Throughout the play the audience witness many conflicts between the characters, these not just include the disputes between men and women, but also between two sisters. Blanche and Stella, although both brought up in an aristocratic DuBois family, have problems finding a common ground of communication. Williams also shows the difficulties between male relationships, which are mainly caused by their individualised perception of the world they live in. However, the central conflict is certainly the dispute between Blanche and Stanley. Stanley embodies stereotypical values of a macho character, whereas Blanche is being portrayed as frail and “moth-like” with strong feminine characteristics. From the beginning Williams portrays Blanche as a frail and insecure person with an aristocratic roots still noticeable in her attire. She enters the stage dressed in a dress appropriate for a “cocktail party” which emphasise her position in the society. Stanley, on the other hand, is shown as a “richly feathered male bird” with crude and animalistic behaviour towards men and women. Stanley, who has been brought up in New Orleans, reflects the squalid ambiance of the region in his casual clothing. Through the appearance of characters and their language, Williams demonstrates how different their attitudes are, and pinpoints the possible sources of further conflicts.
In scene III, at the poker table, the men are dressed in “primary colours” which emphasise their masculinity and power according to the contemporary pattern of masculinity in a working class environment. This also highlights the contrast between the women, Stella and Blanche, who return from their night out looking “as fresh” as daisies. The difference in the characters’ outfits shows the audience the distinction in their outlook which symbolises the classical divide between femininity and masculinity. The women sit together behind the portiere- a metaphor for an invisible barrier between genders- as they are not invited to “kibitz” the men. Stella and Blanche decide to listen to the radio together; however this soon proves to be unwise as it aggravates Stanley’s aggression, making him throw the radio out of the window. This shows his lack of understanding of the female form of fraternity, which is regarded by him as a waste. There is an inherent inability in men in the play to see women as individuals with their own rights, and even the slightest signs of opposition from Stella or Blanche challenge the rooted thinking about gender roles. Women are expected to be submissive but at the same time charming and beautiful, like Blanche presents herself. When it comes to filling a wife’s role, however, a woman has to be subject to her husband’s will and resign her frivolous femininity, reserved to a free bird like Blanche, to a duty. Any attempts to go beyond the borders of the traditionally shaped gender roles end with an inevitable conflict. Williams argues in his play, that the responsibility over the situation lies in the hands of society. The “radio scene” includes a typical situation in which one man is forced to act his role of the ruler of the household before other men and he has to prove his domination at any account.
As the scene unfolds, we witness more “typical” behaviour from Stanley, when he slaps Stella’s “thigh” showing his physical supremacy this time. That animalistic approach demonstrates that Stanley regards Stella as his property and he has all rights to her body. This causes Stella to “feel mad” and speak to Stanley “sharply”. Nevertheless, she is still prepared to accept his behaviour and to compromise in this marriage, even despite a physical abuse. Further on in the scene Stella becomes a victim of Stanley’s violence once again: introduced by the author in an expression a “sound of blow” and recognised through Stella’s loud cry. In the scene Stanley was provoked by Stella who criticised him for damaging the radio. Being unable to resist criticism, Stanley attacks her. Acting under the influence of alcohol, Stanley is even more violent and has to be constrained by his friends. The separation of genders continues on a spatial level as the women leave to another apartment and men remain in the same room. It is evident that conflict between them is played out on many different platforms which symbolise social and cultural problems rooted in that society.
A significant source of disagreement between men and women in the play is their class origin. It is particularly manifested through the communication between Stella and Stanley Scene III, and Blanche and Mitch in Scene VI. Stella, like Blanche, is a descendant of an aristocratic French family who was educated in literature and music, whereas Stanley’s background is working class. He differs drastically from Stella in his appearance as well as in his speech, which is slurry and often grammatically incorrect. These differences are highlighted in the way they speak to each other and treat each other. Blanche emphasise the class gap when criticising Stanley’s ill mannered habits: forgetting to“close the bathroom door” and walking “in his underwear at night”
Stella’s sister reveals her desired supremacy in the extreme when she chooses to speak in French to Mitch knowing that he is incapable to understand. This pretence however does not change her position in the male-female organisation of approaches in this micro environment, as she and Stella still stay dependent on men’s authority. The fall of Blanche is eventually caused by men’s physical and psychological domination, whereas Stella’s apparent happiness is fully controlled by her husband. The two women are not able to ally against men even in the most dramatic circumstances, like a rape, as in this setup the only means of survival and social approval come from men to whom women cannot oppose.
In his play, Williams indicates the deeper reasons behind gender conflicts; these are class, social stereotypes, culture environment and ….They are factors which contribute to the separation between men and women in society. However it does not mean that conflict between men and women is inevitable, since they themselves are not born into antagonistic groups, but rather are shaped to play certain roles by social and cultural forces, which effect the inevitably.