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Women's role in the 1930s
A streetcar named desire old and new
Relationship between literature and society
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Recommended: Women's role in the 1930s
Stella
In the opening chapter of the play, the several attributes of Stella Kowalski are made familiar to us and overall, depict her as a kind-natured, considerate and young woman. Stella’s persona also provides us with a dichotomy to Blanche. Through Stella’s appearance, she is conveyed as a good-natured, warm and rather affluent young woman; a complete parallel to her older sister Blanche. This is exhibited through the quotes;’ gentle young woman…background quite obviously different from her husband’. These quotes perfectly exemplifies the nature of Stella as being an approachable and kind young woman but also, reveals her aristocratic background to its readers. In addition, it is also revealed to us that her husband hails from a background
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As a result, this also greatly affects her behaviour. This is demonstrated through the excerpt;’ Stella complies reluctantly…she laughs but her glance at Blanche is a little slow ….’ This reveals to us of the relationship dynamics between Stella and her sister and the role that she plays within their relationship. In addition, we can also deduce that Blanche has the upper hand in their relationship and therefore, has more power and authority than Stella. Thus, we can state that Stella is far more inferior to Blanche. The adverb;’ reluctantly’ is far more effective that the verb;’ complies’ as despite the fact that Stella is hesitant and unwilling to obey Blanche, she ultimately goes through with it regardless. Moreover, the connective ;’ but’ reinforces and emphasizes the fact that Stella is at times uncomfortable and unwilling to comply to Blanche’s demand and as a result, is inferior to Blanche. However, the fact that she does comply may demonstrate her affection and care towards Blanche and that she highly esteems and values her. Despite having little to none power in their relationship. We can also make strong and prominent connections and relations to the social/historical context of this play. This is due to the fact that Stella may be perceived as the archetypal woman in 1930s American society; she is an obedient and submissive housewife and overall, is
1. What changes do you see in Stella with Blanche's arrival and presence? (Cite specific instances/examples) Why are these changes significant, and how do they impact the ending?
Blanche, in particular, is much more of an anachronism than Stella, who has, for the most part, adapted to the environment of Stanley Kowalski. Finally, both Stella and Blanche are or have been married. It is in their respective marriages that we can begin to trace the profound differences between these two sisters. Where Blanche's marriage, to a man whom she dearly loved (Miller 43), proved catastrophic to her, Stella's marriage seems to be fulfilling her as a woman. Blanche's marriage to a young homosexual, and the subsequent tragedy that resulted from her discovery of her husband's degeneracy and her inability to help him, has been responsible for much of the perversity in her life.
Scene One of A Streetcar Named Desire What is the dramatic significance of scene one of the play A Streetcar named Desire? Scene 1 of this play has great dramatic significance. In this essay, I will be looking at key points throughout the scene that reveal the key features of the plot, characters, theme and imagery plus how it is used to give the audience a taster for what is to come.
...ene 11, pg 144) While Blanche is characterize as the weak sister, Stella displayed much more cowardly actions. Her absence in sister’s tough times and her inability to do the right thing in the end is the ultimate cause of Blanche’s incarceration.
Throughout Tennessee William’s play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Blanche Dubois exemplified several tragic flaws. She suffered from her haunting past; her inability to overcome; her desire to be someone else; and from the cruel, animalistic treatment she received from Stanley. Sadly, her sister Stella also played a role in her downfall. All of these factors ultimately led to Blanche’s tragic breakdown in the end.
In Williams’ Streetcar Named Desire the characters represent two opposing themes. These themes are of illusion and reality. The two characters that demonstrate these themes are Blanche, and Stanley. Blanche represents the theme of Illusion, with her lies, and excuses. Stanley demonstrates the theme of reality with his straightforward vulgar ness. Tennessee Williams uses these characters effectively to demonstrate these themes, while also using music and background characters to reinforce one another.
The drama is basically about a married couple -Stella and Stanley Kowalski- who are visited by Stella's older sister, Blanche. The drama shows the caustic feelings of these people putting Blance DuBois in the center. The drama tells the story of the pathetic mental and emotional demise of a determined, yet fragile, repressed and delicate Southern lady born to a once-wealthy family of Mississippi planters.3 No doubt that the character of Blanche is the most complex one in the drama. She is truly a tragic heroine.
