitch could not overlook her mistakes. Mitch focused on her flaws which blinded him from seeing the beauty and love Blanche had to offer. Blanche wanted their love, but each of their individual flaws sunk her deeper into a hole. The people around Blanche were unwilling to change and develop an open-minded way of dealing with her situation. Blanche needed kindness and affection, but nobody was able to give it to her when she needed it the most.
Blanche is an aging single Southern woman whose best days are in the past. Blanche has not been able to make the adjustment from when she was the belle of the county at Belle Reeve, her family's southern home, to the harsh realities of her present situation, one in which she has always "depended on the kindness of strangers" (142). All of her attempts at living in reality involve her trying to keep up appearances to match the fantasy "self" she sees in her mind. Stella adjusted to the loss of Belle Reeve better than Blanche, but she cannot resist being submissive to her brutish husband, her way of maintaining an identity. Stanley is all animal passion and male hormones. He works, eats, drinks, plays poker with the guys and has sex. If he has to slap his wife around once in a while to maintain order that's alright by him. Mitch is the perfect mama's boy and he cannot help being at the mercy of his illusions regarding women. He is used to being mothered and he is a middle-aged bachelor who carries around a cigarette case given to him by a formed love interest who died. He is no more in reality where his idealization of women is concerned than Blanch is regarding her feminine appeal to men. Everyone but Stanley is filled with illusions and needs, but Stanley is all passion and animal hunger, hunger he satiates in whatever way pleases him. The characters are reinforced by the dialogue as we see Blanche beg St...
Stella lives in denial. She denies that Stanley is a sexist, abusive man along with denying that Blanche is mentally unstable, a compulsive liar, and predator. Near the end of the story, she makes a decision between Blanche and Stanley, of course, she picks the father of her child and sends Blanche away to a mental institution. Once the doctor and nurse come to pick up the confused Blanche, Stella begins to regret her choice by saying "Oh, my God, Eunice help me! Don't let them do that to her, don't let them hurt her...What have I done to my sister? Oh, God, what have I done to my sister?" (Williams 11. 176). Once Blanche left, not even Stanley's sweet words and temporary kindness could pick up her spirits because she finally realized that
... of this reading, Stanley violates all rights of Blanche. As Blanche becomes delusional and slips into a psychiatric personality, she is okay hoping that Stanley will comfort and rescue her. Instead, “She moans. The bottle-top falls. She sinks to her knees: He picks up her inert figure and carries her to the bed. The hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly” (1837). Stanley has tampered with Blanche’s wishes and rapes her. Through this statement it seems like Blanche has lost all faith in which she was and has let Stanley conquer her with his aggressive dominance.
He uses two types of women, one who is submissive to her husband, other one is rebellious but still depends on men to live her life and to be happy and the opposite Stanley who is an ignorant man. Dictation.com states that William uses Stella’s character to connect all the characters together. In the beginning of the story Stella’s character is calm and happy but after her sister blanche moves to their house problems arise. She is torn between her sister and her husband. she tries to make a balance between the two of them but as the story progresses she has to choose one. Stanley doesn’t like Blanche’s attitude of her being superior than him. He is doesn’t like being inferior to a woman. William uses alcohol and poker to create the conflict and develop the character. They get into an argument and he hit her. Stella says that it’s “nothing serious” as Blanche think it is(William). While Blanche insists that his action is animalistic, Stella accepts him as who is because she thinks that his violence hadn’t done any damage to their relationship. In addition, she assures blanche that “he has always been violent and smashing things” but she is happy because she believes it brings the best in their relationship. Indicates the old women thinking that no matter what they have to be obedient and submissive to their husband. in the end of the story
Blanche who had been caring for a generation of dying relatives at Belle Reve has been forced to sell the family plantation. Blanche is a great deal less realistic than Stanley and lives in illusions which bring upon her downfall.
