“But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark—that sort of make everything seem—unimportant” (Williams 70). These words, spoken by Stella Kowalski in Tennessee Williams's 1940s, American play, A Streetcar Named Desire, demonstrate Stella’s case of abused woman syndrome. Williams carefully constructs Stella’s character to reflect the idea of male dominance which was especially prevalent during the time period. Scientifically, battered woman syndrome is defined as a pattern of psychological and behavioral symptoms found in women living in abusive relationships as a result of cumulative abuse: physically, emotionally, sexual, or otherwise. Throughout the play, Stella and Stanley’s marriage proves incredibly toxic and …show more content…
Nicolas and De Vegas explain, “In the tension-building phase, there is minor battering whereby the woman allows herself to be abused for abuse which she considers minor. She thus tries to pacify the batterer through a kind and nurturing behavior or by simply staying out of his way to prevent the escalation of violence” (Article 1). This phase is magnified early in the play with the unexpected arrival of Blanche Dubois, Stella’s older sister, causing immense tension between Stanley and Stella. Stanley immediately shows aggression and intense verbal distaste for Blanche in many instances that Stella brushes off as a way to prevent further conflict. This is only the beginning of the abusive cycle. Furthermore, Vegas reveals, “The second phase acute battering incident is characterized by brutality and destructiveness whereby the woman has no control and it is only the batterer that may put an end to the violence” (Article 1). The victim is powerless in the face of violence and can only rely on the abuser to stop. Stanley emotionally and physically abuses Stela reinforcing the idea that she deserves it for upsetting him. This ideology is displayed when one night Stanley is blinded by rage and Stella cries, “You lay your hands on me and I'll-- [She backs out of sight. He advances and disappears. There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out.]” (Williams 57). …show more content…
Stella reveals countless times, “I’m not in anything I want to get out of” (Williams 65). Stella is aware of her cruel situation, but mentally cannot escape, nor does she feel a desire to. Consequently, physcologists around the world identify the syndrome as a subcategory of post traumatic stress disorder seen in victims who have experienced much violence hindering their mental strength that once allowed for rational decision making. According to Law.com, “Despite the realization that their partner is victimizing them, the individual will choose to remain in the abusive relationship” (Article 2). This is the greatest dividing aspect between Stella and Blanche, as Blanche’s immediate solution to the abuse is to simply leave. This comparison demonstrates the severity and the continuation of the cycle. This division creates a barrier between the victim and her loved ones best exhibited when Blanche reveals that Stanley has raped her and Stella confesses, “I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley” (Williams 133). Through this scene, Williams effectively displays enlightenment which is the most important phase of the syndrome. She is aware of her situation, but has yet to gather the strength to overcome her mental haze. Women around the world suffer to overcome this disease and escape their
In Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams uses the suicide of Blanche's husband to illuminate Blanche's insecurities and immoral behavior. When something terrible happens to someone, it often reveals who he or she truly is. Blanche falls victim to this behavior, and she fails to face her demons. This displays how the play links a character’s illogical choices and their inner struggles.
Her character represents absolute indifference due to her largely domestic and submissive role. Stella is almost a prisoner in her own home; she is continuously indoors from the outset of the play. Her character is subjugated by the language in the play. She is rarely called by her name, and is continuously referred to as "honey", "baby", or "sweetie" instead. This is one of the characteristics of the feminine struggle for equality within contemporary society; her name is not used to confirm her identity - instead she is branded by condescending labels which overwhelm her individuality. Stella is often belittled physically through the violence her husband subjects her too; for example, Stanley 's response to her request for help to clearing the table:
Within Tennessee Williams's story about love and abuse within marriage and challenging familial ties, there lie three very different characters that all see the world in vastly different ways. These members of a family that operate completely outside of our generation’s norms, are constantly unsure of themselves and their station within the binary not only of their familial unit, but within the gender binary that is established for them to follow. Throughout the story of the strange family, each character goes through a different arch that changes them irrevocably whether it is able to be perceived or not by those around them. The only male, Stanley is initially the macho force in the home who controls everything without question. He has no consequences for his actions against his wife and is never held accountable for treating the people around him poorly; this lasts until Blanche arrives. Blanche is an outwardly demure, but spirited young woman who after experiencing untold misfortune breaks mentally and decides to no longer care what others may think of her. She lives her life lavishly and foolishly by having dalliances with younger or richer men who shower her with gifts and attention to get sex from her all too willing form. Her effect on Stanley is one of temptation and challenge; she continually tries to convince her sister that she is too good for the man and in turn fosters a resentment for her in him. Stella acts as the antithesis of Stanley and Blanche’s extreme personalities. She is innocence and purity where they are the darkness that threatens to overtake her life. Throughout, Stella is a pawn that they both try to use against the other to no real avail as she is determined to make the best choice for herself. In th...
In A Streetcar named Desire, Tennessee Williams presented to us the character of Blanche Dubois. She was the haggard and fragile southern beauty whose happiness was cruelly destroyed. She always avoided reality, and lived in her own imagination. As the play goes on, Blanches “instability grows along with her misfortune.” Her life ended in tragedy when she was put into a mental institution. Her brother in law’s cruelty combined with her fragile personality, left Blanche mentally detached from reality. Stanley Kowalski showed no remorse for his brutal actions, destroyed Blanches life and committed her to an insane asylum.
