This is a practise essay question for my set text 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. This essay focuses on exploring the theme of marriage throughout the play.
Explore how marriage is presented in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.
Marriage is a vital theme in the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Williams predominantly
presents marriage as essential for women to survive in a patriarchal society. It is implied that
marriage is imperative within a patriarchal society as it is almost impossible for women to
thrive independently. It can be argued that the primary focus of this tragicomedy is the
conflict between Stella’s marriage to Stanley and Stella’s sisterhood with Blanche. Through
this conflict Williams shows how marriage will always prevail when Stella ultimately chooses
Stanley over Blanche, suggesting that marriage is a fundamental theme in the play . Overall,
Williams portrays marriage as an overpowering force and the key to a woman's success
within a patriarchal society.
The central marriage in the play (Stanley and Stella) conveys a very stereotypical depiction
of marital gender roles. Stanley is the dominant provider and Stella is the submissive
housewife. This is reflected when Stella reveals “Stanley doesn’t give me a regular
allowance, he likes to pay bills himself” which almost acts as a microcosm of their entire
relationship as it is suggested that Stanley does not see marriage as an equal partnership,
he prefers to be in complete control. Stanley’s abusive display of dominance in scene three
‘He advances and disappears. There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out’ where the verb
‘advances’ contrasts with Stellas ‘cries out’ and reflects the powerlessness of women under
this mascline aggression and reinforces Stella’s submissive role in the marriage.
Williams presents more than one example of an abusive, animalistic marriage within the
play. As well as Stanley and Stella’s primitive relationship (shown in the stage directions “low
animal moans”), we see the personas Steve and Eunice reflect the same primeval, brutish
characteristics. Just like Stella, Eunice overlooks Steve's physical abuse and mirrors the
same carnal, bestial nature to the relationship, reflected in Williams use of the stage
directions “Steve bounds after her with goat-like screeches and chases her around the
corner”. The use of the animalistic verbs ‘chases’ and ‘screeches’ creates a chaotic, feral
image. The strong parallel between the couples emphasises that this behaviour in marriage
was common, if not ordinary, at the time. We see no other examples of ‘successful’
relationships in the play so we can conclude that this is normality. This presentation of
marriage may have stemmed from Williams’ own experience of his parents marriage growing
up. His abusive father and passive mother draw strong parallels to Stanley and Stella as well
as Steve and Eunice. Ultimately the rather gloomy conclusion that Williams seems to draw
about marriage here is that all marriages will end the same way
The persona, Stella, represents the ideal/successful woman in 1940’s society. Her
pregnancy and marriage to Stanley gives her a stable life and means she fits in with societal
expectations. Williams reflects this through her name. Stella, meaning ‘star’ connotes
positivity and success highlighting further the portrayal of her character as the ‘ideal’. On the
other hand, the character of Blanche is far from successful by 1940’s standards. A fading
southern belle, she is unmarried and has lost her family's house and fortune. Blanches
position in not having a husband leaves her vulnerable and by the end of the play we see the
extent of her tragic demise. The name Blanche also means ‘white’ connoting weakness as
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