ipl-logo

How Is Masculinity Presented In A Streetcar Named Desire

452 Words2 Pages

Masculinity Introduction Since the early times, men have always been termed and see the best gender compared to women. Men are always given the best education, taken to the best school, does the best courses in the higher learning institution. In the society men are regarded to the head of the families, they have bestowed the responsibility of providing for their families and taking care of them. The society believes that men are the best leaders compared to women, they are elected and nominated in the best sits in the government, drives the best cars and lives in the best houses. Masculinity has always been given the best respect in the society; other men take advantage of this, and they mistreat the female in the society because they are termed to be weak. In the play streetcar named desire, masculinity has been deeply discussed as illustrated below. …show more content…

He is associated with masculinity beliefs such as being aggressive, inhuman force, lust, and brutality. Stanley’s brutal strength is highlighted in many cases in this play, and he dominates with a lot of aggressiveness often in his actions which are termed as loud and always brutal. His mode of dressing is also termed as being forceful (Adelman, Rand, & Perry, 2012). The color of his clothes is lurid and bright. In the play, his masculinity is highly associated or termed as beyond the human capacity. The author of the play portrays him as the bird with a lot of feathers in the midst of the hens.Stanely is also compared

Show More
Related
903 Words | 4 Pages

Masculinity. It can be argued that no one word has undergone such a dramatic shift during the past century, as masculinity. In many ways J.D. Salinger’s groundbreaking novel, “The Catcher in the Rye”, and its main protagonist, Holden Caulfield, were both ahead of their time as they realized masculinity could not have a uniform definition. The reader is led on a journey by Holden, from fancy prep schools to the tough streets of New York City, all in the search for one thing: the meaning of masculinity. Holden’s search for identity culminates in his failure to conform to societal standards of masculinity, allowing Salinger to effectively question the need for such strict standards which seemingly only inhibit personal growth.

Read More
1028 Words | 5 Pages

Strength, lack of emotion, aggression, and confidence are some of the traits society has assigned to men. The play A Streetcar Named Desire uses its lead character to support and portray these traits. The play takes place in the late 1940’s, a time when men and masculinity played a significant role in both households and society. Stanley Kowalski, the leading male, displays the timely masculine qualities while also showing what affect masculinity can have on those around him. Stanley is strong willed and very opinionated, allowing him to treat both men and women in a disrespectful way.

Read More
1093 Words | 5 Pages

A streetcar named Desire A streetcar named Desire, is a play by Tennessee Williams written in 1947. It addresses the American society in the post modern society, gender roles and how it feels to be an intruder in an environment you aren’t used to. One of the most central aspects in “A streetcar named Desire” is the gender aspect. We witness Stanley and Blanche act due to the gender society gave them.

Read More
223 Words | 1 Pages

In the natural structure, the male is always stronger than female. The men consider that demonstrating and maintaining their power and superiority is significantly importance and idealistic for their life. In order to pursuit their idealism, they mostly use aggressive approaches. The major character, Stanley Kowalski in the play of “A streetcar named desire” by Tennessee Williams, demonstrate how the men protect their powerfulness and dignity by using violence. Stanley and his wife, Stella is living in the working- class neighborhood in New Orleans in the time after WWII.

Read More
413 Words | 2 Pages

After having been performed at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in 1946, A Streetcar Named Desire brought about much controversy. At first it seemed that much of the controversy stemmed from the unpleasantness with which the subject was presented, such as the vulgar, unprecedented topics acted out on stage. George Jean Nathan, an original critic of the play, touched upon the vulgar manner of the drama, calling it “The Glands Menagerie.” (Bak, “Criticism on a Streetcar Named Desire”) Perhaps the more pressing reason as to why this play was received controversially, however, is a result of its cynical nature.

Read More
741 Words | 3 Pages

In the play A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams, the main character, Blanche DuBois, travels to New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella, and Stella’s husband, Stanley Kowalski. Throughout the play, sexulaity is seen as a strong motivator for many of the characters actions. Early in the play, Stanley is introduced as a particularly sexual character, “ Since earliest manhood the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence... He sizes women up with a glance, with sexual classifications…” (Williams 25).

Read More
733 Words | 3 Pages

A Daily Joy to Be A Streetcar Named Desire Our identities can be limited by our past experiences. A Streetcar Named Desire is a southern gothic play by Tennessee Williams and “A Daily Joy to Be Alive” by Jimmy Santiago Baca has a dark but hopeful mood. A Streetcar Named Desire follows Blanche Dubois as she attempts to reinvent a new identity for herself when moves in with her sister and her husband, but she ends up making trouble for everyone down in New Orleans.

