Explore how Williams presents marriage in A Streetcar Named Desire. You must relate
your discussion to relevant contextual factors.
Context: During 20th century America, women depended on male figures in order to have a stable future.
Men were established as breadwinners whilst women were the homemakers, taking care of the domestic
sphere
INTRO: Williams presentation of marriage highlights female dependency on men w/in New America, to
the point where their lives revolve around serving male figures, their female identities being inextricably
linked w/ male figures.
PARAGRAPH 1: Williams uses Stanley + Stella’s relationships to highlight the New American’s
reconstruction of gender roles in a marriage - women were to adopt submissive behaviours whilst
men would wield their power over them in a marriage.
Quotes:
“And I am the King around here, so don’t forget it!” (Stanley)
“And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby…” (Stella)
Stanley doesn’t provide Stella with the means to be financially independent + “pays the bills himself.”
PARAGRAPH 2: Williams presents marriage as a tool to gain financial + social stability, in which
women would depend on in order to secure a stable future
Quotes:
“I want Mitch... very badly! Just think!...I can leave here and not be anyone's problem..." (Blanche)
"I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley." (Stella)
“I’m not in anything I want to get out of.” (Stella)
Blanche “rushes about frantically, hiding the bottle in a closet...dabbing her face with cologne and
powder.”
PARAGRAPH 3: Williams uses marriage in order to highlight the idea of male dominance over
women, and how New American ideals allow men to display + express violent/abusive behaviours,
evident in Stanley’s violent behaviour towards Stellas, confrontations w/ Blanche, rape scene
Quotes:
“Stanley gives Stella a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.”
Stanley takes Blanche’s atomiser and “slams it down on the dresser”
Stanley abuses Stella (S3) and “goes wild”
Stanley “springs towards” Blanche, “overturning the table”
“Traditional American family values are not to be found in Elysian Fields.” In light of this
comment, explore Williams’ dramatic presentation of family in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Context: New America reconstructed new ideals + therefore rejected anything that did not confine itself
to those ideals, or was seen as ‘other’
INTRO: Williams uses the presentation of family to explore societal ideals of New America + how
anything that failed to live up these new standards, such as the ideals of the Old South, were
unacceptable
PARAGRAPH 1: Williams uses family to present the newly constructed gender roles in New
America + that the new family ideal recognised men as ‘breadwinners’ and women as
‘homemakers’
Quotes:
“And I am the King around here, so don’t forget it!” (Stanley)
, “And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby…” (Stella)
During poker night, men inhabit larger vicinity of apartment whilst women retreat to bedroom
Stanley doesn’t provide Stella with the means to be financially independent and “pays the bills himself.”
PARAGRAPH 2: Williams uses family to highlight how anything that suggests itself to be a threat
to the New American family ideals, such as Blanche’s antiquated Southern ideals, must be
eliminated
Quotes:
Blanche’s intrusion into the Kowalski home, w/ no warning
Blanche’s expectation of chivalric behaviour from men in the play, grounded in the old Southern concept
of male chivalry
Blanche making fun of Stanley as a New American man, calls him “bestial”, “ape-like”, makes fun of
Polish ethnicity, by referring to him as a “Polack”
PARAGRAPH 3: Williams uses the relationship between Blanche + Stella to highlight how the new
family ideals must be protected + maintained, regardless of how harmful the consequences may
be.
Quotes:
“I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley.” (Stella)
Stella has told Blanche that she’s made arrangements for her to “rest in the country”
“ I don’t know if I did the right thing” (Stella)
“I’m not in anything I want to get out of.” (Stella)
“There is obsession but not love in A Streetcar Named Desire” In light of this comment,
explore William’s dramatic presentation of love in A Streetcar Named Desire.
● Context: Along with the reconstruction of New America’s ideals, also came a new
expectation/ideal of love, one which was more sensual and passionate EG. Stanley + Stanley, in
contrast to the chastity, chivalry + romance of Old South love, expressed by Blanche
● Women would not seek out love, but for safety + security in marriage in NA society
● Intro: Williams presents love as absent from most of the relationships in the play EG. Both
Stanley + Stella depend on sexual chemistry, Blanche wants to be desired by Mitch + thus seeks
marriage w/ him, not for love, but for safety + security from her past
PARAGRAPH 1: Williams uses Stanley + Stellas’ relationship to highlight how physical passion
persists between them, instead of true love.
Quotes:
“But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark…” (Stella)
Both Stanley + Stella are described as gone “wild” when they lack each other physically + sexually,
Stanley yells for Stella like a “baying hound”
“I pulled you...off them columns and how you loved it…” (Stanley)
PARAGRAPH 2: Williams uses Blanche and her pursuing of Mitch to highlight how love does not
matter, but rather safety + security from her past is what she truly ‘desires’
Quotes:
“I want Mitch...Just think! I can leave here and not be anyone’s problem…” (Blanche)
“We are going to pretend that we are sitting in a little artists cafe...in Paris!” (Blanche)
PARAGRAPH 3: Williams uses love to highlight how Blanche’s southern ideals of chivalry +
romantic love have no place in New America
