Stanley And Blanche Comparison

In many pieces of literature, two contradicting sides often play a major role in story and character development; Tennessee Williams is able to apply this concept in A Streetcar Named Desire. The characters of Stanley and Blanche can be easily identified as polar opposites of each other. Blanche is a complex, sophisticated character, while Stanley can be seen as primal, simple, and sometimes animalistic. Tennessee Williams is able to use the opposition of Blanche and Stanley to build the rest of the story and characters.
When looking at the character of Blanche, it can be easily seen that she is deeper than many of the characters in the arrangement. Blanche is able to put on a disguise to hide her troubling past, which she tries desperately

to move past; she shows a certain level of sensitivity when the topic of Belle Reve or her deceased partner is brought up. “I, I, I, took the blows in my face and my body! All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way!” (Williams 26). When the topic of Belle Reve comes up, Blanche immediately throws herself into a fit, accusing Stella that the burden was all on herself. Blanche plays the victim, a role which she is profoundly convincing at filling. Once Blanche sees how much it hurts Stella to hear about everything, she becomes sentimental and does not push it on Stella any further. This sentiment shows Blanche’s deeper understanding of human feelings.  
Blanche later shows her higher level of sophistication when talking with her sister about her and Stanley’s violent relationship.

Stella seems to blinded by her love with Stanley, which seems like a strange thing to Blanche. They go back and forth; Stella describing the different times Stanley goes on a row and Blanche repeatedly asks if she views this as all right. Blanche eventually tells Stella that she can still get out of the dangerous marriage (Williams 63-4). It may seem easier to notice things when looked at from an outside viewpoint, which is the point of view that Blanche takes up. Blanche is not only able to open Stella’s eyes a little bit, but also the eyes of readers. Many see Stella running back to Stanley as foolish, which helps to develop the character of Stella and add to the

story.
    When looking at Blanche’s polar opposite, Stanley, it can be easily identified that there is not much depth to him; Tennessee Williams is able to convey the basic nature of Stanley very well.

When Stanley finds out that Blanche lost Belle Reve, he immediately accuses her of attempting to trick their family out of the land. “It looks to me like you have been swindled, baby, and when you’re swindled under the Napoleonic code I’m swindled too. And I don’t like to be swindled” (Williams 35). Immediately after this accusation, Stanley also notices that Blanche’s possessions would not match her salary, which further justifies his accusation in his mind. Instead of calmly asking Blanche about her situation, he jumps to conclusions and goes into a fit; this shows his simple, quick-draw nature of acting first then questioning

later.
Another example of Stanley’s primal and almost animalistic behavior comes to light when he goes after Stella. After drinking heavily during a poker game, Stanley becomes so overcome with anger that he goes into a rage that does not allow him to think clearly; he goes after Stella, his wife and mother of his child (Williams 57). Stella also reveals later that these fits of anger were occurring other times, even on their wedding night, which means that Stanley could be triggered by almost anything. Stanley is able to blind Stella to the point where she thinks of him as able to do no wrong. This shows the readers an example of what becomes a main point of division among Blanche and Stella.
    The contradiction among Stanley and Blanche are able to work in such a way that develops the characters around them; one character in particular is Stella. Blanche is able to open up the eyes of Stella to how poisonous her relationship with Stanley has become. Stanley, however, is able to show her the comforting side of their relationship. He desperately calls out to her, showing his regret of his hostile actions toward her. Stella becomes overwhelmed by the loving, tender side of Stanley that she overlooks the fits of rage, fits that Blanche views as unbearable to deal with. The opposite nature of Blanche and Stanley are able to provide the reader a deeper look into the life and thinking of Stella.
    Another character that is impacted by the duo of opposites is Mitch. Mitch’s first experience with Blanche is one of sentiment and deep feeling for both of them. They both find out that they share a similar interest in a sonnet by Mrs. Browning (Williams 53). This shared interest sparks a short-lived romance between Mitch and Blanche. The date the two share is filled with awkward moments and jagged edges; however, there is undoubtedly a connection made that both characters feel. Blanche reveals the deep emotions inside of Mitch. Blanche also realizes that this is her last chance at a future with somebody because of her age. Just as the connection between Blanche and Mitch strengthens, Blanche’s polar opposite, Stanley, comes between the two. Stanley reveals the truth about Blanche’s past with holding no regard as to how it will impact either Mitch or Blanche. He attempts to cover it up and tells Mitch it is for his own good, but the deeper meaning behind it comes from his frustration with Blanche; his frustration with how she has ruined the calm life that he and Stella were living until she arrived out of the blue. Without the combination of Stanley and Blanche, the audience would never know the character of Mitch; he would have just been another one of Stanley’s poker friends.
Much like two opposite poles of a magnet work together to create a magnetic field, the polar opposite characters of Blanche and Stanley work together to create a deeper story and allow the audience to get to know characters better. Their contradiction showed how Stella truly views her relationship with Stanley, and that Mitch was more than just a background character. The sophistication and complexity of Blanche grows her character as well, showing that she is able to hide her past and attempt to start a new life. The simplicity of Stanley also reveals the true colors of his character. Williams uses the two characters in a way that expands the story to more than what can be observed.