A Street Car Named Desire The Kowalskis and Du Bois have different notions

“The Kowalski’s and Du Bois’ have different notions”

With close analysis of scene 3 examine to what extent you agree.

Throughout the entirety of Williams’ play it is painfully apparent that the Kowalski and Du Bois families are very different. The almost ‘opposing’ lifestyles of Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Du Bois are so incredibly dissimilar they are set to clash from scene one however it is arguably not until scene three that we see the true extent of their differences. It would also be unjust not to mention that the two, although opposing, can be very similar in the play, yet the rationale behind their similar actions can be seen as very different indeed. Both Blanche and Stanley strive for control and need to be loved but their class divide and contrasting values can make this would be similarity seem poles apart.

The most obvious way that Blanche and Stanley can been seen as different is in that way that they conduct themselves. Stanley is very brash and blunt refusing to change the way that he wants to act to suit a situation. Blanche on the other hand is far more ‘old fashioned’, she presents herself in a very respectful and ladylike way and therefore expects to be treated with courtesy. These traits are first clearly revealed in scene three as Blanche, after first receiving welcomed flattery from Stella asking “How do I look?”, enters the room in which Staley is playing poker among friends. As a ‘Lady’ Blanche expects that the men will stand, however as to seem almost modest or overly flattered she asks them “please don’t get up”. To this Stanley replies, in an almost scornful manner, “no body’s going to get up so don’t be worried”. From this point in the play it is clear that the two are as different as chalk and cheese, at least when it comes to character traits, culture and psyche.

One way that some of their differences could be explained is that the two are coming from entirely different backgrounds. We are told from scene one that Blanche, and Stella, had been brought up in “Belle Reve” as daughters of, what were at one point, wealthy landowners of the ‘Old South’. Stanley is of Polish origin however a born American as he makes terrifyingly clear to Blanche after she has repeatedly called him a “Polak” throughout the play.

He insists “I am not a Polack. People from Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But what I am is a one hundred percent American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and proud as hell of it, so don't ever call me a Polack”

Stanley makes clear to the audience that he represents the new, heterogeneous America to which Blanche doesn't belong as a relic from the defunct social hierarchy that was the ‘Old South’. He sees himself as a “social leveller”, as he tells Stella in Scene Eight.

Arguably due to their upbringing, or one of a ...

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Arguably due to their upbringing, or one of a large number of other possible causes, it is now clear that the two are very culturally different, their traits are contrasting and their basic mentality is almost opposite. Due to the social climate even Blanche recognises that “he's just not the type that goes for jasmine perfume, but maybe he's what we need to mix with our blood now that we've lost Belle Reve.” However there are many other ways, of a far more complex and contextual nature that the two differ but are also similar.

Both conflicting characters, Blanche and Stanley seek control; not at first over each other but without doubt over those around them. In scene three we see Blanche belittling Stanley as an attempt to make herself seem more superior than Stanley to Stella. Consequently establishing a dominant position over the couple, in Stella’s eyes at least. When Stella proudly tells Blanche that “Stanley’s the only one of his crowd likely to go anywhere” Blanche tells her that she is “sorry, but [she hasn’t] noticed the stamp of Genius on Stanley forehead”

Stanley’s control over his company is rather more obvious, for example; rather than let people make up their own mind Stanley will go on to tell people what is going to happen. Stanley consistently makes comments throughout the play like “Nobody’s going to get up”, “Turn it off!” and “this is my house and I’ll talk as much as I want to!” Although the two both seek control, as explained, they go about it in very different ways.

However, the reasons that they strive for this control could be considered similar in that it is a matter of class and upbringing. The two were brought up in opposing class systems; Blanche brought up as ‘upper-class’ with a view of herself as one with elite social status, and Stanley as a proud ambitious member of the working class.

In 1947 when ‘A Street Car Named Desire’ was first performed, the ‘Old South’ was undergoing reform. A new breed of post war, second generation, immigrant, American workers transformed the working class at the time into a highly industrious workforce; upon which the New South and ‘New America’ relied. The wealthy landowners of the ‘Old South’ were becoming obsolete as Americas economy began to shift, relying more and more on new industry and therefore the working class. At such a volatile time the success of one of the classes would be the downfall of the other. Tennessee Williams, through the characters of Blanche and Stanley, is telling the story of this shift of power. The characters of the two classes each represent values that are antagonistic to each other’s chances of survival in modern America. Therefore, Stanley and Blanche striving for control is symbolic of the class survival struggle at the time. Stella's loyalty to Stanley also serves as a symbol of Stanley’s societal success. Blanche fails to convince Stella to leave Stanley as she believes Stella was born for better society and values, saying

“You can’t have forgotten that much of our bringing up, Stella, that you just suppose that any part of a gentleman’s in his nature! Not one particle, no! Oh, if he was just – ordinary! Just plain – but good and whole-some, but no. There is something downright – bestial – about him.”

Blanche sees Staley as keeping Stella in his grasp through his unpretentious, powerful sexual attraction and nothing more, never giving Stanley credit for any ‘higher’ feelings. The basic differences in Blanche's and Stanley's social stations and relationship to Stella expand into larger issues that make compromise impossible. The fact that they are both fighting for survival is a similarity. However the principals and notions governing why they do this are almost entirely different.

