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A Streetcar Named Desire Race And Class Essay

3562 Words15 Pages

Name: Anna Tomaszewski
Mr. Driver
11th grade English period 7
Date: 3/30/23

American society is infamous for its ideas regarding race and class. These racist ideologies and stereotypes can impact individuals and their communities in ways that are oftentimes negative. Certain groups in this country, including African Americans and immigrants, feel the brunt of these ideologies through discrimination and “othering” that could leave them stuck in the lower class. The impact of race and ethnicity on an individual and their class is shown through the works of writers such as Tennessee Williams. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams demonstrates ideas of social class and its impact on different characters through the use of the characterization …show more content…

As Robert Rea points out: ‘The Kowalski family saga--unlike that of the DuBois--steers the narrative away from the rivalry between the North and South and, more importantly, toward the world” (Rea 2). The ethnic and class conflict between Stanley and Blanche expands beyond the confines of the South, but rather shows a broader concept of ethnicity and immigration and its impact on the class issues presented in the book. This once again ties back to how Williams tries to show racial otherness and conflicts through ethnicity rather than race, because the issues between the North and South was regarding racial differences, but in the play it's about ethnicity. An example of the ethnic aspects of New Orleans includes Latin American influence in the region: “New Orleans belongs to the southern region of the United States, but economically and culturally, it feels like the northernmost point of Latin America” (2). To Blanche and other upper class white people, an area that is heavily influenced by people of color would make it seem "poor" and further emphasize class issues. New Orleans is so diverse because of the influence of other places such as Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the U.S. itself, making New Orleans seem like it's separated from the rest of the world (1). The setting of New Orleans impacts ideas of race and class because to Blanche–who is from a different part of the south that is not as unique–New Orleans seems strange because of how culturally diverse the city is. For Blanche who is used to one dimensional ideas of race and class, New Orleans would look like a place where people such as herself don't fit in as well. These ideas of racial and ethnic differences are also presented through the neighborhoods in New Orleans. As shown previously, New Orleans is a diverse place, making Blanche uncomfortable. “New Orleans in A Streetcar Named Desire is

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