Throughout history, gender has mostly been a foundation for both power and discrimination. The short story A Rose For Emily and the play A Streetcar Named Desire both highlight this concept of empowerment. In A Streetcar Named Desire, every character follows gender stereotypes. The only exception is Mitch, a traditional man who reacts to situations differently than other men at that period in history. He and Stella share a lot of similarities. Mitch is incredibly forgiving, despite Blanche betraying him and having affairs. Stanley portrays Stella's stereotypically domineering husband. He intentionally establishes his power throughout the entire play and movie. The short story A Rose For Emily similarly portrays gender roles, with "the men …show more content…
Because of his gender, Stanley has power. Stanley asks for forgiveness when he returns. When Stella forgives him, he proves once more that he is in charge. Stella's character has the least intriguing traits. This is because she fulfills everyone's requests. Blanche is the most intriguing character. Despite being very different from Stanley, she seeks authority through intimate relationships rather than through violence. In other ways, Blanche uses the mistreatment of women at the period to win people over and do much more. Stella and Stanley play roles that are extremely traditional for this time period. When Blanche comes in, everything changes. Stella serves as a portrayal of the typical wife of this time period. She lets Stanley and Blanche frequently walk all over her. Because it was so typical, this character role didn't engage the play's audience as much as the other characters did. Stanley's influence mostly damages Blanche, but Stella is also affected by his violent behavior. During poker night, a time for male bonding, she is mistreated. Stella's choice to stay with Stanley is not a conscious one; rather, it is a