The reasons the two struggle may be almost entirely different and the notions that govern them too, although there is one reason for struggle that the two hold in common. That reason is the search for love and affection from those they hold dear to them. In Williams’ play Stanley shows his desire for love and affection in a very primal and sexual manner. His lust for Stella is obvious describing her in scene three as “my baby doll” and after nearly losing her is described as falling “on his knees on the steps and [pressing] his face into her belly, curving a little with maternity”. Blanche throughout the play is also searching for love and affection however goes about this search in a very different way.

Blanche prefers to live in the world of fantasy, as she admits to Mitch, she found the man she loved in bed with another man, saying “by coming suddenly into a room that I thought was empty, but had two people in it”. It becomes clear at this point that Blanche wants to misrepresent things and live life how she thinks it ought to be rather than the way that it is. Blanch goes on to tell Mitch that “afterwards we pretended that nothing had ever been discovered”. It is this misrepresentation of life that helps better explain how Blanche goes about her search for love and affection. The affection Blanche seeks is similar to Stanley’s as it is also a physical dependence on another. Stanley relies on Stella but Blanche, after losing the young man that she loved describes herself as reliant on strangers, ironically telling the doctor in scene eleven “Whoever you are—I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”. Blanche’s demise at this point is complete as her search for love and struggle against reality has driven her insane. Blanche still refuses, out of shear fear, to let herself believe that her reliance on strangers has done her ill. In reality strangers seem only to have been kind to her in exchange for sex after Blanche lost Belle Reve; and others such as Stanley and Mitch have failed to give her the sympathy she deserves.

However misguided both the Kowalski’s and the Du Bois are strongly led by a lust or desire to love and be loved, and without question in this case they are alike.

In conclusion I believe that the Kowalski’s and Dubois are quite similar in their actions. However, and ultimately, the motivation behind their actions, notions and philosophy on life is so different that the two, by the end of the play at least, are without doubt very far from alike. In addition I believe that Stanley and Blanche’s perspective on life could be proved as different due to success. Of course this is not success in social status or wealth but success defined as fulfilling one’s own goals. Both characters strive for control and affection however only Stanley really fulfils this goal. Stanley through his primitive, hot blooded and masculine nature demands control over those around him and has untiring love from his wife, Stella. Blanche on the other hand does not have either of these things; Blanche failed to undermine Stanley and gain Stella’s respect, she also failed in controlling Mitch and the other men with her false femininity and flirtation. As far as love and affection for Blanche is concerned, this had been Blanche’s principal focus since the suicide of her lover after she caught him cheating on her with another man. Ironically this focus ultimately led to her downfall and her living in a world devoid of reality as she prostituted herself in a feeble attempt to grasp men’s affection. The success of the Kowalski’s and failure of Blanche is strong evidence of the differences in notions that drive the Characters. Therefore I agree with the statement almost entirely as that the Kowalski’s and Du Bois have very different primary notions that motivate them in throughout the play.

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

groat

5th of Apr 2012

Quality of writing

The essay has a good structure, having a clear introduction and conclusion. This shows that you are focused on the task, making for a cogent argument. I would advise that you don't use the first person in an English Literature essay, however. For example saying "I believe" in a conclusion shows the examiner that your view is more personal, rather than backed up by strong analysis and good evidence. This essay still gives the reason for their beliefs, but it just seems more sophisticated to state "it is clear from the evidence that" or use similar phrases. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are fine. This essay is fluently written, making for a convincing argument - I just feel more close analysis is required.

Level of analysis

The analysis here is sound. There are numerous quotes, but I don't feel that language is every analysed closely. For example the essay comments that "Although the two both seek control, as explained, they go about it in very different ways". To make this argument more sophisticated, they should be contrasting the language used to seek control, and why Williams uses this technique. This is the sort of analysis that examiners are looking for, whereas this essay tends to retell the story at times. I liked the attempt to include some contextual arguments, looking at the Old South. However, this seems to have just been lumped in the essay and hasn't been included with any craft. At GCSE level it's not good enough to simply have a whole paragraph on context to reach the assessment objectives. You must weave contextual features into your points, looking at how contemporary audiences would respond to Williams techniques, thus extending from former analysis. To add to this, I don't feel there is enough emphasis on audience response here. I always make it clear to the examiner that I understanding the text is a play, and so focus on stage presence or an audience's reactions to Williams' techniques. By doing this, you show a fuller understanding of why Williams uses the medium of drama to convey his ideas. Language such as "Blanche's demise" is good here, and this could've been furthered by exploring tragedy and its forms.

Response to question

This essay responds well to the text, looking at differences in Williams use of speech and appearances on stage. There is a strong knowledge of the text shown here, with a breadth of ideas being discussed. I would've liked there to have been more discussion of why Williams chooses to have Stanley and Blanche have different notions. This would've allowed an exploration of why this scene is significant to the play as a whole, which is a skill examiners are looking for when setting questions on particular extracts. If I were answering this question, I would've focused a bit more on the way Stanley becomes the driver of Blanche's tragic downfall due to their conflicting personalities.

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