An essay exploring the presentation of Stanley Kowalski's character in Tennessee William's 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. Written by a current university student that achieved an A* in English Literature A level by memorising these essays which are structured in an easily accessible, colour-coded, bul...
Essay Plan: How far do you feel sympathy for the character of Stanley Kowalski in ‘A
Streetcar Named Desire’?
Introduction:
Tennessee Williams’ domestic tragedy ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is set in New Orleans in
the immediate post-war period and focuses extensively on the tensions arising in the
household of the married couple: Stanley and Stella Kowalski, when Stella’s sister, Blanche
Dubois, visits for a protracted stay. Stanley and Blanche are diametrical opposites, thus they
have an adversarial relationship that inevitably leads to the play’s tragic ending in which
most of the audience would struggle to feel much sympathy for Stanley.
Point 1:
In the opening scene of the play, when Stanley is first introduced, he “heaves a
package” at Stella. From the outset of the play, Williams prepares the audience for
Stanley not being entirely sympathetic, as his actions carry connotations of a
primitive hunter-gatherer.
Williams further portrays Stanley as animalistic through the stage directions
describing the “animal joy in his being”. This idea is also picked up by Blanche later,
but in a derogatory way.
Additionally, when Blanche asks Stella about Stanley, Stella gives the implicit advice:
“You’ll get along fine together, if you’ll just try not to – well – compare him with men
that we went out with in Belle Reve” This implies that she is anticipating tension
between socially privileged and snobbish Blanche, and Stanley, who is contrastingly
from a humble working-class background, which audience members may be more
likely to identify with (context).
Point 2:
It is possible to discern character flaws in Stanley when he takes it upon himself to
delve into Blanche’s personal belongings to support his hypothesis that she has been
living beyond her means as an English teacher and subsequently “lost” Belle Reve.
Stanley “pulls open the wardrobe trunk standing in the middle of the room and jerks
out an armful of dresses” and mocks Blanche’s possessions for their extravagance
using caustic humour such as “what do we have here? The treasure chest of a
pirate!”. Some members of the audience may share the view represented by Stella,
that Stanley was distasteful and intrusive for invading Blanche’s privacy.
Meanwhile, Stanley’s sardonically humorous character may appeal to some audience
members, and it is possible to support Stanley’s initiative, as he has a right to know
whether Blanche has “swindled” him under the Napoleonic Code, which is a
reasonable conclusion to reach taking into account Blanche’s mendacious streak that
was demonstrated when she lied about her alcohol consumption (saying “one’s my
limit” after three drinks).
Point 3:
However, another unattractive side to Stanley’s character surfaces in the poker
night, when he hits his pregnant wife in a gratuitous fit of rage.
In addition, Stanley resorts to threatening violence at Blanche’s birthday dinner -
which he already ruined by acquainting Mitch, Stanley’s good friend and Blanche’s
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