Stanley possesses an animalistic physical vigor that is evident in his love of work, fighting, and sex. Stanley represents the new, heterogeneous America in which Blanche does not believe in since she is from a defunct social hierarchy. Stanley’s hobbies consist of gambling, bowling, sex, and drinking. In addition, Stanley seems to lack ideals and imagination. His authoritative possession over Stella is unsettling. Stanley tells her, “I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!...” (Williams 131). His disturbing, degenerate nature, first hinted at when he beats his wife, is fully evident after he sexually assaults Blanche. Stanley does not express remorse for his callous behavior. Interestingly enough, Stanley’s violent behavior heightens Stella’s desire for him. After Blanche tells Stella he is unfit for her, Stella claims, “...there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark-that sort of make everything else seem-unimportant” (Williams 81). The play ends with the representation of Stanley as the ideal family man, comforting his wife in the only way he knows how as she holds their newborn
Throughout the play, Stanley appears to be boisterous and aggressive. For instance, when Stella asks what he is carrying as he comes home, he merely answers with “catch!” and proceeds to hurl a package of meat at her (Williams 2; scene 1). This meat symbolizes the connection between him and Stella; they are drawn to each other mostly out of their sexual, carnal desire for one another. Stella is aware of Stanley’s abusive and hostile behavior towards her and others, but she stays with him, regardless. This highlights Stanley’s power. As a male, he relishes himself in the luxuries that women at the time could not have: status and property. This is a contrast to Blanche; since the play took place in the 1940s, the pinnacle of the Great Depression, her family was unable to maintain the family manor. Although she attempted to sustain it, she lost the possession over it. To cover up this weakness, Blanche lies to others, saying that “it slipped through [her] fingers” (Williams 19; scene 1). This, in comparison, makes Stanley look better than her. The fact that Blanche was unable to maintain her own home makes her appear weak and pathetic. This is why she is desperate to look for a man, and why she follows her desires by means of the streetcar. Craving closeness with a man, she mistakes sex for intimacy. This leads to her getting fired from being a teacher and it is the catalyst for her wanton actions. Additionally, Stanley is portrayed as manipulative. He manipulates Stella into thinking that everything will be fine once Blanche leaves, and they can finally “make noise” at night (Williams 117; scene 8). Clearly, he only loves Stella due to his carnal, sexual attraction towards her. On the other hand, Blanche is more refined and more ladylike compared to the women in New Orleans. For example, after their date, Mitch notices that Blanche seems indifferent about him. Blanche assures him that she is fine, but she wasn’t able
One similarity between Blanche and Stanley is that they both are controlling over other people. In the play, Blanche is very desperate for wanting a man to take care of her which makes her very controlling when there is a man in her life. Stanley becomes very abusive and controlling when he gets upset or doesn’t get what he wants. Another similarity these two characters have in common is the way they take advantage of other people. Blanche takes advantage of the young boy who comes to collect the newspaper and gives him a kiss. Stanley takes advantage of Stella when he makes her feel bad and makes her do things. Williams has made it clear that even though Blanche and Stanley have differences they also have similarities with each
Firstly, the reader may initially feel Blanche is completely responsible or at least somewhat to blame, for what becomes of her. She is very deceitful and behaves in this way throughout the play, particularly to Mitch, saying, ‘Stella is my precious little sister’ and continuously attempting to deceive Stanley, saying she ‘received a telegram from an old admirer of mine’. These are just two examples of Blanches’ trickery and lying ways. In some ways though, the reader will sense that Blanche rather than knowingly being deceitful, actually begins to believe what she says is true, and that she lives in her own dream reality, telling people ‘what ought to be the truth’ probably due to the unforgiving nature of her true life. This will make the reader begin to pity Blanche and consider whether these lies and deceits are just what she uses to comfort and protect herself. Blanche has many romantic delusions which have been plaguing her mind since the death of her husband. Though his death was not entirely her fault, her flirtatious manner is a major contributor to her downfall. She came to New Orleans as she was fired from...
The last reason for why Blanche is a victim in this play is how in the end of the tenth scene Stanley rapes Blanche and the repercussions of his actions. In the tenth scene Stanley comes back from the hospital drunk tears apart Blanches imaginary world after catching her off guard in her lies about Shep Huntleigh, after tearing apart her imaginary world Stanley blocks Blanche from escaping his advances and in the same way he beats his wife Stella he rapes Blanche and feels proud of doing so. The repercussions of Stanley’s actions are that Blanche is broken and acts the exact opposite from the way she acted when she first arrived, how she acted differently is that when she first arrived she encouraged the guys at poker night to give her attention but this time she feared being seen by the guys playing poker and hid from them in the bathroom. While in the bathroom she took a bath but this time instead of using the bath to “erase” her sins she is now using the bath to “erase” Stanleys
The world according to Blanche is one that differs from that of others and she also seems to be the most fictional character of the four in this extract. Many comments made by Blanche require cultural de-coding; for example her line "One that's been picked a few days" in reference to looking ."..done in..." make reference to her promiscuity. However this does not cause her illusion to dissipate in any way, it is simply blatant probing for further compliments from Stella. This is something which Stella, who seems to have the patience of a saint, complies with every time. Stanley language, on the other hand, greatly supports what he is saying. His bluntness is what makes...
Stanley took every opportunity to make passive aggressive comments and use Blanche’s insecurities against her. Stanley went as far as purposely looking into Blanche’s past to find negative things about her to share with her sister and new lover. Williams clearly wanted the audience to sympathise with Blanche the moment that Stanley raped her. After this, Blanche went mad and was unwillingly sent to a mental hospital. William intended for it to be a heartbreaking moment as Blanche yelled, “I don't know you--I don't know you. I want to be--left alone--please!” (152) as she was forcibly taken to the mental hospital. First Williams highlighted negative qualities about Blanche, but then presented moments from Blanche's past, so the audience could understand and sympathise with Blanche. When Blanche lost her mind the audience realizes that her rape combined with the unfortunate events from her past was the