visitor and yet is the one to start the conversation. She has introduced herself to Stanley in his own
house. The audience would expect him to be a bit more welcoming and instead he is quite hostile
towards her, Stanley has no respect from women and sees them as either sex objects or someone
to clean up after him his lack of respect is also shown when he begins making conversation with
her whilst removing his clothes, has also has absolutely no respect for what others think or if they
would be uncomfortable with a half naked man around. He does ask if it’s all right to remove his top
after his long day at work but before she replies has already removed it, he just assumes that she
will be happy as she is in his home. This shows he is not really interested in her answer and it was
just a formality – and it was just a shocking moment of politeness that he even asked. Blanche
thinks she can use this for an advantage to herself, he would be so simple, like a toy for her to play
with and manipulate, it seems apparent that she is not ware of how strong his character actually is.
There are quite a few scenes within the play where it seems that Blanche has the upper
hand in what is going on, showing slight favouritism from William’s. In scene two for example as
Blanche is getting changed, Stanley is outside getting quite annoyed and almost reverts to the
animal within him, shown when he starts throwing her belongings and acting irrationally at the
amount of belongings Blanche has and how expensive he believes they are, Stanley assumes that
Blanche has swindled the Kowalski’s out of money when Belle Reeve was lost to the family. As
Blanche enters from the bathroom the conversation ensues. At first Blanche seems to belittle
Stanley and his supposed manly card game, making it almost seem like a child’s game with his
child-like friends “I understand there’s to be a little card part to which we ladies are cordially not
invited.” Beginning the conversation with this gives Blanche the upper hand from the start. During
their lengthy discussion a battle takes place for control which switches places many times. “When
you walked in here last night, I said to myself “My sisters married a man” of course that was all I
could tell about you” This shows Blanche to be flattering and rather flirtatious giving her the upper
hand. An example of Stanley getting control is when he shouts “[booming] now let’s cut the re-bop!”
This is a clear indication that Stanley uses a more violent way of getting his own way, whereas
Blanche prefers to out wit or flatter her victims.
He hasn’t been fooled by Blanche’s flattery and he seems fed up with it, with this comes his control
of the conversation and with slight suggestion that Williams favours him at this point. Yet at the end
of their part in scene two it is Blanche who comes out on top and in control with the power. “Here
all of them are, all papers” I herby endow you with them!” here Stanley can’t respond with anything
as it seems like he has got what he wishes but it is Blanche with the last words. On the other hand
when Stanley mentions the baby he may regain some of that control by sharing a secret Blanche
doesn’t know and playing Blanche with her own games, by being smart mouthed and using his
intelligence rather than brute force.
Williams takes no sides in deciding Blanche and Stanley’s personalities. They are both
portrayed as bad people. Stanley, a rapist and a dominant husband who always wants things his
way and Blanche being a former prostitute who’s outspoken even when it is rude. One instance of
this is when she firsts meets with Stella after a long time apart. “But you, you’ve put on some
weight, yes, you’re just as plump as a partridge.” It seems the ordeal she faced in Belle Reeve has
turned her bitter and now she resents her sister; this can be shown when she talks to Stella about
what happened. “How in hell do you think all that sickness and dying was paid for? Death is
expensive, Miss Stella...Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go!”
There is evidence of Stanley always wanting his way is in scene three, when the card game takes
place, he feels that he has all control in the house and doesn’t need permission or feel the need to
ask out of common courtesy. “[Stanley stalks fiercely through the portieres into the bedroom. He
crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he tosses the
instrument out of the window]” He doesn’t consider the fun that Blanche and Mitch are having
whilst listening to the radio, or the possibilities Mitch has of forming a relationship with Blanche all
he cares about is what he wants happens. William’s not only shows Stanley’s fierce animal
behaviour but his lack of consideration for others.
The ending to this play actually seems to lean in Stanley’s favour. After raping Blanche and
keeping his wife, including newborn son, the fact that Blanche is leaving is another added bonus
seeing as he has regained control and power over his house. What’s more is that because
Blanche’s growing insanity peaks at the end of the play, Stella seems to have no choice but to
believe Stanley is telling the truth when saying Blanche lied about the rape as Blanche’s state of
mind does her no favours when it comes to who is telling the truth. On the other hand one person
doesn’t believe him, and that is Mitch. “[Fiercely] you, you done this, all o’ your God damn
interfering with things” Having angered one of his best friends Stanley hasn’t won everything in the
end.
The interesting thing about ‘A streetcar named desire’ is that the play and the feature film have
different endings, with the film showing Stella leaves Stanley at the end, permanently. Judging on
this ending I believe that Williams takes no sides in the conflict between Blanche and Stanley as
Blanche may go to a mental institution, but Stanley looses everything dear to him. Although it isn’t
what Williams wrote, it is a more audience friendly ending with the bad character getting found out.
This was designed specifically for cinema so good has to conquer evil, even if it is only a minor win
of the battle. Although Stanley seems to get the last laugh in the play, throughout it I believe
Williams shows them both equally in personalities, lines and their endings.
