Covertly, Rowson critiques the hypersexualized nature women are portrayed in by the male perspective by exemplifying Charlotte in positions and actions that isn’t normally seen as attractive or provocative implications. In the story, Charlotte elopes with Montraville and must ride a boat to get to America; “naturally delicate, the fatigue and sickness which she endured rendered her so weak as to be almost entirely confined to her bed: yet the kindness and attention of Montraville in some measure contributed to alleviate her sufferings…” (59). Because of her weak and feeble state, Charlotte appeared more attractive and Montraville and he took advantage of the opportunity to be in control and overpower her. This scene shows how women do not even have to be physically sexually attractive, but can be sexualized at any time from a male’s point of view and at a man’s …show more content…
Being on a boat as well entices the idea of women as vessels bearing gifts. Until the point of pregnancy, a woman should be a little promiscuous and is assumed to be always craving for sexual relations with men and reveals it in subtle ways. However, being to openly sexual results and not reserving one’s pureness is frowned upon by society. This contradicting standard is challenged by the character, La Rue, who “rejects social codes” and achieves “independence and power through the art of seduction.” (Garden 43). By not conforming to the female sexual norms and having several partners, La Rue hypersexualized characterization leads her to be successfully cunning and feared at times in the story. Though challenging the norm in this way may appear to be successful on the surface, Rowson warns the reader that it may not always turn out that way and can lead to the construction of rude and
During early times men were regarded as superior to women. In Tennessee William’s play, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Stanley Kowalski, the work’s imposing antagonist, thrives on power. He embodies the traits found in a world of old fashioned ideals where men were meant to be dominant figures. This is evident in Stanley’s relationship with Stella, his behavior towards Blanche, and his attitude towards women in general. He enjoys judging women and playing with their feelings as well.
2. What causes Mitch and Blanche to take a "certain interest" in one another? That is, what is the source of their immediate attraction? What seems to draw them together? What signs are already present to suggest that their relationship is doomed/problematic?
Within Tennessee Williams's story about love and abuse within marriage and challenging familial ties, there lie three very different characters that all see the world in vastly different ways. These members of a family that operate completely outside of our generation’s norms, are constantly unsure of themselves and their station within the binary not only of their familial unit, but within the gender binary that is established for them to follow. Throughout the story of the strange family, each character goes through a different arch that changes them irrevocably whether it is able to be perceived or not by those around them. The only male, Stanley is initially the macho force in the home who controls everything without question. He has no consequences for his actions against his wife and is never held accountable for treating the people around him poorly; this lasts until Blanche arrives. Blanche is an outwardly demure, but spirited young woman who after experiencing untold misfortune breaks mentally and decides to no longer care what others may think of her. She lives her life lavishly and foolishly by having dalliances with younger or richer men who shower her with gifts and attention to get sex from her all too willing form. Her effect on Stanley is one of temptation and challenge; she continually tries to convince her sister that she is too good for the man and in turn fosters a resentment for her in him. Stella acts as the antithesis of Stanley and Blanche’s extreme personalities. She is innocence and purity where they are the darkness that threatens to overtake her life. Throughout, Stella is a pawn that they both try to use against the other to no real avail as she is determined to make the best choice for herself. In th...
told Allan "I saw, I know, you disgust me…"( p.96). To Allan, Blanche seemed to
In the short story “An Adventure in Paris” by Guy De Maupassant an unnamed woman seeks for adventure, love, and excitement. An unnamed narrator starts to explain the inner nature and curiosity of a woman. The story transitions to the point of view of an unnamed lawyer’s wife which allows us to see her deepest desire to travel to Paris and be part of the lavishing life she has seen in the magazines. To escape her regular routine she makes a plan to go to Paris; however, her family members are only middle class and cannot help her fulfill her desire to live the life of a celebrity, fame, and fashion. Just when her trip seems to be monotonous she comes across the chance to live the life of an extravagant person. This chance happens when she meets Jean Varin, a wealthy author, in a store wanting to purchase a Japanese figurine. When Varin decides that the figurine is too expensive the lawyer’s wife steps up to buy the figurine which causes Varin to notice her. She flirtatiously invites herself into Varin’s daily activities which intrigue Varin. As the day closes she invites herself to Varin’s house and has an affair with Varin; however, she doesn’t feel she is satisfied because of his many needs. She anxiously waits till morning to come so that she can leave which only confuses Varin. When Varin asks her why she is leaving after all they have been through she states that she wanted to know what depravity felt like; however, it was not what she expected. The central idea of the story is about a woman’s psychological desire for romance, adventure, and an opulent lifestyle that leads to curiosity and the immoral act of adultery.
