Relationships in A Streetcar Named Desire

Stanley and Stella
1. Gender roles
  1. Stanley = masculine, and therefore dominant
    1. Stanley is agressive, violent, and abusive
  2. Stella = feminine, and therefore submissive
    1. Stella's pregnancy reinforces the image of women as being mothers and wives
      1. Relates to the context of being a married woman with children in the 1940s, what makes you a woman.
2. Blanche's influence
  1. Blanche's arrival threatens Stanley's authority, and control over Stella
3. Sexual relationship
  1. Assists in maintaining Stanley's hold over Stella
  2. Used by the couple to fix their problems
    1. They reunite through sex after Stanley beats Stella
4. Class differences
  1. Stella adapting to lower-class life, despite coming from a higher class background.
    1. Stella attracted to Stanley's "animal" side - a product of his class
Stanley and Blanche
1. Class differences
  1. Explored through the use of language
    1. Blanche = high register, educated, lyrical/poetic
    2. Stanley = lower register, simple, matter of fact
  2. Causes conflict
    1. Blanche looks down on Stanley, can be patronising
      1. Refers to Stanley as being like an animal
    2. Stanley looks down on Blanche, due to her privelleged upbringing
2. Sexual tension
  1. Implied sexual attraction
    1. Blanche's flirtatious demeanor encourages Stanley's attraction to her
      1. However, she is clearly made uncomfortable by his advances
      2. Perhaps resulting in her rape
    2. More of a power play for Stanley, as he uses sex to assert his authority
3. Antagonistic towards each other
  1. Their interactions with each other are specifically designed to incite an argument
    1. Blanche in particular antagonises Stanley as she disapproves of his relationship with Stella
      1. Each scene concludes with a climatic tension between the two.
Blanche and Stella
1. Sisters
  1. Growing apart
    1. Language choices reflect this
      1. Blanche acts very familiar with Stella
        "Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for Star!"
      2. Stella more reserved, withdrawn, changed her characteristics as she has adjusted to living in the 'New South' with Stanley
        However, she does care for Blanche
    2. Blanche disapproves of Stella's relationship
      1. Stella has moved down in status
  2. Last living members of their family
    1. Feeling of obligation towards each other
2. Conflict
  1. Blanche antagonises Stanley
  2. Blanche blames Stella for loss of Belle Reve
    1. Despite the reference to 'the epic fornications of our forefathers'.
  3. Blanche stuck in the past
    1. Stella starting a new life with Stanley, with a child on the way.
Mitch and Blanche
1. Relationship of convenience
  1. Mitch's desires to marry before the death of his mother
  2. Blanche needs a distraction from her delusions
  3. Attraction is mostly on Mitch's part
2. Class differences
  1. Mitch = more romantic than Stanley, but still fairly uneducated/inexperienced
  2. Blanche carries the majority of their conversations
3. Blanche's lies
  1. Cause conflict in the relationship
    1. Ultimately results in ending the relationship
  2. Mitch = insecure and unexperienced in romance
    1. Blanche uses this to manipulate him
4. Mutual lonliness

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Relationships in A Streetcar Named Desire

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	Created by Alanna Pearson almost 10 years ago

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