##mininity And Masculinity In Tennessee WilliamsA Streetcar Named Desire

This is certainly true in Stanley's case. In Scene Two, Stanley's primary interest in Blanche is in whether he and Stella are entitled to any money from Stella's family home. When he finds there is no inheritance, Stanley shows quite plainly throughout the following scenes that he has no use for Blanche: He doesn't like her personally and they have nothing in common. But as the play proceeds, it is obvious that Stanley does perceive Blanche as being something of a threat. She is a disruption to his and Stella's relationship in the physical sense since all three are living in close quarters, but what's worse, she is a part of what Stanley considers Stella's past, and Blanche's influence revives old prejudices and ways of thinking in Stella that threaten Stanley's dominance.

Whiteness is also evoked by Mitch, and Stella. Mitch wants a replacement for his aging mother. Yet, Mitch feels hurt when he finds out about Blanche's prior sexual experiences from Stanley and takes his feelings of sexual rejection, and eventually forces himself on her against her will. The culmination comes when Blanche asks Mitch to marry him and he responds, "I don't think I want to marry you anymore… you're not clean enough to bring home to my mother."(120-121). Stella also demonstrates her cruelty at the end of the story when she decides to let the doctor bring her sister to a mental ward, going along with Stanley's plan to get rid of her. Stella evokes a kind of social norm of acceptable sane behavior.

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

She even tells Mitch that she doesn’t tell the truth, she tells what ought to be truth. So Blanche is aware that she is lying and continues to do it, which end the end causes grief for her.

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.

Tall, dark, and handsome has long been the standard of a desirable man. There is undoubtedly something about a “man’s man” that is intriguing and beguiling. However, there must be a point where too much masculinity becomes a problem. As society continues to praise men with the biggest muscles, the nicest cars, and the most women, it is becoming increasingly hard to draw the line between healthy masculinity and toxic masculinity. In Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, toxic ideas about what it means to be masculine ultimately ruins several characters, but most overtly Stanley, Stella, and Blanche, showing that toxic masculinity is a threat to everyone’s well-being, both male and

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.

Finally, Stanley rapes Blanche because “he has tried and tried to keep her down to his level” (Kagan 26) but she cannot go there.  The rape is his way of getting her there.  In the powerful scene where Stanley loses total control of his actions and strikes the person whom he has sworn to protect, love and cherish, William's shows Stanley's lack of control and hatred of the new threat in his life, Blanche.  What makes this scene so important to the topic is the way that the three characters react once the party has broken up.  Blanche is in her usual state of panic; Stella has retreated upstairs, while Stanley stumbles around calling out 'Steeelllaaa' in a drunken sweaty animal-like manner.  Surprisingly Stella answers her mate's calls and embraces him, the two of them exchanging words of compassion and kisses.  Stanley then picks up Stella and carries her off to his den to make love, which is Stanley's way of apologizing.  Stanley has to be the dominant male figure in all his relationships, not only with Stella and Blanche, but with his friends as well.  He is a leader and instantly rises to the challenge whenever his status is threatened.

Mitch has a very courteous and gregarious perspective on life. He basically believes that everyone deserves a chance. When he first meets Blanche, he begins to fall in love with her but soon after Stanley reveals the true Blanche to Mitch, he feels betrayed. At that point, his perspective changed because, he begins to become a little more like Stanley. An example of this is when he finds out and comes to meet Blanche and tells her

The nature of motivations is driven by an individual’s need to pursue self interest, which directs their course of action. One’s interest is dependent on their influences as well as ambition to achieve goals. In Tennessee Williams’ modern play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley’s actions are directed by his need to maintain power in his relationship with Stella even when these actions are immoral or wrong. The setting of the play takes place in late 1940s of New Orleans; where relationships are predominantly patriarchal. Stanley initially lived life in a stable relationship, taking the dominant role as a man. However, when Blanche is introduced into their lives, Stella is reminded of her upper class roots, interfering the life Stanley originally had. When Stanley’s predominant role is being challenged, Stanley’s need to reattain his personal equilibrium develops, impacting his course of action and treatment towards others. Due to this, Stanley struggles with fear and uncertainty, resulting in increased violence and a short-tempered nature. Therefore, when individuals have strong motives to reach their ambitions, their actions follows, even when these actions may be morally flawed.

Stella abandons Blanche in her time of need, partly responsible for Blanche’s struggles prior to the plays events. Struggles that played a role in Blanche's overall instabilities and insecurities. But why is Stanley the one that's ultimately responsible? Aside from verbally and physically abusing Blanche, He isolates Blanche from the people she loves, the only people she has left. He was the one who convinced Mitch to abandon Blanche by telling him about her past. “You're goddamn right I told him! I'd have that on my conscience the rest of my life if I knew all that stuff and let my best friend get caught!”(Williams,126) He is the one that silences Stella. He is aware of his power over Stella. He is the reason why Stella abandons Blanche. He manipulates Stella into forgiving him even when he abuses her. He makes sure she is dependent of him so she never leaves while also subtly attempting to persuade her into taking his side instead of Blanches. “Stella, it's gonna be all right after she goes and after you've had the baby. It's gonna be all right again between you and me the way that it was. You remember that way that it was?”.

In Streetcar Named Desire, domestic violence is a major theme. At the time that Streetcar was written, society ignored domestic violence. People knew that it happened, but they pretended that it wasn't important. Stella is married to Stanley and is part of a very abusive relationship. Stanley feels he has to show that he has all the power in the relationship over Stella which often leads to violence where Stanley would hit Stella or violently break stuff proving that he is the boss and more powerful than his wife. When Stanley got mad at Stella and he threw the radio out the window and attacked Stella. She left with Eunice and Blanche and Stanley begged for her back. Eunice said to Stanley "You can't beat on a woman an' then call' er back! She won't come! And her goin' t' have a baby!... You stinker! You whelp of a Polack, you! I hope they do haul you in and turn the fire hose on you, same as the last time!”(Williams 1. 3). The role of violence relates to this quote because it shows how even Stanley is affected by his own actions. His drinking causes him to weep after he feels sorrow from hitting Stella, but all he does the next day is give her money to show that he still loves her. Women were very easy to please in the past and would go back. Mitch said "Ho, ho! There's nothing to be scared of. They're crazy about each other" (Williams 1. 3.). By Mitch saying that shows that he either doesn't care that Stanley hits Stella, or he just doesn't think that it is big enough to be a problem. He doesn’t think it

However, it is not just Blanche who is pragmatic at points. Mitch seeks for stability in his life too, since he admits how he worries for his mother, and how his mother worries about him being lonely when she dies, and not settling down – Blanche is his chance to form a family.

Harold Mitchell or Mitch is the best friend and old war buddy of Stanley Kowalski, he is shown to have little confidence but a big heart. Mitch is a lost soul, he was in love to a girl who passed away. He’s been looking for a new romance ever since the audience first see him within the play, he wants to find love before his mother passes away. His actions to seduce Blanche were noble at first, but afterwards we see his selfish motivations

Moreover, the relationship between Eunice and Steve demonstrate the domestic aspect of sexism. In the play there is a scene where Eunice and Steve are having a heated argument and things are being thrown, people are being threatened. Steve then ends said argument saying “what do you want in the papers?” leaving Eunice speechless, thus upholding the sexist idea that men hold all the power. This also depicts what happened behind closed doors back then. That is what society between men and women was like back then. Tennessee Williams drew this parallel between the relationship between Stella and Stanley with Eunice and Steve making it so that domestic abuse whether physical or verbal, did exist in everyone’s life.