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Explore William’s presentation of Stanley in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.…
Explore William’s presentation of Stanley in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. In your answer you must include relevant contextual factors.
Form
Stanley is a prime example of the realistic side to society and the brutality of the time and on the other hand Blanche represents the idealistic, unrealistic fantasies that many had
Realism
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The rape scene
This therefore shows Williams’ use of realism in his play and presenting to an audience what happens behind closed doors
It was extremely controversial at the time and theatres did not go into detail of what Williams was trying to portray.
The expectation of men
Men were expected to be masculine and overpowering and this is presented by the actions and language that Stanley uses.
Stanley is portrayed to be carrying a bloody package of meat and heaving ‘the red stained package’ at Stella
Stanley also represents the New American ideologies, he is powerful, strong and fought for his country and this is what Stanley expected all men to have done at the time.
Modernism
A Streetcar Named Desire’ conforms to the idea of modernism by simply presenting a controversial play and topic.
Stanley’s character in itself presents the new, evolving American man and therefore displays Williams’ desperation to depict how America as a whole is changing completely.
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The entire idea of the play being set in one place and there being little or no change in location also conforms to the idea that Williams wanted people to focus more on just the story of the play and instead look into the symbolism of small elements in the play such as the lighting or music used.
Structure
Poker scene
Not only does it present masculinity and power but it also works as a symbolism for the change in behaviour of Stanley.
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Stanley vs Blanche
Foreshadowing
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Foreshadowing works to terrify Blanche, thus working favourably with the idea of men dominating women
The structure of the entire play is seen as a series of confrontations between Stanley and Blanche, the scene around them remains the same.
This makes Blanche seem trapped by Stanley, she seems to not be able to escape from Elysian Fields and this therefore shows again the control that Stanley has over the entire play.
These confrontations that they have escalate as the play proceeds and increases so much that one of them must ultimately be destroyed.
Context
Historical
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As a Southerner, Stanley was more affected by the events of the American Civil War (1861 - 1865).
Following their defeat by the Northern states, the South suffered economically.
However, this air of decaying grandeur added to the romantic appeal for many writer including
Cultural & political
Tennessee Williams saw the South as a broken and damaged place in which the decay was somehow charming. He said:
I write out of love for the South … once a way of life that I am just able to remember – not a society based on money … I write about the South because I think the war between romanticism and the hostility to it is very sharp there.
Williams is an almost completely non-political writer. More than any other American dramatist, he began to move away from writing about the large political issues to writing about the emotional burdens of everyday life.
Ø The tensions in this play come partly from cultural conflict – the worlds of Stanley and Blanche are so opposed that neither can understand the other.
Social
Women in the Old South had a social and symbolic role, were expected to be passive and chaste.
This world could not give Blanche what she needed (see scene 5) and so she tried to marry into the 'light and culture', she discovers that there is corruption and deceit behind the façade.
All of the Southern writers seemed to have vivid imaginations which were often bizarre and grotesque (Southern Gothic).
The roots of this literature lay perhaps in the fact that the writers knew that they were part of a dying culture - where the dashing and romantic were founded on an economy based on injustice and cruelty.
Stanley feels as though he needs to be the dominant alien the house, he proves is authority by making clear that he is the bread winner for him and Stella, this in turn makes Stella dependant on him as he is her only way of income, but she is happy and settled with her situation
Stanley somewhat mistreats Stella by ordering her around and making fun of her, for her this is normal and t is a way for Stanley to exert his power over her, it also shows how men were able to treat women with such little respect in such a society, further made clear through his rape of Blanche at the end
it also shows how men were able to treat women with such little respect in such a society, further made clear through his rape of Blanche at the end
Important quotes
"Since earliest manhood the centre of [Stanley’s] life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence, dependently, but with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens"
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"Tiger–tiger! Drop the bottle-top! Drop it! We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!"
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"Pig—Polak—disgusting—vulgar—greasy!—them kind of words have been on your [Stella's] tongue and your sister's too much around here!"
"I'll bet you were born under Aries. Aries people are forceful, dynamic, they dote on noise. They love to bang things around"
"And here you are, Diamonds. A crown for an empress"
"A rhinestone tiara, she wore to a costume ball"
"What is rhinestone?"
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