Blanche Dubois vs. Stella Kowalski A Streetcar Named Desire is an old American play that was published in 1947. It was written by an intelligent American playwright named Tennessee Williams. He is a well-respected writer, who wrote this play by using lyrical language. He uses this technique to carefully structure his characters’ emotions and actions. Most of his characters are realistic because of their way of thinking, lifestyle, and values. Two main characters that play a major part in A Streetcar Named Desire are Blanche Dubois and Stella Kowalski. They are both sisters who show several variant character traits. The play is set in Elysian Fields of New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams was able to establish two well-developed characters with
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The bathroom is a major symbol portraying Blanche because it represents her struggles and stress. She hides in the Kowalski’s bathroom whenever she is upset, as “she’s [soaking] [herself] in a hot tub to quiet her nerves” (William 29). When she is in the bathroom, she tries to forget about her past traumatic experiences. She thinks it will help her wash off the pain, as she cleans herself repeatedly. Blanche hiding in the bathroom also shows her weakness because she is “terribly upset” most of the time (William 29). She loses control and can only maintain her behavior by sitting in the bathroom. This shows her weakness because she is afraid to face her problems, so she tries to escape reality. She stays in the bathroom until she feels “all freshly bathed and scented, [as a] brand new human being"(William 36). Her motive of washing herself is a kind of practice she does to rid of her sins, but never seems to go away. Another symbol that helps clarify Blanche as an effective character is the Flamingo Hotel. It is a place where she used to live, before she moved to New Orleans. The Flamingo Hotel represents her sexual lifestyle and how she lost everything in Mississippi. She was evicted because of her reckless behavior, and “requested to turn in her room key” (Williams …show more content…
In scene one, the meat is a major symbol that portrays Stella’s her sexual relationship with Stanley by the way he yells “meat” and “heaves the package at her,” as Stella catches the meat and “cries out in protest, then laughs breathlessly” (Williams 4). Her joy in seeing him shows that she would do anything for him. The “meat” also indicates how Stella is overpowered by Stanley, but she doesn’t care because she is deeply in love with him. Williams describes Stella to be “laugh[ing] breathlessly,” while catching the “meat” to illustrate her passion over
The bathroom is a major symbol portraying Blanche because it represents her struggles and stress. She hides in the Kowalski’s bathroom whenever she is upset, as “she’s [soaking] [herself] in a hot tub to quiet her nerves” (William 29). When she is in the bathroom, she tries to forget about her past traumatic experiences. She thinks it will help her wash off the pain, as she cleans herself repeatedly. Blanche hiding in the bathroom also shows her weakness because she is “terribly upset” most of the time (William 29). She loses control and can only maintain her behavior by sitting in the bathroom. This shows her weakness because she is afraid to face her problems, so she tries to escape reality. She stays in the bathroom until she feels “all freshly bathed and scented, [as a] brand new human being"(William 36). Her motive of washing herself is a kind of practice she does to rid of her sins, but never seems to go away. Another symbol that helps clarify Blanche as an effective character is the Flamingo Hotel. It is a place where she used to live, before she moved to New Orleans. The Flamingo Hotel represents her sexual lifestyle and how she lost everything in Mississippi. She was evicted because of her reckless behavior, and “requested to turn in her room key” (Williams …show more content…
In scene one, the meat is a major symbol that portrays Stella’s her sexual relationship with Stanley by the way he yells “meat” and “heaves the package at her,” as Stella catches the meat and “cries out in protest, then laughs breathlessly” (Williams 4). Her joy in seeing him shows that she would do anything for him. The “meat” also indicates how Stella is overpowered by Stanley, but she doesn’t care because she is deeply in love with him. Williams describes Stella to be “laugh[ing] breathlessly,” while catching the “meat” to illustrate her passion over