Within the play, ’s loyalty serves as a symbol of that societal success. Throughout the play Blanche tries to deter Stella from Stanley, “There’s even something – sub-human – something not quite to the stage of humanity yet!”, “He’s common!” and “There’s something downright – bestial – about him!” These are some examples of this. Blanche attempts to convince Stella to leave Stanley because she was born into a society that was of a higher class and had better values.
Stanley has a superior hold over Stella, sex. Sex is Stanley’s trump card, just when he feels that his grasp over Stella is loosening, he reminds her of the sex they have, “…how you loved it, having them coloured lights going!”, the coloured lights being a metaphor for orgasms. Blanche’s refinements are inferior to Stanley’s sexual magnetism, but he still feels the need to remove her from his and Stella’s life, as she is still a threat to his marriage.
It could also be argued that Stanley had to destroy Blanche in order to save his marriage, as she was flirting with him, and he had no alternative but to remove the temptation. Although he did eventually succumb to the temptation, I still feel that this is a valid argument as there was a possibility of a sexual relationship developing between the two, therefore threatening his marriage.
"[She smiles at him radiantly] Do you think it possible that I was once considered to be attractive?" This quotation is showing that Blanche is treading dangerously in flirting with her sister's husband. We have a great deal of insight into Blanche's sexual background. We know from her past that she was very promiscuous and she indulged into one-night stands at the Hotel Flamingo, back in Laurel.
However one could feel sorry for Blanche and it could be said that she has done nothing to deserve such brutality and eventually being destroyed by Stanley. Blanche is lost. She desperately seeks companionship and protection in the arms of strangers and she has never recovered from her tragic and consuming love for her first husband. Blanche is in need of a defender. But in New Orleans, she finds instead the predatory and merciless Stanley. She is undeserving of the treatment that Stanley gives her.
In conclusion I believe that Stanley has little choice but to eliminate Blanche from his life. They are at polar opposites to each other and one could say that Blanche is a threat to his lifestyle as she attempts to bring in new ideals to his world, so Stanley needed to detach her from his life. However it is obvious that Blanche didn’t deserve such brutal treatment and her being a threat to Stanley’s lifestyle is no reason for him to destroy her life.
