Essay
A streetcar named desire fear essay
- Course
- Institution
essay covering 3 paragraphs and a conclusion
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
raisahoque
Content preview
Fear in a streetcar named desireThesis- Within Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, fear is presented through
Being exposed to reality.
Points- fear of blanche as a character- fails to fit in with society’s norms
Fear of male agression leading to womens downfall
Williams also uses a trepidation towards males within the narrative to display fear, although
this is not always a negative attribute.
Context- williams thought he had incurable cancer and thus his fear of light is reflected
through the fear of blanche
Para 1- fear of male aggression leading to womens downfall
Within Stanley and Stella’s relationship, the prospect of losing each other proves to be
an impossible thought for them both. Stanley screams ‘my baby doll’s left me!’ after
there is ‘the sound of a blow’ offstage and Stella runs away, with the exclamatory line
underscoring the anxiety Stanley feels at the prospect of losing Stella. The fact the
abuse occurs off stage creates fear within an audience, meaning that what occurs is
ambiguous and thus dramatized by an audience, without the need for witnessing the
event themselves. He is said to ‘throw his head back like a baying hound’ as he shouts
her name, with the simile adding to the motif of Stanley as animalistic and carnal in
nature, especially because a ‘hound’ suggests he is a predator, who is showing
vulnerability only when he absolutely must. Such an inability to show weakness may
arise from the ‘American Century’, a term coined by Henry Luce in relation to the USA
after the war, where the air of male bravado meant individuals felt they could not show
weakness and needed to lead the world due to their success in the war. This is shown
distinctly in Stanley, who remains a strong and mentally untainted character at almost
all other points within the play.
The use of doubling the characters of Steve and Eunice with Stanley and Stella creates
an intriguing parallel of two couples who are in similar, abusive situations, yet neither
would dare leave their husband. As Stella claims ‘I was sort of – thrilled – by it’ (in
reference to Stanley’s violent behaviour), Eunice is later heard screaming ‘you hit me!
I’m going to call the police’ but instead of calling the police, is ‘getting a drink’. Both of
these reactions conjure up an image of pleasure at the violence of their husbands, with
feigned fear being the response they give at first. This appears to be an accepted norm
within their society as no one questions their choice to stay with their respective
partners, except Blanche, stressing how she is ‘incongruent to the setting’. Mitch fears
the loss of his mother, which would leave him completely alone and without company.
He reveals to Blanche that ‘mother is sick’ and ‘she wants me to settle down before she
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller raisahoque. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53340 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now