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How Are Dominate Women Presented in A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller and A Streetcar by Tennessee Williams

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The plays, A Streetcar Named Desire and A View from the Bridge, focus on the theme of domination of the female characters through the writer’s habit of literacy techniques such as imagery and realism to add the typical tragedy that follows in both plays – where the main character dies at the end and each playwright uses their own method to manipulate their point of view or opinion of the play’s plot to the audience members. In Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, its form of a Southern Gothic enables the playwright to base the play on sexual identity and judgement and the female characters all experience their struggle to liberate from their current position. For example, Blanche is notably known for her situation – The ‘polka dot’ which …show more content…

Unlike typical tragedies, Miller focuses the play on the working class to express their common attributes to their society as were the Greek tragedies that focused on royalty and the society in the play left women feeling subjugated by the men. For instance, when Beatrice asks Eddie whether - ‘you gonna keep in the house all her life?’ The assertive tone of the rhetorical question shows the support that Catherine has from Beatrice and reflects her struggle to be free from Eddie’s grip. The usage of the pathos evokes pity towards the audience as they would be pitiful towards Catherine. Furthermore, Catherine is another female in A View from the Bridge who is subjugated by Eddie. In the beginning of act one, Eddie mentions Catherine’s new dress, saying that – ‘heads are turnin’ like windmills.’ The systolic device enables the playwright to create the epitome of sexual attraction to the audience members and shows the dominance in Eddie’s office. The presentation of the domination in A Streetcar Named Desire is shown by the aggressive and dominant tone that is inflicted to the female characters by the men. In scene two, Stanley asks Stella – ‘How about my supper, huh?’ The tone created by the inquiry reflects the perception of gender roles in the American Society. Another example of the aggressive and dominant tone shown in A Streetcar Named Desire is where Stanley authorizes Stella to ‘Turn it off [the radio]!’ The frustration that is being built up

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