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
It is evident in A Streetcar Named Desire, that Williams explores the class differences relating to conflict at this time of post-war America. Through William’s use of stage directions and dialogue to show how the conflict heightens due to the underlying class differences. However, this is challenged partially due to other factors that create conflict and tension. As at this time America was very much a society where class was important and respected and Williams clearly portrays this as Blanche very much confirms to society’s social class standards as she was very much influenced by social class all throughout her life, however the more explicit factor of gender leads up to the conflict in a greater way.
“Stella has embraced him with both arms, fiercely, and full in the view of Blanche. He laughs and clasps her head to him. Over her head he grins through the curtains at Blanche.” (Williams 73) A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams exemplifies the theme of a struggle to attain happiness. The play not only portrays this theme in its characters and setting, but through the literary devices of Foil, Imagery, and Intertextuality. Williams took great care in applying each of these literary device techniques to the theme as he presents an intriguing contrast between Blanche and Stanley, vivid images both animalistic and broken, and imploring the use of the Odyssey to further
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
Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire, is a story of people who try to live their lives despite their constant issues that interrupt their lives. Blanche DuBois is a repressed and sexually warped southern woman who seeks satisfaction and comfort. She wants someone to help lift the burden of the guilt she has from her twisted sexuality. Simultaneously, Stanley Kowalski, a terrifyingly abusive yet gentle “common man”, seems to be crying out for help in a post World War II world where all he has to offer is his rough love and sub-human like nature. The obvious troubled flaws in these two characters tend to hide the more troubled Stella Kowalski, the spectator who has to witness her husband ruin her sister’s life. Based on the reading
In Tennessee Williams’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois’s personality is built around false pretenses in order to protect herself from facing the reality and the consequences of her actions. However, her downfall is brought about as a result of her inability to cope with reality after the truth about her is revealed, which contributes to the play’s pessimistic take on the worth of dreams, as well as its criticism on the inherent flaws of deception.
In Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Stella and Stanley Kowalski live in the heart of poor, urban New Orleans in a one-story flat very different from the prestigious home Stella came from. This prestige is alive and well inside Stella’s lady-like sister, Blanche Du Bois. Over the course of Blanche’s life, she has experienced many tragedies that deeply affected her, such as the death of her gay husband, the downward spiral in her mental health that followed, and most recently the loss of her wealth and therefore social status. She constructs a proverbial lampshade to mask her pain and to control the last part of her world that she is able to, the image she projects into the world for herself and others to see. The
A strong contrast and fight for dominance is evident between the sexes. Men, unfortunately, contain all the power and women struggle to grasps whatever control they can from their oppressors. Such a strife is a universal female plight and so it is referenced and can be observed through all types of media and publications, including in the theater. A play that focuses on such a conflict is A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Throughout the play, Stanley Kowalski presents himself as the domineering male figure and Blanche DuBois is the female protagonist who challenges his authority.
Tennessee Williams's legendary play A Streetcar Named Desire presents the audience with a multitude of diverse characters and complex, intertwined relationship between those characters. The character that stands out as being the most essential and complex, however, is Blanche DuBois. Blanche looms as the sole character to look past the simplicity of life and long for something beyond her daily mundanity, and all other characters in Streetcar are contrasted against her to help illuminate some quirk of their humanity. In addition to these contrasts, Blanche also provides an interesting character study due to her inability to accept reality and her semi-anachronistic nature.
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams demonstrates the way society diminishes a woman's “powers” in the 1940s and 1950s. Near the end of the play when Blanche is sexually assaulted and taken to the psychiatric ward, it shows how society looks at women of having little power. However, the suppression of women in the 1951 Elia Kazan Film is downgraded from that of the original play. Blanche’s actions at the end of the play demonstrate that women are still belittled by society; however, Stella speaking up to Stanley and considering to leave him at the end of the film thoroughly conveys that women are more empowered in the movie.
Like many people in the world, the characters in Tennessee William’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, are troubled by anxiety and insecurities. Life in New Orleans during the 1940s was characterized by the incredible variety of music, lively and bright atmosphere, and diverse population, while in the midst of the ongoing World War II. Culture was rich and fruitful because the city developed into a “melting pot” of people from all over the world. Due to the wide-range in population, the people of New Orleans adopted an identity like no other. Instead of their identity being entirely pieced together, almost like a puzzle, the people took on one that was shared by the entire community. However, with this being said, people had the ability to use this to their advantage and mask their true selves. This idea translates well into the play A Streetcar Named Desire, and is exhibited through the character Blanche. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams uses the theme of vanity to reveal the importance of appearance, and the insecurities of Blanche and how they influence her actions.
In the beginning of the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Blanche first arrives from Laurel Missouri and immediately becomes the antagonist. As the play goes on Stanley starts to go against Blanche. At the end of the play Blanche becomes the victim. In the end, Stanley sent Blanche off to a mental asylum. This plays demonstrates domestic violence. In the beginning of the play A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams shows how society accepted it and ignored it.Stanley, one of the characters in the play, found domestic violence to be a positive and very sexual part of him and his wife, Stella's, relationship. Throughout the play, Williams shows that he believes that it is wrong.
In his plays, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams uses different ways to show in the play of social realism. It show each of individual character and focusing on how particular way of viewpoint contrast with men, and the perspective of looking at women. The play explores struggle of two character Stanley and Blanche, between appearances and reality which made the play’s plot more affected reality. Throughout this play, it show the symbolize of the gender roles and the power of men over women in the 1940’s in New Orleans.
In a View from the Bridge, the women are presented as loyal characters which impacts the audience's view of Eddie. Throughout the play, Beatrice and Catherine are depicted as having a loyal relationship with each other. For the duration of the play, the audience see Beatrice as often fighting for Catherine’s independence and job as a secretary. Despite Eddie’s attempts at the beginning of Act 1 of preventing Catherine from becoming “a stenographer first, but soon [a] secretary”, Beatrice fights for Catherine and repeatedly reminds Eddie that “Someday [Catherine] could be a secretary” The hopeful tone employed conveys to the reader that Beatrice believes that Catherine should be able to succeed her dreams. By Miller doing this, he is leaving Eddie to be frowned upon as he goes against the dream the women are after, perhaps suggesting that he wants to bring back the stereotypical lifestyles of women as seen to be “strangely nervous”. Consistently, the two women are seen staged together. For example, early in Act 1, “Eddie is standing facing the two seated women”. The fact that Eddie is standing, perhaps fighting for some dominance, makes us as the audience feel frustrated that he is trying to fight for power since he is not a well loved or admired character in the play. Another example is in late Act 2
Throughout history empowerment and marginalization has primarily been based on gender. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, this idea of empowerment is strongly flaunted. Tennessee Williams’ characters, primarily Stanley, Blanche, Mitch, and Stella, conform the expected roles of men and women at the time. Although World War Two temporarily allowed women a place in the work force, they were dismissed from such empowerment when the war came to a close. Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire are accurate representations of the social historical context of that time. The power struggle between Stanley and Blanche conveys dominant ideas about gender such as the primitive nature, aggression, and
In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, the representation of male and female characters are based on gender stereotypes, which represent a patriarchal society. The way in which Tennessee Williams portrays the main characters: Blanche, Stanley and Stella, by using gender stereotypes demonstrates the patriarchal society`s value, norms and beliefs of the 1940s.