Comparison Of Blanche And Blanche In A Streetcar Named Desire

In the 1940’s, New Orleans itself can be seen as an oddity within the Southern states, free and liberal, it gave its citizens life, party and jazz. It’s a state that clearly marks the beginning of the end of the traditional South, a South that valued religion, manners and etiquette. But it was a South that had a darker side, exploiting minorities for cheap labour and slavery. Although we observe both Blanche and Stella, our two female protagonists, as stemming from the traditional Southern Background, we soon learn that Stella has left the South and married a working class man in the Jazz city of New Orleans. Yet we still see remnants of the old South in Stella, although it is arguably personified by Blanche. Just as Blanche is a portrayal of the old South, it could be said that Stanley is a personification of the new industrialised South and that due to his relationship with Stella, she also has elements of this newfound American industrialism in her character as well. Thus, it could be suggested that the battle between Stanley and Blanche is not only a battle for Stella’s affection, but for the values and ideologies that they stand for.
This being said, we cannot deny nor denote the value of the importance of differences in money, class and gender within this scene. There is clear evidence to support the notion …show more content…
Whilst class and gender do play a significant role in exacerbating this conflict, it seems clear that the direct source of the conflict is due to a battle for Stella’s support. Just as class and gender play a significant role in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice , there is a battle for men’s affections in particular, and it is highly arguable that both battles (for both Stella and marriage to a wealthy man) are formed from necessity for their survival rather than a battle for true