A Streetcar Named Desire

Throughout A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams toys with many different themes: appearance vs. reality, evolving gender roles, and, most importantly, misunderstanding. Although I have visited A Streetcar Named Desire many times, I came away from this reading with a sense that the conflict centered largely around misunderstanding. Blanche and Stanley come from two entirely different worlds, and they have conflicting expectations of societal norms. Blanche appears to be a demure southern belle; however, her personality is needy and abrasive. She expects to be treated like a lady, but her contrary behavior excites rage in Stanley. Conversely, Stanley is immodest, obnoxious, and domineering. As a second-generation polish immigrant, Stanley knows the value of hard work; a comfortable privileged life is extremely alien to him. Therefore, Blanche and Stanley clash from the beginning of the play.

However, Blanche possesses one of the most disturbed personalities in Southern Gothic literature. As previously mentioned, her appearance is very deceiving. Blanche is both self-centered and neurotic, and she manages to continually critique Stella’s life. However, whenever Blanche is questioned about anything, she not only becomes hysterical, but she is quick to point out that she stayed at Belle Reeve, stomaching the utter heart break of watching her fellow relatives die. The cost of death eventually cost her the estate leaving her alone. It’s at this point that Blanche turns to desire to fill the void of her past life that is forever gone. Blanche comes to be known for her sexual promiscuity with men, especially a certain young boy in her English class, which gets her fired. However, throughout the play, there are sexual undercurrents in her scenes with Stanley, Mitch, and the young delivery boy. Additionally important is her bizarre behavior: she continually contradicts herself, asks Stella to go get her a coke, and always manages to take an inordinate number of baths.

Violence is also quite pronounced throughout the play. Both Tennessee Williams—in the stage directions—and Blanche equate Stanley to a primitive beast. Indeed, Stanley has a tendency to act upon his animalistic reflexives, which is evident when he strikes Stella and later “rapes” Blanche. Stanley also seems most content when he is with the guys playing cards or bowling; he is naturally rough and is at home with those whom he can handle his tough persona. Stanley, to a certain extent, does not how know to behave in the company of women.

Blanche and Stella represent two women who are living in a nation where gender roles are evolving, yet they are still very uncertain of their power and responsibilities. Blanche desires the best of both worlds: she wants all men to act like true southern gentlemen with her; however, she also wants sexual freedom. When men realize that she is sexually permissive, they view her as “used”. Therefore, they feel as if see is simply a sexual object; she is not someone who you would enter into a relationship with. This point is illustrated when Mitch attempts to rape Blanche after he learns of her past. On the other hand, although Stella has made the evolution from privileged southern belle to devoted housewife, she still finds herself trapped in a world controlled by men. Stanley mistreats her, and, apart from sex, does not know how to relate to her. It is true that they have legitimate sexual feelings for one another, but does their relationship have much substance apart from that? Blanche claims that Stella and Stanley’s relationship is based solely on desire, and she argues that it is not a safe foundation for love. For once, I feel that Blanche is speaking the truth; however, it’s necessary to note that Stella realizes that, although flawed, Stanley is a provider and hard-working man, and that is what she needs in the world: a man who can take care of her.

Another important scene in the play is when Blanche describes her only true love. Blanche goes into a lengthy monologue where she recalls finding her young love in bed with another man. As a result of Blanche discovering his homosexuality, the young man commits suicide. The suicide of homosexuals unable to come to terms with their sexuality in an unsympathetic culture is a reoccurring theme in Tennessee Williams plays. Their collective suicides illustrate the suffocating and ostracizing world in which they live.