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Stanley key quotes stanley-streetcar-named-desire (Violence (Verbal…
Stanley key quotes
Violence
Verbal aggression
"let me enlighten you on a point or two, baby"= baby is condescending and implies superiority, "let me" is really a rhetorical question as there is no way she could say no, condescending tone implies she is stupid, implies she is unenlightened whereas he is
"(mimicking) washing out some things?"- could be a euphemism for Blanche's sexuality, use of sarcasm as a form of microaggression, may not be explicitly 'violent' but creates an underlying tension within the household
Staley constantly uses sarcasm/hyperbole to conceal aggression, exerting power and intimidating without having to be held directly accountable for his small acts of hostility
"Don't ever talk that way to me!"- policing and immediately shutting down her small regaining of power, she can't even slightly insult Stanley but he is allowed to hit her, talk the way he did about Blanche etc- double standards
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"where's the little woman?"- 'little' is a power move establishing his dominance and possibly posession, removes her of identity and reduces her to his 'woman' instead of an individual with agency, defined by her gender
"How about my supper, huh?"= strict gender roles, rhetorical question to assert authority, exclamatory nature insinuates shouting/loud manner
Physical
"Stanley's always smashed things" "smashed all the light bulbs with the heels of my slipper"= violence is excused and seen as the norm shown as he is even violent on their wedding day, smashing the lightbulbs could possibly be a metaphor for Stella's light going out/same time as Blanche's aversion to light starts
Even sex is violent for Stanley and Stella, displaying his inability to do anything delicately and innate violence/masculinity in all that he does- "make noise in the night the way we used to"
"jerks up an armful of dresses" and "pulls up a fistful"- diregard or property, reflects a simple violence/inability to do anything nicely, small violent actions foreshadow the build up of his aggressions to climax in rape
Sex
"lifts her off her feet"= Stella displays submission even in the bedroom, Stanley is relied upon by her and she gives in to his raw sexuality
The rape scene
Possibly a microcosm of the wider socioeconomic world/a metaphor for the rise of the lower/middle class and the fall of the upper class following the great depression, possibly a symbol of the new south overtaking the old
"we've had this date with each other from the beginning"- rape may have been planned, expected Blanche to have sex with him based upon her looks, male entitlement
Stanley raping Blanche is also a violation of her sanity in that he represents all that she hates (disrespect, lower class, violence/harsh masculinity, and maybe even being Polish shown in her bitter use of the word "Polack"
"He springs towards her, overturning the table"= connotations of predator and prey, unstoppable destructive violence- mirrored in '"Tiger tiger"
"Tiger tiger"- exotic, unattainable, quick, normally standoffish but can be captured and tamed (Blanche may have been like this, Stella maybe the same but an 'easier' catch)
Masculinity
"I am the king around here"= extremely territorial nature possibility due to his upbringing, finally has control over something/pride in achievements despite economic situation
Calls mitch "bone headed cry baby" for being feminine, constantly rejects all hints of the feminine, possibly displaying how deeply ingrained his concept/valuation of masculinity is
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Class
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"[He seizes her arm.] Don’t ever talk that way to me! "Pig – Polack – disgusting – vulgar – greasy!" – them kind of words have been on your tongue and your sister’s too much around here! ..."Every Man is a King!" And I am the King around here, so don’t forget it!"
"Stanley is shown to constantly fear Stella and Blanche's superiority over him in terms of class, possibly a key fear of his that they see him as below them (maybe a personal insecurity due to AO3 of polish racism)
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