Essay On Masculinity In A Streetcar Named Desire

Superior Essays
Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire shows the life of Blanche Dubois while she has a long-term stay with her sister and her brother-in-law. The play was put on stage during the late 1940’s and set in the suburban part of New Orleans, Louisiana. During this time many were rejoicing over the end of the Great Depression and wasting their new wealth on worthless goods. Only 2 years after the end of World War II and life slowly but surely transitioned back into the social norms. Men were seen back working in factories and women taking care of the household and children. During this time the idea of a “Southern belle” and the separation of social classes was fading. Blanche’s idea of being socially above others was not very popular in Elysian Fields. The inappropriate behavior of many was considered okay and was taken nonchalantly by characters. In A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams the author uses masculinity and men, class and society differences and …show more content…
In the beginning of the story Williams immediately says in his stage directions that “Her appearance is incongruous to the setting… looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district.” (Williams 59) The way of life in Belle Reve that Blanche is used to does not apply there in Elysian Fields. Blanche does not even try to pitch in with helping tidying up around the house because she thinks she is not apt to do it. When she arrives at her sister’s dilapidated house she snootily looks around and accepts the invitation with no gratitude whatsoever. Blanche tries to show off her ethnic origin by telling Mitch that, “[Dubois] is French. It means woods… .” (Williams 59) Blanche also starts to criticize her sister for settling for less with Stanley and calls him “Polack” to make lesser of him even though Stella is completely content with her

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