A Streetcar Named Desire - Outsiders

                                                                                                             Zuhal Aylan

A Streetcar Named Desire-Essay

“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”.Williams presents 1940s New Orleans as a society lacking in kindness, explore this view.

Within the context of 1940’s New Orleans, A Streetcar Named Desire is associated with the interpretation of discrimination and the absence of destiny of the outsider.It is obvious that this is an inspiration of Williams’ own life considering the facts that he experienced by being an outsider and the way that he was victimsed by a general public in which social equity was not as common as it is today.

Blanche, as an outsider, can't adapt to the city of New Orleans as her case to Southern aristocracy renders her totally unfit to change as she is enlightened with the purification of the high societies. Williams shows this at the beginning of Blanche’s entrance to ‘Elysian Fields’ when she ‘sits in the chair stiffly’, his word choice of ‘stiffly’ suggests that she is not feeling very graceful about the place as it is much different to what she used to have, and it creates an atmosphere of poverty caused by the lack of employment due to the period. The period takes place just after WW2 and the Great Depression in America, in the same way there weren’t enough job opportunities around the country and a reason why Blanche is not suitable for this type of situation as it creates lack of fate. Williams shows the absence of fate of the outcast through the path in which Blanche’s defeat is emphasized. The arrangement in order to reach to ‘Elysian Fields’ was ‘to get a streetcar named desire’ and then move on to the one which is named ‘Cemetries’ explained by Blanche.  Indeed, Williams ironically highlights the fate of Blanche as he foreshadows the end of Blanche’s life, at the end this journey is going to bring death. As well as the foreshadow of Blanche’s end which is frequently illustrated by Williams,  the ‘incongruous’ personality of Blanche suggests that an outsider fom a racist plantation farm wouldn’t be as accepting and welcoming as it would be if she was raised  in South America, New Orleans. At this period of time the racisms towards men, women, white, black and etc, was much more common as it was just after World War two. Despite the fact that discrimination was at the most noteworthy, New Orleans was one of the deep south countries which involved slavery suggests that this city isn’t as tragic as the others, such as Belle Reve. As well as the injustice towards women, Stanley likewise experienced prejudice particularly from Blanche, as Blanche nicknames him ‘polack’. Here Williams is suggesting that one of the points which makes Blanche more powerful than Stanley is that she can defeat him by racism. In addition, Tenesse Williams reflects the reality of having seperated communities at that time in America because of the different backgrounds and the caharacteristics of people, just like in his private life, he has being seperated because he was gay. The audience at this period of time might argue that we can’t blame Blanche for being racist towards Stanley as she is from Belle Reve and for this society, discrimination was a natural disagreement. This is also well shown by Blanche when she uses a repetation of ironic words such as ‘animal’, ‘sub-human’, ‘ape-like’, these quotes are to promote the impressions that Stanley gave to Blanche, she thinks he is no more than an animal. On the other hand some might say that this is a part of human nature caused by our id and it is in our hands to make a decision, as Freud expressed.

While this is the case, Williams dramatically claims that Blanche and the other women such as Stella faced discirmination due to the unequality between women and men, as men taught to be the dominant one caused by his masculinity. Additionnally, this is well appeared by Williams when Blanche opens the 'white radio' which is then horrendously destroyed by Stanley tossing the radio out from the window. As the audience watching this scene on the stage, it's predictible that its not the sound that irritated Stanley, but rather the symbolism makes Blanche more capable than Stanley, this is the main reason of Stanley loosing his temperature While this is the case, some people watching this play on stage in 1940s, might argue that Stanley is also being cruel to Blanche which is caused by the society, as though he is compelled to be that sort of man as he is required to be a manly. With regard to masculinity at this period, its predictible that Williams is incidentally picking this subject caused by the catastrophe he had in his life, he was gay. This is showing how individuals felt about the gay community at the time. Basically he spoke to his circumstance in other or his plays, ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.’

‘We’ve had this date from the beginning’, said Stanley just before the rape of Blanche. Williams suggests that Stanley knows Blanche is not a respectable woman and between the argument and the sexual tension he rapes her. This also goes to show that Stanley is an animal inside and that he is willing to do anything to get Blanche out of his and Stella’s life. Williams as well as the repetition of the ‘Blue piano’, which is used to give a sense of tension on the stage, have always foreshadowed the rape scene. One might argue that it’s Stanley’s fault as he has always been brutal to Blanche, on the other hand, others might say that Stanley had no other choice to protect his marriage with Stella because he suggests that Blanche brings danger. The effects of this situation is well shown by Blanche, she keeps asking if the grapes are ‘washed’, a repetition of word ‘washed’ suggests that Blanche feels dirty, this shows the unkindness of men in the society. As well as feeling dirty, Blanche goes to a mental institution by believing that she is going to meet ‘Shep huntleigh’, he represents Blanche's idea of the perfect man, a rich, debonair, suave gentleman.