“A Streetcar named Desire” is a play written by Tennessee Williams in which the central characters are understood through the use and abuse of power. It is a play about Blanche DuBois who comes to New Orleans to seek refuge with her sister after losing the family home through her promiscuous past. William’s makes awareness of the main theme of power in its many forms and shows just how damaging it can be to the supporting characters; through his use of male physical domination, information, psychological and sexuality.
Firstly, a height of apparent domination and power is established within the central male character, Stanley Kowalski early in the play. During an alcohol fuelled poker night with his fellow male companions, things take a turn as Stanley loses his temper and attacks his wife:
“Stanley: (with heaven-splitting violence) STELLL-AHHHHH!”
Upon the violent assault, Stella …show more content…
As previously mentioned, Blanche does in fact have a past and she’s not terribly eager to share it. However, in the heat of the moment and within the stress of moving around, Blanche let’s her guard down, resulting in Stanley suspecting that there was a flaw in her plan of lies. Stanley then goes on to abuse his power over her by going out of his way to seek out information about it, and slyly proceeds to use it against her. Seeping bits of information about it into conversation, she’s eventually viciously confronted and the following events lead to the denouement of her as a person and the downfall of her mental state. The power Stanley has over the women in his life eventually takes over his life and it appears that he almost goes out of his way in order to bring them down –in particular Blanche. The information was abused after Stanley spread his findings around before even conferring with the woman in question, therefore the power of having the information on Blanches past was indeed used and
Firstly, a height of apparent domination and power is established within the central male character, Stanley Kowalski early in the play. During an alcohol fuelled poker night with his fellow male companions, things take a turn as Stanley loses his temper and attacks his wife:
“Stanley: (with heaven-splitting violence) STELLL-AHHHHH!”
Upon the violent assault, Stella …show more content…
As previously mentioned, Blanche does in fact have a past and she’s not terribly eager to share it. However, in the heat of the moment and within the stress of moving around, Blanche let’s her guard down, resulting in Stanley suspecting that there was a flaw in her plan of lies. Stanley then goes on to abuse his power over her by going out of his way to seek out information about it, and slyly proceeds to use it against her. Seeping bits of information about it into conversation, she’s eventually viciously confronted and the following events lead to the denouement of her as a person and the downfall of her mental state. The power Stanley has over the women in his life eventually takes over his life and it appears that he almost goes out of his way in order to bring them down –in particular Blanche. The information was abused after Stanley spread his findings around before even conferring with the woman in question, therefore the power of having the information on Blanches past was indeed used and