I will argue that "A Streetcar Named Desire" illustrates different aspects of femininity in the context of post-war America through the two main female characters Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski by demonstrating their dependence on men. In the analysis of how Williams illustrates these different aspects, I will examine their characterizations as well as their individual relationships with men in order to demonstrate Williams’ intention to portray them as women who are dependent on men.
Table of Contents
1.Introduction
2. Analysis of Blanche DuBois
2.1 Characterization of Blanche DuBois
2.2 Blanche’s desire to be loved
3. Characterization of Stella Kowalski
3.1 Characterization of Stella Kowalski
3.2 Stella’s relationship with Stanley
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Research Objectives and Themes
This scholarly paper aims to analyze how Tennessee Williams’s play A Streetcar Named Desire depicts the dependence of women on men within the context of post-World War II American society. By examining the contrasting characters of Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski, the research explores how the sociocultural pressures and gender ideals of the era influenced their behaviors, psychological states, and ultimate fates.
- Comparison of Blanche DuBois’s and Stella Kowalski’s characterizations.
- The influence of postwar American gender roles on female autonomy.
- Psychological coping mechanisms and the role of trauma in the narrative.
- The impact of marital "domesticity" versus social and emotional independence.
- The intersection of sexuality, desire, and dependence on men.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Characterization of Blanche DuBois
To be able to analyse Blanche Dubois’s dependence on men, it is important to examine Williams’s characterization of her first. In order to depict Blanche’s inability to live a life on her own, Williams applied numerous character traits that increasingly highlight this inability throughout his play. The play begins with her arrival in New Orleans. She is visiting her younger sister, Stella Kowalski who lives in a two-room apartment which she shares with her husband Stanley. Blanche herself used to live in Laurel, Mississippi at the family’s plantation Belle Reve and used to work as a high school English teacher (cf. 26-27). Right from the beginning of the play, Blanche’s appearance as well as her behaviour is described as “incongruous to this setting” (Williams 8) as she is looking at the “two-storey corner building on a street […] which is named Elysian Fields” (5) in “shocked disbelief” (8). By picturing Blanche as “daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat, looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden destrict” (9), Williams highlights the heavy contrast of the two women’s lives.
Summary of Chapters
1.Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the postwar American social climate of "sexual containment" and the domestic ideal that limited women's roles, introducing the play as a central work exploring these tensions.
2. Analysis of Blanche DuBois: This chapter analyzes Blanche's character as a fragile, traumatized individual who uses alcohol and fantasy as coping mechanisms for her dependence on men and her crumbling past.
2.1 Characterization of Blanche DuBois: This section details Blanche's inability to live independently, focusing on her incongruity with her new environment and her struggle with past losses.
2.2 Blanche’s desire to be loved: This section explores how Blanche's unresolved guilt and promiscuity stem from a desperate need for male validation and the security of marriage.
3. Characterization of Stella Kowalski: This chapter examines Stella as a static, flat character who embodies the postwar ideal of the submissive, satisfied homemaker.
3.1 Characterization of Stella Kowalski: This section contrasts Stella’s ability to adapt to her environment with her sister's decline, highlighting her role as a tool for the plot's progression.
3.2 Stella’s relationship with Stanley: This section analyzes Stella’s dependency on her husband, exploring how she overlooks his violence to maintain the stability of her marriage.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the argument that the play, through these two characters, critiques the restricted social roles of women and prefigures the coming changes in social and sexual thinking.
5. Works Cited: A collection of references including literary critiques and historical analyses used to support the thesis.
Keywords
Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Postwar America, Femininity, Domesticity, Dependence on Men, Sexuality, Gender Roles, Trauma, Social Change, Psychological Collapse, Adaptation, Marriage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how Tennessee Williams portrays the dependence of the two main female characters, Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski, on men within the social context of postwar America.
What are the primary thematic fields discussed?
The work explores themes of gender roles, the societal construction of femininity, the psychological impact of domestic trauma, and the evolving nature of sexual freedom after World War II.
What is the primary objective of this literary study?
The primary aim is to show how Williams used the characterizations of two sisters with contrasting personalities and relationships to illustrate the social and economic dependence of women on men.
Which methodology is employed in this analysis?
The author uses a literary character analysis combined with historical context provided by critics like Meyerowitz and Griffin to examine themes of domesticity, trauma, and psychological behavior in the play.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
It covers detailed character studies of Blanche and Stella, their specific coping mechanisms, their responses to traumatic events, and their distinct approaches to marriage and survival.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include femininity, domesticity, psychological trauma, post-war social change, and the specific dynamics between the sisters Blanche and Stella.
How does the author define Blanche's relationship with men?
Blanche is described as a "sexual outlaw," turning to promiscuity to mask her loneliness and guilt, ultimately seeking a secure but illusory future through marriage.
What determines Stella's apparent stability?
Stella's stability is attributed to her adaptation to the role of a homemaker and her sexual union with her husband, Stanley, which allows her to ignore the underlying volatility of her domestic life.
Why is Blanche considered an "open" character?
She is analyzed as an "open" and multidimensional character because the narrative allows the reader full access to her inner world and the constant fluctuations of her mental health throughout the play.
What is the significance of the "polka" for Blanche?
The polka functions as a symbolic auditory trigger for Blanche, confronting her with the suicide of her young husband, Allan, and signaling her gradual descent into mental instability.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2019, Tennessee Williams‘ "A Streetcar Named Desire". A Comparison of Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1333579
