Throughout this play, Stella needs two essential things to let her survive. They are sex and Stanley. She desperately needs a strong man and sex because she does not want to be left out of her and Stanley's relationship. We can tell that Stella is very easily persuaded and she needs sex. When the poker night ends up by Stanley hitting her and she goes to Eunice's house and starts crying. Meanwhile Stanley comes out and starts shouting, “I want my baby!” and “Stella”. Stella is easily persuaded by Stanley's cries and she later comes back down and they had sex. From this I understand that she needs Stanley for pleasure and she is also very easily persuaded when she is hurt. The reason why she comes back to Stanley shortly after and forgive him is because she does not want to lose him since she loves him. Although she is hurt emotionally and physically it's not just herself she has to think about, but also her newborn baby.
Stella lives under the control of Stanley. At this time in this society, women have very less rights or freedom to do what they wanted, men were always giving orders and they didn't have the chance to work. This is clearly shown in Stella and Stanley's relationship. An example of this is when Stella is preparing to go out in the evening with Blanche, Stanley asks for his dinner from Stella. Also, in the beginning of scene 1, Stanley throws the meat over to Stella. In heaving the meat at Stella, Stanley states the sexual control he holds over her. This gave us the understanding of Stanley who is very animalistic and masculine, whereas Stella is feminine and soft which creates this image of man looking after the female.
Being the younger sister of Blanche. Blanche shows dominance over Stella. For example, Blanche asks Stella to “stand up”, when Stella does not do this, Blanche becomes cross and responds by asking, “You hear me? I said stand up!” Blanche often interrupts Stella when she's trying to say something. In appearance Blanche is timid looking, but in the conversations with Stella she seems to be the dominant of the two. This is shown when Stella says: " You never did give me a chance to say much, Blanche." Stella seems to be the more passive character.
Stella is very much aware of the hostility between Stanley and Blanche. For example, she asks Stanley not to mention the fact that she is pregnant. Stanley later deliberately ignores the request when he realises that Blanche has outwitted him during a discussion of what has happened to his wife's family home. After rifling through her personal possessions, he throws the news at Blanche, as a calculated move.
Now, let us move on to the discussion about Mitch. Perhaps because Mitch lives with his dying mother, he is noticeably more sensitive than Stanley's other poker friends. His sensitivity comes mainly from two people in his life: the death of the girl he loved in his youth and the illness of his mother. This is demonstrated on the first poker night we see. Mitch is worried about his mother so much so that it takes the enjoyment out of the card game. However his mother told him to go out and have fun, so he cannot go home. In scene one, Mitch's more gentlemanly behavior stands out in contrast with the behavior of the other men. Mitch appears to be a kind person who hopes to find a partner and have a good and stable relationship with her before his mother dies; he wants to make his mother proud of him that he is going to have someone else to comfort him after she dies.
Mitch is not Blanche’s type of man. He is clumsy, sweaty, and has unrefined interests like muscle building. Though sensitive, he lacks Blanche's romantic perspective as well as her understanding of poetry and literature. She toys with his lack of intelligence- for example, she teases him in French because she knows he won't understand. ("Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir.”)
Though they come from completely different worlds, Mitch and Blanche are drawn together by their common need of companionship and support. Mitch was Blanche last pieces of hope of love. Blanche know constantly that her looks are fading away and she getting older. All she wanted is settle down. “You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be you and me, Blanche?” As part of her prim act, Blanche repeatedly rejects Mitch's physical affections, refusing to sleep with him. Once he discovers the truth about Blanche's sordid sexual past, Mitch is both angry and embarrassed about the way Blanche has treated him. When he arrives to accuse her, he states that he feels he deserves to have sex with her, even though he no longer respects her enough to think her fit to be his wife.
Blanche noticed Mitch’s sensitivity the first time they meet saying to Stella: “that one seems – superior to the others”. He is a gentleman and is conscious of his manners. Because he is not very intelligent he does not see through Blanche’s lies and the fact that he had never suspected her dishonesty makes his pain worse, when he finds out. The pain is also worsened because he knows his mother is not going to see him married before she dies. He does not believe Stanley when he first reveals the truth about Blanche, but is deeply hurt when he checks the story and realises that it is true.
Mitch finally confronts Blanche about her dishonesty in Scene 9. Mitch points her avoidance of light and then rips of the lantern and forces Blanche under the light. He tells her that he doesn't mind her age but dislikes her deceitfulness. Williams gives the character the words “You're not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother” but then attempts to rape the woman suggesting that Mitch sees women as either virgins or whores.
In conclusion, Stella and Mitch play important roles in this play. Without the presence of these two characters, the play would not be such a success.