Stella Kowalski

Stella acts as the link between the two polarities of the play: the one being her sister, Blanche; the other being her husband Stanley.

Symbolism of the apartment

In a way, Stella is symbolised by the apartment: it is the small world she has created for her and her husband.
The world is not glamorous or luxurious but it is comfortable and committed – a bit like Stella herself.
Stella means ‘star’, and although she is perhaps a star wife, her sexuality and attraction have diminished. She may be worn down by domesticity and by her pregnancy.

Trapped between worlds

Stella does her best to be impartial in the play - but all the time she is a victim to the competing energies of Blanche and Stanley who both want her as an ally.
Stella’s difficulty is that her origins are like Blanche’s: they are middle-class and cultured, but she has ended up compromising those values by loving Stanley and, in effect, moving into a working-class environment.
Stella is sympathetic to both of these worlds. But her sympathy means that she becomes a victim to Stanley’s male power.

Loyalty to Stanley

All the while Blanche tries to separate off Stella from Stanley to create a sisterhood but Stella seems aware of this process and always returns to Stanley.
There are several moments in the play where Blanche belittles Stanley, hoping that her words will have an effect on her sister. However, Stella proves to be resilient to this process.

Sensitive to others' needs

Stella realises that informing Blanche of her pregnancy is not a good thing as she realises that Blanche is fragile about such matters.
So Stella is sensitive to her sister’s needs but is also sensitive to Stanley.
After they argue, Stella soon makes up with Stanley.
When Blanche questions her about his violence, Stella seems to accept that such things happen in marriages and that Blanche is too "excitable".

Reasons for arguments

Stella and Stanley appear to argue very little.
When they do argue, it is because of Blanche’s presence.
Stanley becomes angry because of what he finds out about Blanche’s background, how long she spends in the bathroom and her continually playing the radio. The latter causes an argument between Stella and Stanley in Scene Three of the play.

Stella Kowalski

Stella acts as the link between the two polarities of the play: the one being her sister, Blanche; the other being her husband Stanley.

Blanche's influence

The audience does notice that Stella gradually becomes more influenced by Blanche’s observations.
- For example, when Stella says, “drunk—drunk—animal thing, you!” she seems to be ventriloquising Blanche.
Her sister influences her language.
Perhaps Blanche hopes that Stella will realise she has married a "sub-human".

Stanley's influence

Stanley repeatedly says to Stella that their life together was better before Blanche arrived.
Stanley tries to turn his wife against her sister: his difficulty is that blood is usually thicker than water.
Although Stanley seems convinced that their lives will be better together once Blanche has gone, Stella seems less convinced. Underneath, she seems to relish looking after her sister and re-engaging with her.

Role in the tragedy

Stella is the only hope of bringing these two warring factions together.
She inevitably fails because of Stanley’s actions.
Her position at the end of the play has been much discussed.
- Does she accept what Stanley had done and the crime he has committed?
- Is she too afraid to become like her sister who is homeless and wandering?
- Is she placing the family home and the care of her baby above and beyond the sin of her husband?

Passive?

Stella is sometimes seen as passive for not taking sides.
In the end, though, she appears to realise that her sister does need help and care and is aware of her mental illness.
Puzzlingly, she does not seem interested (unlike Stanley) in the fate of her ancestral home at Belle Reve.

1Context & Overview

1.1The Author

1.1.1Tennessee Williams

1.2Social Context & Setting

1.2.1Social Context

1.2.2Social Issues

1.2.3Setting

1.3Tragedy

1.3.1Overview of the Tragic Genre

1.3.2Modern Domestic Tragedy

1.3.3End of Topic Test - Author, Context & Tragedy

2Scene Summaries

2.1Scene One

2.1.1Scene One: Summary

2.1.2Scene One: Tragedy Ideas

2.2Scene Two

2.2.1Scene Two: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.2.2End of Topic Test - Scenes One-Two

2.3Scene Three

2.3.1Scene Three: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.4Scene Four

2.4.1Scene Four: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.4.2End of Topic Test - Scenes Three & Four

2.5Scene Five

2.5.1Scene Five: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.6Scene Six

2.6.1Scene Six: Summary

2.7Scene Seven

2.7.1Scene Seven: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.8Scene Eight

2.8.1Scene Eight: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.8.2End of Topic Test - Scenes Five-Eight

2.9Scene Nine

2.9.1Scene Nine: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.10Scene Ten

2.10.1Scene Ten: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.11Scene Eleven

2.11.1Scene Eleven: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

2.11.2End of Topic Test - Scenes Nine-Eleven

3Character Profiles

3.1Blanche DuBois & Stanley Kowalski

3.1.1Blanche DuBois - The Past & Illusions

3.1.2Blanche DuBois - Relationship with Men & Breakdown

3.1.3The Dynamic Between Blanche & Stanley

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Blanche & Stanley

3.2Stella Kowalski & Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

3.2.1Stella Kowalski

3.2.2Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

3.3Minor Characters

3.3.1The Hubbels & Other Characters

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Stella, Mitch & Others

4Key Ideas

4.1Sex & Gender

4.1.1Sex & Desire

4.1.2Masculinity & Femininity

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Sex, Desire & Gender

4.2Appearances, Fantasy & Reality

4.2.1Outer & Inner Appearances

4.2.2Fantasy & Reality

4.2.3End of Topic Test - Appearances, Fantasy...

5Writing Techniques

5.1Structure

5.1.1Structure & Stage Design

5.1.2Linking Devices

5.1.3Recurring Motifs

5.2Genre, Form & Language

5.2.1Genre

5.2.2Form & Language

5.2.3End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

6Critical Debates

6.1Early & Modern Reception

6.1.1Interpreting Blanche & Self-Pity

6.1.2Contemporary & Modern Reviews

6.2Feminist, Psychoanalytic & Marxist Approach

6.2.1Feminist Approach

6.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

6.2.3Marxist Approach

6.2.4End of Topic Test - Critical Debates

7Ideas About Tragedy

7.1Ideas About Tragedy

7.1.1Tragic Ideas & Villain

7.1.2Tragic Structure & Language

Jump to other topics