Play a Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, the two characters Stanley and Blanche, have opposite personalities that cause conflict between them. Stanley’s background is described as carelessness and without manners. Although, Blanche’s is the opposite, her background is more prestige as she stood out more. They both have wants in life, and they go through difficulties trying to achieve their desires. Stanley and Blanche affect each other in multiple ways, and use Stella for their own purposes throughout the play.

Stanley and Blanche have wants that they are trying to achieve in their lives. They both want to have love but in different ways. Stanley wants to be loved and never left. Stanley uses love as his way of being able to manipulate and control people. He fears Stella leaving him even though he abuses her. Stella yells out, “ You lay your hands on me and I’ll–” (3.165-8) Then she is hit by Stanley while he is drunk, and Stella later forgives Stanley. This shows how Stanley manipulates Stella into thinking he’s a good person because she loves him.

To achieve their wants and desire Stanley and Blanche use many ways. One way is by using Stella. Stanley wants to be loved by Stella and to be reassured that she will never leave him. Stanley uses Stella by manipulating her that he really loves her even though he hits her. After Stella is hit by Stanley he starts to regret it. He calls out, “I want my baby down here. Stella, Stella!” (3.76) Stanley acts thats he is mortified of what he done to her and wants her to come back.

Stella is being manipulated by Stanley constantly and she does not see it. Blanche uses Stella to get her away from Stanley. For example, Blanche is always talking negatively about Stanley to Stella. Blanche says, “In my opinion? You’re married to a madman!” (4.73) Blanche does not agree with how Stanley treats Stella and tries to turn her away from her husband. Blanche is trying to use Stella to agree with her and take her side.

Stanley and Blanche affect each other in multiple ways. Stanley’s hostile personality gets in the way of Blanche’s personality. Blanche has more mannerism than Stanley and tends to be calmer in tough situations. Stanley is the exact opposite as he is all the time arguing and being too loud. Throughout the play, Stanley wants to get rid of Blanche and wants her back home. He fears as if she is ruining his and Stella’s relationship, and that Blanche is trying to tack Stella away from him. Stanley talks about Blanche, “She’s not stayin’ here after Tuesday. You know that, don’t you? Just to make sure I bought her ticket myself. A bus ticket!” (7.112 ) He becomes highly jealous of Blanche and wants her out of his and Stella’s lives. He even goes on later to say, “Stell, it’s gonna be all right after she goes and after you’ve had the baby. It’s gonna be all right again between you and me the way that it was. You remember that way that it was? Them nights we had together? God, honey, it’s gonna be sweet when we can make noise in the night the way that we used to and get the colored lights going with nobody’s sister behind the curtains to hear us!” (8.55). Stanley wants his life back to the way it was before Blanche even arrived.

Blanche’s personality affects Stanley since she is more prestige. Blanche tries to explain to Stella that Stanley does not deserve her. This infuriates Stanley causing him to become overprotective of his wife, Stella. Blanche has always wondered why Stella would even be married to Stanley. She considers him to be low class. Blanche even speaks bad about where Stanley and Stella are living. Blanche says, “I thought you would never come back to this horrible place! What am I saying? I didn’t mean to say that. I meant to be nice about it and say–Oh, what a convenient location and such–Haa-ha! Precious lamb! You haven’t said a word to me.” (1.8) Blanche is rude and making fun of how Stella lives.

Stanley and Blanche both are acholochis. Their different relationships with Stella cause them to argue and cause chaos. Stanley is over controlling and nosey to where he finds out about Blanche’s past. Blanche also tries to flirt with Stanley in the beginning of the play. Both characters are disrespectful to other people. Stanley and Blanche are self-centered and rely on the help of Stella. Both Blanche and Stanley find ways to make each other look bad to Stella even though they aren’t the best themselves. Throughout the play the tension between Stanley and Blanche ended up as a tragedy.

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