Gender Roles in a Streetcar Named Desire Essay - 1042 Words

Gender Roles in A Streetcar Named Desire Throughout history empowerment and marginalization has primarily been based on gender. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, this idea of empowerment is strongly flaunted. Tennessee Williams’ characters, primarily Stanley, Blanche, Mitch, and Stella, conform the expected roles of men and women at the time. Although World War Two temporarily allowed women a place in the work force, they were dismissed from such empowerment when the war came to a close. Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire are accurate representations of the social historical context of that time. The power struggle between Stanley and Blanche conveys dominant ideas about gender such as the primitive nature, aggression, and†¦show more content†¦In addition to segregation, dominance is seen once again when Stanley is unable to prevent Mitch’s desertion of the game. His violent outbursts are desperate attempts to exert his dominance. â€Å"Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.â₠¬  it becomes apparent that his threatening words are not enough, and he begins using violence as a physical means of controlling Stella and frightening Blanche. Although Stanley’s power works mainly to downgrade Blanche, his violent and aggressive nature also disempowers Stella. She is abused during poker night, a moment of masculine bonding. Following the poker night she is made powerful when she retreats to Eunice’s Flat. However, she returns to disempowerment when she leaves Eunice’s flat and Stanley ‘bears her into the dark flat’. Stella’s decision to stay with Stanley is not based on choice, but rather on the fact that she must. This enforces the dominant belief that women are unable to support themselves, emotionally and financially. Similar to Stanley, Blanche also faces a power struggle. Her ultimate downfall is a result of Stanley’s cruelty and lack of understanding for human fragility. Comments about Stanley’s ‘animal habits’ and ‘sub-human’ nature act as the agent of Blanche’s downfall. Stanley cannot deal with her mocking him in his own home and is fed up with her lies. During the final scenes hisShow MoreRelatedGender Roles : A Streetcar Named Desire1210 Words   |  5 PagesStreetcar Named Desire The strong emphasis on the contrast between gender roles, specifically masculinity compared to femininity, is essential to the message portrayed in Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire. This 20th century work acts as a critique on the post war treatment of women and the dependent relationship between women and men. Williams pushed the gendered characteristics of his character to the extreme and the relationship between Stella, Blanche, and Stanley represents all aspectsRead MoreRedefining Gender Roles Of A Streetcar Named Desire1605 Words   |  7 Pages103 8 May 2016 Dissecting Gender Roles in A Streetcar Named Desire The representation of gender roles is among the most prominent recurring subjects in theatre, literature and expressive art as we know it. Gender, and what it means to human beings, is a subject that is as difficult to precisely define as death, race, and the concept of existence. Anne Beall, Ph.D. graduate in Social Psychology at Yale University, details in her book The Psychology of Gender that â€Å"Gender is socially defined masculinityRead MoreGender Roles And Expectations : A Streetcar Named Desire 1096 Words   |  5 PagesGender Equality in Our Society Gender roles and expectations have a lot of impacts on our society and it needs to be changed in order to create a better civilisation. Although our society has ameliorated tremendously in the past years, there are still some discriminatory actions among genders that are affecting someone s life negatively. Any remaining differential between genders need to be changed for a better moral standard of living. The Impacts of gender roles and expectations can be seenRead MoreEssay on Gender Roles in A Streetcar Named Desire1905 Words   |  8 Pagesall see the world in vastly different ways. These members of a family that operate completely outside of our generation’s norms, are constantly unsure of themselves and their station within the binary not only of their familial unit, but within the gender binary that is established for them to follow. Throughout the story of the strange family, each character goes through a different arch that changes them irrevocably whether it is able to be perceived or not by those around them. The only male, StanleyRead MoreThemes Of Gender Roles And Gender : A Streetcar Named Desire1117 Words   |  5 PagesThemes of gender roles and gender performativity are evident throughout Williams’ iconic play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. In this essay, I will be examining what affect this has on the text as well as employing Judith Butlers theories of performing and performativity. Williams’ presents us with a range of characters who vary in terms of their gender expression. As a homosexual man himself, he also uses the play as a way to express his personal feelings as homosexuality was a great taboo and generallyRead MoreEssay On Gender Roles In A Streetcar Named Desire865 Words   |  4 Pages In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, gender roles were reflected on gender roles in the American Society in the 50’s. The male gender was predominant while the female gender was considered less powerful. Williams really emphasizes this stereotype, yet he focuses on the females in the play the whole time. Stanley is a good example of the stereotypical male. He is portrayed as the dominant husband of Stella. He is always trying to prove he is in charge. As well as beingRead More Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper and A Streetcar Named Desire1539 Words   |  7 Pages Many different depictions of gender roles exist in all times throughout the history of American culture and society. Some are well received and some are not. When pitted against each other for all intents and purposes of opposition, the portrayal of the aspects and common traits of masculinity and femininity are separated in a normal manner. However, when one gender expects the other to do its part and they are not satisfied with the results and demand more, things can shift from normal to extremeRead MoreRole of Gender in A Streetcar Named Desire Essay example1921 Words   |  8 Pagespositions which had previously been considered masculine. This was not to last however, and by the fifties men had reassumed their mor e dominant role in society. People were finding new voices at this time by taking pre-existing forms and pushing the boundaries to re-voice established literary forms. Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire around the time this reversal was occurring in American society. Williams was a homosexual from the deep south of America, and his play is about physicalRead MoreExplorations of Gender Roles in A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams863 Words   |  3 PagesIn the 1947 play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams explores the aspects of traditional gender roles in society; raising many questions about gender, power, and dominance. Ultimately, though, A Streetcar Named Desire observes the conflict between alpha male Stanley Kowalski and the delicately feminine Blanche DuBois, with wife, sister, and mother-to-be, Stella Kowalski, caught in the middle. Williams investigates the continuing fight for authority, on the one hand, and equality on theRead More A Comparison of Gender-Roles in A Dolls House and A Streetcar named Desire1400 Words   |  6 PagesGender-Roles in A Dolls House and A Streetcar named Desire   Ã‚   The roles of males and females in our society are subjects that entail great criticism, and have been under scrutiny for as long as a `society has existed. In analyzing A Dolls House by Henrick Ibsen and A Streetcar named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the effects that gender-roles have on relationships is an evident aspect in both of the plays. The choice of words used by the authors strongly underscores the themes of supremacy