A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams :: A Streetcar Named Desire Essays

Tennessee Williams gives insight into three mediocre lives in his play, A Streetcar Named Desire which is set in the mid-1930s in New Orleans. The main characters in the play are Blanche, Stanley, and Stella. all three of these characters suffer from personalities that differentiate each of them to great extremes. Because of these dramatic contrarieties in emplacements, there are mounting meshings between the characters throughout the play. The principal conflict lies between Blanche and Stanley, due to their conflicting ideals of happiness and the way things ought to be.Williams begins by introducing us to the happy couple, Stanley and Stella Kowalski. The two live in a die part of New Orleans, but are content in their environment and their life-style. Stanley Kowalski is a Polish Immigrant who strongly believes in the role of a musical composition in his own household. One may perceive him as cosmos unrefined and rude, due to his blunt nature, but to himself and Stella, i t is just his practical attitude towards life. Evident, through his interaction and dialogue with Stella and other characters, is his need to prove his maleness by being dominant and imposing. In contrast, Stella is overly mild-tempered and always straining to please. Generally, she is able to adapt to all situations. This ability to adapt proves to be useful, as two her husband and her sister, Blanche, have such strong personalities. From the beginning, it is apparent that Stella much plays the peacemaker. She was able to foresee that Stanley and her visiting sister would clash. In hopes of avoiding any confrontation, she warned them both to be on their best behaviour. Stella is soft-spoken, speaking only when when it is needed, and expressing her grief only when it overwhelms her, whereas Blanche is the opposite an outspoken woman, with many opinions. Superficial is the first impression that Blanche gives when she enters the play. Consumed by appearance and face value, she is ineffectual to see that Stellas new lifestyle is not as horrid as she imagines. In comparison to Belle Reve, it is legitimate that these New Orleans slums may not meet Dubois standards, but Blanche is unable to see beyond the way things appear in order to suck that Stellas world does not revolve around material items. This taint is intertwined with her vanity and her need keep up appearances. On the surface, Blanche appears to be snobby and conceited.