Streetcar Named Desire Gender

The relationship between gender and power in A Street Car Named Desire

In the play A Street Car Named Desire author Tennessee Williams creates a strong relationship between gender and power, and asserts that when both are unchecked and combined a force is created which causes people to have no remorse when pursuing their desires. When the four main characters of the play interact we see how this force is detrimental to the weaker characters. Being both very masculine and powerful causes Stanley to victimise the other main characters while chasing what he wants. While Blanche possesses a domineering personality, she is not masculine meaning society does not grant her the same level of power Stanley posses allowing him to defeat her. Mitch is

His lack of power means he is bullied by Stanley misses out on what he could have had. While mitch works in a manly job ‘on the precision bench in the spare parts department. At the plant Stanley travels for’(P. 35) and plays poker with Stanley and the rest of his friends, he has a sensitive, respectful side as he apprehensively asks Blanche ‘Can- I- uh- kiss you- good night’(P. 66). This sensitivity means he waits for Blanche to advance their relationship instead of pushing it along himself. It also means the more confident and powerful Stanley is able to torment Mitch so Stanley can feel superior to other men and do away with Blanche. When Stanley sees how Mitch was ‘looking through them drapes’ at Blanche in her ‘pink silk brassiere and white skirt’(P. 35) he ‘jumps up jerks roughly at curtains to close them’(P. 36) to try and prevent Mitch from developing feeling for Blanche. After Stanley realises this was not enough to tear Mitch away from Blanche Stanley tells Mitch about Blanches not ‘straight’(P.99) past so Mitch would think that Blanche is ‘not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother’(p. 103) so he would not have a reason for he to wish to stay around. The consequences of Stanley’s force on Mitch are that he ‘collapses at the table, sobbing’(P.122) because he feels sadness for Blanche when she is taken away as he knew the circumstances could

She allows Stanley her overpower her but because of this she is hurt. At the beginning of the play Stanley’s yells ‘Meat’ to Stella and ‘heaves a package at her’ to which Stella ‘laughs breathlessly’ showing the audience how Stanley is the bread winner of their relationship and how Stella enjoys her role as the dependant wife. Stanley desires his ‘nights [they] had together’(. 90) with Stella and so he can be a complete alpha male who has a submissive wife and a child. However, Stanley’s lust for sexual pleasure and his high place in society leads Stella was being demand before him to repeatedly physically abuse Stella and only shows remorse because ‘his baby doll’ leaves him not because he regrets ‘beating on woman’(P. 43). The powerful force of Stanley means he is willing to tear the two sisters apart by buying Blanche ‘a ticket back to Laurel’(P.92). Due to the time period the play is set in Stella is unable to leave Stanley and has to remain in an abusive relationship. We see that Stella ‘sobs with inhuman abandon’(P. 124) when ‘Blanche walks on without turning, followed by the doctor’(P.124) showing how Stanley’s force impacts then those who he cares most for. The relationship between masculinity and power causes Stella to be trapped in an unhealthy marriage and loose her