4.1.2

Masculinity & Femininity

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Masculinity

A core thematic strand of the plays is masculinity and the challenges to masculinity.

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Stanley

  • When we first meet Stanley Kowalski, he is presented as animal-like and filled with carnal lust.
  • In many ways, he comes across – both to the audience and to Blanche – as a creature dominating its territory through aggression and noise, almost intimidating any other males present.
  • Williams hints at Stanley’s sexual nature but also his low status by labelling him a "gaudy seed-bearer".
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Portrayal of Stanley

  • Performances tend to emphasise Stanley’s musculature and his physicality.
  • Many of the stage directions refer to him taking his shirt off.
  • The presentation of Stanley overtly marks him as the lead ape in a pack. When he shouts at Stella, this is almost like a kind of mating ritual.
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Sensitive side?

  • We also see another side to Stanley.
  • He can be very tender and caring towards Stella and seems particularly proud of her pregnancy.
  • When Stella leaves after he has hit her, he also seems to show his true love for her. This proves that Stanley has a sensitive side to him.
  • However, some observers argue that this is negated because of Stanley’s aggression and rape of Blanche. Nothing outweighs or can compensate for the horror of the latter.
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Mitch

  • Mitch shows off his athleticism and strength.
  • He appears to wish to challenge the dominant male (Stanley) at times. But at other times he shows a more sensitive side. He is worried, for example, that Blanche drinks Stanley’s alcohol and is concerned as to what his mother will think of Blanche.
  • Blanche appears to find Mitch’s physical form attractive.

Femininity

Like masculinity, feminity contributes much to the tragedy of A Streetcar Named Desire.

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Blanche's reliance on men

  • At times, Blanche's appearance seems calculated to attract men - such as Mitch. She undresses in the light of the apartment so that he can see the curves of her body.
  • Blanche seems somewhat reliant on the attention of men to make up for the void created by her failed relationship with her husband.
  • Blanche is consistently reliant on the hope that Shep Huntleigh will save her.
  • In the final reckoning, it is a male doctor who takes her out of this situation and tries to help her.
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Stella

  • Pregnancy marks Stella as feminine - but this is also the way she will continue Stanley’s line.
  • This means she is dependent on the male figure of Stanley in a different way. He is the father of her child and, despite Stanley’s violence and cheating, she still sticks by him.
  • Ultimately, Stella sticks by Stanley and does not believe Blanche’s story about him raping her.
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Eunice

  • Eunice is another female figure in the play who is reliant on her husband.
  • She contributes to the idea of problematic femininity in the play by trying to convince Stella that Blanche is telling a lie about the rape.
  • But you could also argue that societal and economic pressures prevent them from being defiant of men – so Williams was right to depict them in this way at this point in history.

Jump to other topics

1Context & Overview

2Scene Summaries

3Character Profiles

4Key Ideas

5Writing Techniques

6Critical Debates

7Ideas About Tragedy

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