In contrast, Stella is overly mild-tempered and always striving to please. Generally, she is able to adapt to all situations. This ability to adapt proves to be useful, as both her husband and her sister, Blanche, have such strong personalities. From the beginning, it is apparent that Stella often plays the peacemaker. She was able to foresee that Stanley and her visiting sister would clash. In hopes of avoiding any confrontation, she warned them both to be on their best behaviour. Stella is soft-spoken, speaking only when it is needed, and expressing her grief only when it overwhelms her, whereas Blanche is the opposite: an outspoken woman, with many opinions.
The essential conflict of the story is between Blanche, and her brother in-law Stanley. Stanley investigates Blanche’s life to find the truth of her promiscuity, ruining her relationships with Stella, and her possible future husband Mitch, which successfully obtain his goal of getting Blanche out of his house. Blanche attempts to convince Stella that she should leave Stanley because she witnessed a fight between the two. Despite these instances, there is an essence of sexual tension between the two, leading to a suspected rape scene in which one of their arguments ends with Stanley leading Blanche to the bed. Branching from that, Stella has an inner conflict because she does not know whether to side with her husband or her sister in each situation. Blanche and Mitch ha...
The ideology of male dominance has existed since the beginning of mankind. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, it is especially apparent that Stanley, who is a working class man, feels the need to assert and reassert this principle of power constantly. Williams makes clear, through the character of Stanley, that the yearning for others’ recognition of their power and capability is the motive behind men’s masculine inclinations.
In Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire" two of the main characters Stanley and Blanche persistently oppose each other, their differences eventually spiral into Stanley's rape of Stella.
A Streetcar Named Desire is an intricate web of complex themes and conflicted characters. Set in the pivotal years immediately following World War II, Tennessee Williams infuses Blanche and Stanley with the symbols of opposing class and differing attitudes towards sex and love, then steps back as the power struggle between them ensues. Yet there are no clear cut lines of good vs. evil, no character is neither completely good nor bad, because the main characters, (especially Blanche), are so torn by conflicting and contradictory desires and needs. As such, the play has no clear victor, everyone loses something, and this fact is what gives the play its tragic cast. In a larger sense, Blanche and Stanley, individual characters as well as symbols for opposing classes, historical periods, and ways of life, struggle and find a new balance of power, not because of ideological rights and wrongs, but as a matter of historical inevitability. Interestingly, Williams finalizes the resolution of this struggle on the most base level possible. In Scene Ten, Stanley subdues Blanche, and all that she stands for, in the same way men have been subduing women for centuries. Yet, though shocking, this is not out of keeping with the themes of the play for, in all matters of power, force is its ultimate manifestation. And Blanche is not completely unwilling, she has her own desires that draw her to Stanley, like a moth to the light, a light she avoids, even hates, yet yearns for.
Blanche’s developmental history or character development points to her diagnosis. Blanche comes to New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella after being fired from her job as a schoolteacher due to having an inappropriate affair with a teenage student. When she arrives to see her sister, she is consumed with insecurities regarding her appearance and is condescending to her sister’s humble lifestyle. Stella’s husband Stanley immediately has distrust and dislike for Blanche and treats her
Her first problem is with the heroine of the play, Blanche DuBois, who, she claims, is "ironically made guilty for her own victimization. No longer fully human, she is simply a metaphor of all that is vile about women. Blanche cannot, then, claim tragic stature or even our sympathy precisely because she is a victim of rape. And as she becomes responsible for her own victimization, Stanley is left to glory in his ascendancy. This aspect of Streetcar arises from the misogyny which colors the play…" (Lant 226). Admittedly, Blanche does flirt with Stanley briefly at the beginning of the play—just as many women playfully flirt with their brothers-in-law. But as her relationship with Stanley deteriorates, she makes it quite obvious to him that she loathes the sight of him. Though the world in which Lant lives may be one in which a woman, playfully sprinkling her brother-in-law ...
...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.
In scene three Stanley is having his poker party (pg. 57). At this point he is very drunk. Blanche distracting Stanley by listening to the radio instigates him to grab it off the table and toss it out the window. Stella in a state of panic tells everyone to go home which angers Stanley so he chases after her and hits her. This type of behavior is not normal of any human being involved in any relationship. Stanley repeatedly gets what he wants by use of any means possible. In addition the person whoever threatens the existence of his poker game receives a beating, in this case his wife. This scene demonstrates Stanley’s viscous animal like traits with such violence. If what happened here was repeated in today’s society he would find himself in a jail cell with a pending divorce.
As Stanley continues torturing Blanche and draws Stella and Mitch away from her, Blanche’s sanity slowly dwindles. Even though she lied throughout the play, her dishonesty becomes more noticeable and irrational due to Stanley's torment about her horrible past. After dealing with the deaths of her whole family, she loses Belle Reve, the estate on which her and her sister grew up. This is too much for Blanche to handle causing her moral vision to be blurred by “her desperate need to be with someone, with ancestors for models who indulged in “epic fornications” with impunity, [Blanche] moves through the world filling the void in her life with lust” (Kataria 2). She also loses a young husband who killed himself after she found out he was gay when she caught him with another man. After that traumatic experience she needed “a cosy nook to squirm herself into because ...
appropriately with the consequent events which take place. Using madness to escape from feelings which are "too great to contain" is strongly associated with Blanche but to some extent, I believe. with Stella. Although Stella decides to believe that Stanley is telling the truth that Blanche is in actual fact "insane" is. Stella's own way of avoiding the actual truth of the events of scene.