Streetcar Named Desire Violence Analysis

In Streetcar Named Desire, Williams depicts oppression as the dominant theme and this has been portrayed in various ways throughout the play. Williams displays oppression as something that is not needed in society and is brutal and inescapable. The play was written in 1947 and was two years after World War II and the play follows the characters that are trying reconstruct their lives in a post-war American society.

Williams presents oppression as brutal, this can be seen in the play in Scene Three when Stanley, Mitch, Pablo and Steve are all playing Poker and Blanche is getting dressed. Throughout scene three there can be seen a build-up of violence through brutality. The first sign of brutality is shown in the stage direction when it says

The word “Charges” is usually associated with animals as it action done by animals. Williams is depicting Stanley as animalistic and the oppression that is shown through brutality is compared to animalistic behaviour as throughout the play Stanley is either describe as animal by Blanche or committing actions that are associated with animals. For example when Blanche says “He acts like an animal” in her speech describing Stanley in scene four, here it depicts that brutal nature is being linked to him not being seen as a human Williams through Blanche is saying that This is similar to what Joseph Krutch had to say when it had talked about when he quoted Tennessee William saying ‘you had better watch out or the apes will take over’ and Krutch says this comment is based on post World War II society has this mentality of survival of the fittest. This is probably why Williams gives him this animalistic attitude to give him this survival of the fittest personality as it is usually associated with animals with that type of

Williams here is signifying that only compassion can counter oppression as it makes Blanche more human and this what maybe Williams want, he wants to society to be compassionate so that there is acceptance by everyone in society. Another point when compassion is encouraged is to counter oppression is when Mitch says to Stanley “I’ll kill you”. At this point Mitch finally breaks his silence and finally sees the oppressive nature of Stanley and is in right to say that. Here Williams finally shows through Mitch the oppression that was composed by Stanley needed to be stopped and the only way was through the compassion he had for Blanche being oppressed by Stanley. Also William shows that the new south still has bit of the old south and that is mainly shown through Stanley and Blanche, whereas Blanche depicts the old south which had mentality not accepting others and putting yourself in a high regard. Stanley represent how the oppressive nature that is usually from the south old is there, however he does represent the new south with his diversity and background, which Louisiana was going through. Mitch also represent the new south as the new south