At the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella ‘sobs with inhuman abandon’ and Stanley kneels beside her, unsure what to do. Stella feels incredibly guilty for letting her sister, Blanche, be taken to the mental hospital, she feels as though its her duty, as her sister, to look after her. However this is impossible because Stanley raped her and Stella refuse to believe it, so, she does nothing and the play ends with Stanley's fingers finding ‘the opening of her blouse’. ………………..other reading…………….
Blanche’s developmental history or character development points to her diagnosis. Blanche comes to New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella after being fired from her job as a schoolteacher due to having an inappropriate affair with a teenage student. When she arrives to see her sister, she is consumed with insecurities regarding her appearance and is condescending to her sister’s humble lifestyle. Stella’s husband Stanley immediately has distrust and dislike for Blanche and treats her
Blanche DuBois, the protagonist of the play, is introduced to the readers in the first scene, where she makes a surprise visit to her sister and her sister’s husband, Stella and Stanley. She is introduced as a fragile woman who the readers begin to feel sympathy for her. She had been asked to leave her job, and she lost the family estate. The readers ...
As a result, it is seen that Blanche’s purpose is mainly to find stability from her past fears of abandonment and security from mind bottling affects that took a toll over her life. All the illusions, misconceptions, and alcoholism were to help Blanche deal with her desire to flee from the actuality of her life. Those different mechanisms were Blanche’s ideal way to deal with stress and rising tension during her stay at her sister’s house. These were her ways of dealing with the unpleasant situations and living in a world of fantasy and her ways of survival. “Blanche was not just detached from reality, but her romantic way of looking at things, sensitive as it may be, has a fatal weakness: it exists only by ignoring only certain portions of reality” (Drama for students 10).
Stella Dubois is unconcerned about her survival and is more concerned about her life with Stanley. The plot is introduced when Stella’s sister Blanche moves in with Stella and her husband. Blanche is a dynamic character and that causes conflict with other characters, revealing the other character’s true nature, including Stella’s. Blanche consistently comments to Stella about Stanley’s character stating that “he’s common… He’s like an animal…Yes, something- ape-like about him”(Williams, 82-83). Despite Blanche and Stella’s wealthy and privileged upbringing, she’s head over heels in love with Stanley, who even described himself as unrefined. In Scene three, Blanche stirs trouble with Stanley by turning on the radio when he told her to turn it off.
Stella and Stanley’s relationship is one based purely on, as Blanche describes it, “brutal desire – just – Desire!” (81). They treat one another without respect, with Stella calling her husband offensive slurs like Pollack and him beating her. However, because of their deep desire for each other, Stella quickly forgives Stanley for his wrong doings, growing his power over her. When his desire for power builds and he is sure that Stella is dependent on him, he rapes Blanche. When Stella hears her sisters story she calls for Blanche to be institutionalized. While it is clear to the reader through her hesitation in sending Blanche away that Stella knows Stanley really did rape her sister, she cannot bring herself give up Stanley and acknowledge the truth. In this action, she has ruined any trust that Blanche had in her and forever destroyed their relationship because of her selfish desire for Stanley.
Blanche uses her fantasies as a shield; and her desires as her motivation to survive. Her fading beauty being her only asset and chance of finding stability. Stella’s relationship with Stanley also emphasis the theme Williams created in this book. They’re only bond is physical desire and nothing at all intellectual or deep rooted. Tennessee Williams exemplifies that their relationship which only springs from desire doesn’t make it any weaker. He also creates a social dichotomy of the relationship between death and desire.
One common point which is similar in both movie and the drama text is that it in a way sympathizes with females who are powerless by highlighting how they are dependent on men. Blanche who is shown more as an insecure female in her 30’s hides her frustration, and anger by masking herself as a women belonging to rich-upper class section of society. Similarly in Stella despite of being abused by her husband she continues to rely on him because of no other support in her life.