“The dinginess, the crudity of this average section of womanhood made him feel how highly specialized she was” (Wharton 6). In the House of Mirth, the main character Lily Bart spends her entire life trying to escape this idea of dinginess. On her quest to maintain society’s approval, she denies her true identify along with any hope of ever finding true love and is eventually “blotted out” by this society (Ammons 348).
We were raised in a world where roles have a great impact on people’s perspective. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, the character Stanley Kowalski is an extremely fit person, when in regards to physical characteristics. Opposing to these characteristics, some other qualities compensate for his absence of financial achievements. Stanley’s emotional instabilities leads to harsh attitudes towards his wife, he wants to have power at all times and show that he is the one who has command over every aspect in their home. On the other hand, Stella (Stanley’s wife), is a very calm individual.
A Streetcar Named Desire explores the way women have been treated in society. It suggests the warfare the women had to face in a situation wherein they were treated as men’s inferiors. Society, or in other words men, imposed many regulations on them, which disabled them to live their lives absolutely. They trusted guys to determine what their lives need to appear to be. Through all the ladie characters of the play, we see the jobs they were meant to just accepted without criticism.
As women's studies programs have proliferated throughout American universities, feminist "re-readings" of certain classic authors have provided us with the most nonsensical interpretations of these authors' texts. A case in point is that of Kathleen Margaret Lant's interpretation of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire in her essay entitled "A Streetcar Named Misogyny." Throughout the essay, she continually misreads Williams' intention, which of course causes her to misunderstand the play itself. Claiming that the play "has proved vexing to audiences, directors, actors, readers, and critics" (Lant 227), she fails to see that it is she herself who finds the play vexing, because it does not fit nicely into the warped feminist structure she would try to impose upon it.
A Literary Analysis of Desire and Destruction The famous and intellectual work of Tennessee Williams, “A Streetcar Named Desire” has been admired by scholars for its theme of desire. The reader is clued in from the start about the central idea, after all the title contains the word “desire” itself. Like many works of literature, the title of this play identifies the events that will take place with the main characters; Blanche, Stella, and Stanley. Stella’s sister, Blanche, rides into New Orleans on two streetcars, the first named “Desire” and the second named “Cemeteries”.
Blanche does not only feel unwelcomed towards Stella but, does not accept Stella and Stanley’s relationship. There are two predominantly difference lifestyles portrayed in the conflict between Stella and Blanche. Stella was the stereotypical housewife whereas Blanche, tries to go against gender roles and raising marital doubts on Stella’s relationship by comparing Stanley to an animal as, “He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!..... Bearing the raw meat home from the jungle!
In an interpretation of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ a group of my peers and I focused on scene seven, a crucial part of the story where Stanley uncovers and reveals the truth about Blanche. In a discussion between Stanley and Stella, he discloses that Blanche is not quite the woman she makes herself out to be and that she has a troubled past, riddled with juicy drama. One of the lines in this scene that has a significant impact on the events that occur later in the story, is when Stanley mentions that he told Mitch about Stella’s past, “You’re goddamn right I told him! I’d have that on my conscience for the rest of my life if I knew all that stuff and let my best friend get caught!”
Williams again uses dramatic methods and shows the episode’s effective ending through the characters Stanley and Stella and their failure to acknowledge and reflect upon past events. After Blanche is taken away to the mental institution, normality returns in the home of Stanley and Stella. In the play Blanche’s exit shows the way Stanley and Stella return to their ‘happy marriage’ “the luxurious sobbing, the sensual murmur fades away under the swelling music of the ‘blue piano’ and the muted trumpet.” This is significant in terms of the music imagery, the blue piano represented memories for Blanche throughout the play, this could show how Blanche is now just a collection of memories for both Stanley and Stella. It can also be noted that Blanche
In Tennessee William’s writing of A street car named he is able to create a battle between the powerful and the powerless. This conflict takes form as a struggle between men and women. It illuminates a situation in which the privileges of the powerful and the powerless are clearly seen and defined. Due to the play taking place in the 50s, the dynamic between men and women in relationships was quite different than our current decades. Women could be perceived as the powerless group being manipulated by the powerful.
A Streetcar Named Desire was written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and it is a play that takes place after the second World War in the South of the United States; New Orleans, Louisiana. The play ultimately explores on the conflict amongst Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski as they both have a connection to Stella Dubois. Blanche being her sister, and Stanley being her partner. This play is considered to be a tragedy. Twelfth Night was written by the World renowned William Shakespeare and it explores the story of siblings being separated after a tragic accident at sea. ‘Without character there can be no drama’ is the overall theme of this comparison as every character contributes to a story, causing drama to arise in one way or another. This piece will ultimately explore the similarities and differences between Viola from ‘Twelfth Night’ and Blanche from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Although Viola and Blanche come from two different books written by two different authors in different time periods, we can draw the conclusion that they both possess the theme of deception.