RESPONSES
This was my first time reading the play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. I really enjoyed this play. I think that Blanche's demise was partly her own fault. I do however, think that it was initiated by the suicide of her husband. Her husband was her first love, but he betrayed her in marriage; this was made even worse by the fact he betrayed her in homosexuality. Witnessing his betrayal and subsequent suicide was an obvious tragic event and began a downward spiral for Blanche. After his death, she began to look for love in all the wrong places, and had many relations with strangers, to fill the void her husband left. Blanche's reckless actions led to men using her, and her obsession with her physical attributes. This led to her being kicked out of her home town in Laurel, and having to move in with her sister. I think her vulnerableness was very evident, and I believed Stella's husband, Stanley had negative intentions towards Blanche from the very beginning. Stanley went out of his way to be mean to Blanche, and this played a huge role in her mental demise. Stella also plays a role in her sister's demise. Her acceptance of her husband's abuse bothers Blanche: Stella: "But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark-that sort of make everything else seem-unimportant." Blanche: "What you are talking about is brutal desire-just-Desire!" This exchange between sisters shows that Stella accepts her husband's abuse, and in a way is attracted to it. She excuses his behavior. I think that Blanche sees a little of herself in Stella during this exchange. She knows how it feels to depend on men, especially for sex. She does not want her sister to become caught up in the physical and ignore the facts of life. When Stanley rapes Blanche, I think this is "the straw that broke the camels back". This is the last act of betrayal that Blanche can handle. The scene outside of the prostiture and the drunkard, is almost a foreshadowing of the assault inside the house. I also noticed that the Polka music would play anytime Blanche is close to losing her sanity. It is the song her and her husband danced to before his suicide, and plays at dramatic moments in the play.
If I was to rank the main characters in order of likeability, I would rank them: Stella, Blanche, and Stanley. Stella is the most likeable character because of her easy going nature. She is not an alcoholic nor violent. I think her only flaw is her acceptance and ignorance towards her husband's abuse. She was attracted to this side of him, and they have a sort of volatile relationship.Blanche is next on my list. While she does have her flaws, and tells her share of lies, I believe it is because of the traumatic event she experienced with her husband. her subsequent immoral behavior and the loss of the plantation and her job all play a part in her demise, emotionally and mentally. I did not like Stanley's character. He is very blunt and animalistic. He controls Stella, and this is evident from the very first scene when he throws the piece of meat at her. Her neighbors catch the sexual innuendo of this act. His treatment and rape of Blanche show his true cruel nature and lack of respect for women.
I did not think that justice was served in this play. While life may go on "as usual" for the Kowalskis with Blanche's departure, none of the characters will have a complete life. I do think that Blanche needed mental help to deal with her problems, but the way she carted away, and at the doing of Stanley nonetheless, were not good for her. Stella will continue to live with her abusive husband, ignorant to the fact that he raped her sister. Stanley does not face consequences for his actions during the play, and will probably continue to go on in his brute way.
If I was to rank the main characters in order of likeability, I would rank them: Stella, Blanche, and Stanley. Stella is the most likeable character because of her easy going nature. She is not an alcoholic nor violent. I think her only flaw is her acceptance and ignorance towards her husband's abuse. She was attracted to this side of him, and they have a sort of volatile relationship.Blanche is next on my list. While she does have her flaws, and tells her share of lies, I believe it is because of the traumatic event she experienced with her husband. her subsequent immoral behavior and the loss of the plantation and her job all play a part in her demise, emotionally and mentally. I did not like Stanley's character. He is very blunt and animalistic. He controls Stella, and this is evident from the very first scene when he throws the piece of meat at her. Her neighbors catch the sexual innuendo of this act. His treatment and rape of Blanche show his true cruel nature and lack of respect for women.
I did not think that justice was served in this play. While life may go on "as usual" for the Kowalskis with Blanche's departure, none of the characters will have a complete life. I do think that Blanche needed mental help to deal with her problems, but the way she carted away, and at the doing of Stanley nonetheless, were not good for her. Stella will continue to live with her abusive husband, ignorant to the fact that he raped her sister. Stanley does not face consequences for his actions during the play, and will probably continue to go on in his brute way.
QUESTIONS
- Do you think Stanley had evil intentions towards Blanche from her arrival?
- Would Stella have left Stanley if she was made aware of his assault against her sister?
- Why doesn't Blanche say anything about her rape? Do you think she really believes Shep is coming to get her, or has she lost all touch with reality by this point?
CONNECTIONS
- Today, there are many medical names and causes of mental illness. Do you think that those committed to mental institutions by their families, are always "crazy"? Or has their family played a role in their demise such as the story with Blanche?
I think that Stanley developed his evil intentions toward Blanche due to the amount of time she stayed there and because of all the lies and such things she did. I think that if Blanche's personality was different things may of been different by the way that Stanley acted- but still the action he took on Blanche was not right. I think that Stella would of stayed though the action Stanley had with Blanche because the night he hit her she went right back to him because he apologized and I think that Stanley would apologized this time too and she would of forgiven him. I think Blanche has completely lost it by the time the rape occurs and that pushes her that much further over the edge and she doesn't know really what to do.
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