Streetcar Named Desire Conflict

A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams is superficially simple. This contrasts the complex themes and conflicted characters that unravel throughout the play. Blanche and Stanley are symbols of opposing class’ and differing attitudes regarding life, especially love and sex. As the play progresses the power struggle between Blanche and Stanley ensues and intensifies; however, Williams blurs the lines of good and bad, in that no character is completely good bad. The play has no clear winner, everyone loses something, which gives the audience more to think about. Blanche and Stanley’s character development is used as a symbol for how different time periods, opposing classes, and ways of life, fight for power.
A first Scene Ten of the

Towards the end of the play Stanley finally uncovers the truth about Blanche and why she came to New Orleans. This hurts Stella and Blanche’s relationship, in that Stella always believed Blanche and now see understands Blanche’s infatuation with lying. At this point Stanley realizes he has found what will ultimately lead to Blanche’s symbolic demise. He gives her a bus ticket to Mississippi, which shows that he believes he has won the fight for power. His confidence is seen throughout Scene Ten. He pretends to believe her story about her trip with Shep Huntleigh, and he shines the light from which Blanche was hiding from by exposing all the lies she has told. Rape only occurs as Blanche becomes frantic and continuously denys Stanley’s accusations. To show Blanche he has truly won Stanley rapes her, which reassures her of his total and unquestionable dominance. However, it is hard to be sympathetic because the audience realizes all Blanche is is a fantasy. Both characters are truly illustrated in their true form in this scene. Stanley satisfies his male ego by showing his superiority in a horrendous way and Blanche is not only discovered to be a fraud, but her subconscious desires are also