Read More
148 Words | 1 Pages

In the play Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams he uses characterization frequently to help develop his characters. One character he does this a lot with is Stanley Kowalski. Tennessee develops Stanley as a crude person, and he does this in different ways that are both direct and indirect. Tennessee Williams helps develops Stanley’s character through his actions. One way he shows that is by the way he treats his Wife.

Read More
652 Words | 3 Pages

The themes of violence and power in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ hold an important role in the criticism of 1940s American society. Conflicts perpetuated by violence and power, such as abusive relationships and violent oppression are projected through the characters within the play.  Williams uses these conflicts to highlight his criticisms of faltering values and social norms, from the perspective of an individual constrained by the expectations of a strict, Southern society. To begin with, there is an indefinite violence between men and women within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Stanley Kowalski, a focal character, is the epitome of male dominance and primitive aggression.

Read More
1000 Words | 4 Pages

Past and Present Intertwine Through Symbolism Tennessee Williams is a world famous playwright. He has won many prestigious awards. In 1947, Williams penned one of his most famous plays, A Streetcar Named Desire, winning him the Pulitzer Prize. William’s background greatly influenced his writing, and because of this, alcoholism and mental illness are issues strongly reflected in his works (Williams 1817). A Streetcar Named Desire is a story about a women with mental health issues, named Blanche Dubois.

Read More
1371 Words | 6 Pages

William’s play A Streetcar Named Desire presents a variety of perspectives on relationships, especially addressing the idea that bonds which aren’t bound by trust, loyalty and lust in an even balance will inevitably fail. Tennessee Williams uses the interaction between his characters, predominantly Blanche, Mitch, Stella and Stanley; to express a variety of ideas regarding relationships. These connections can be witnessed in scenes 2, 3, 6 and 11, through the use of stage directions, dialogue and expressionism to display different perspectives of character interaction. Trust acts as the foundation to any relationship, establishing a strong link between individuals and without it, the connection will eventually disintegrate.

Read More
1547 Words | 7 Pages

Tennessee Williams wrote “A Streetcar Named Desire” (Williams, 1947) It is based in New Orleans a new cosmopolitan city which is poor but has raffish charm. The past is representing old south in America 1900’s and present is representing new America post world war 2 in 1940’s. Past and present are intertwined throughout the play in the characters Stanley, Blanche, Stella and mitch. Gender roles show that males are the dominant and rule the house which Stanley is prime example as he brings home food and we learn of one time when he got cross and he smashed the light bulbs.

Read More
800 Words | 4 Pages

Kowalski in the 21th century The Golden Globe awarded ‘Big Little Lies’ certainly strucks its audience with a déja vu-like sensation as one encounters the lethal hunk Perry. Released in the year of #metoo, it addresses issues like domestic abuse, echoing the recent boost in western feminist sentiment. In the midst of all this excitement of female empowerment, it is important to salute those who made this progress possible in the first place. For one, Tennessee Williams’ portrait of the brutish Stanley Kowalski in the iconic play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ exposed the explicitly reality for many households, causing a lot of controversy at the time of its release. The resemblance between Stanley and Perry is striking with regards to the behavioural pattern and this post sets out to identify why that is.

Read More
1397 Words | 6 Pages

Psychologist Sigmund Freud developed an idea that there is more than one aspect to the human psyche. The human psyche rather is structured into three separate parts including: id, ego, and superego. In a similar manner, Tennessee Williams has three main characters in his Southern Gothic play, A Streetcar Named Desire. In addition to the human psyche as the three mentioned categories, Freud introduced psychoanalysis, which is the belief that people could be cured through developing their unconscious thoughts or motivations into their conscious decisions, receiving insight (McLeod). Characters are shaped by their thoughts and actions, as this is present in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a very elegant film in which the Southern gothic culture is demonstrated profoundly. Tennessee Williams uses the characters in the play to bring about a sense of how corrupt society truly was in the 1940’s in the South. The 1940’s was marked by an immense amount of violence, alcoholism, and poverty. Women at the time were treated as objects rather than people. Throughout the play Tennessee Williams relates the aspects of Southern society to the characters in the play.

Read More

More about How Is Masculinity Presented In A Streetcar Named Desire

Related Topics

Open Document