“Some of the most famous heroines represent what men desire in women, but not necessarily what women are in themselves.”
Write about the parts played by women in at least two plays, saying how convincing you have found the playwrights’ portrayals of them.
ESSAY B
The part of Stella and Linda are both archetypal female figures in that they follow the typical fictional role of the submissive wife and mother. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella DuBois (renamed Mrs. Stanley Kowalski) supports and forgives her husband, defending him against any criticism. Likewise, in Death of a Salesman, Linda – the only female character with any import – is a meek, timid figure around her husband. This weakness is underscored by the sentence structure and diction that each character uses when in conflict with their husband. As both Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller are men, it can be seen that their female characters tend to be what men would desire in women, without giving a too-accurate portrayal of an actual person. Stella and Linda are both symbols of the deferential wife and mother, not convincing portraits of women.
Stella and Linda are both thought of only in relation to the other characters. They exist to support their husbands and defend them from other characters. Both Stella and Linda attempt to blind themselves to their husbands’ flaws, and apologize to other characters for their husbands’ actions. When Stanley gets drunk, smashes the radio and window, and hits Stella, Stella must apologize to Blanche for Stanley’s behavior: “He’s half-drunk!”; “He didn’t know what he was doing... He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself.” All that Stella can do is make excuses for his behavior, not blaming him for anything: “People have got to tolerate each others’ habits, I guess.” It is in this scene (4) that the audience truly sees Stella as a woman who will give her husband anything, including the excuses he needs to continue his behavior – “you saw him at his worst last night.” Linda, as well, must excuse Willy’s continual shouting and talking to himself: “It’s when you come home he’s always the worst.” She blinds herself to Willy’s flaws and mental instability – “It’ll pass by morning.” – and it is this blindness that helps him in his downward stumble. It is possible that many men desire this sort of unconditional support and forgiveness – who ever wants to be blamed for their mistakes and behavior – but it is unrealistic to show a woman who tolerates this action even to the point that they end up hurting their husband, or another character. Linda’s blindness leads indirectly to Willy’s suicide, and Stella’s unwillingness to open her eyes to Stanley’s actions ends with Blanche being taken away to a mental institution.
