A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams (1947)

Extract

[...] One of the most important themes throughout the piece is "Sexuality", and the Kowalski couple seem to have a lot of desire between them, Stella, like her sister, has a very powerful desire for sexuality and sexual attention, however, unlike her sister, her sexual' needs don't need the attention of multiples men, she only needs her Husband, husband who feels threatened in his own sexuality by Blanche's presence Honey, it's gonna be sweet when we can make noises in the night the way that we used to and get the coloured lights going with nobody's sister behind the curtains to hear us" Scene 8). Their sexual attraction is an important part of their relationship, as well as their sexuality in general. In the end, they are a couple with a very strong bond, both physical (sexuality) that mental. [...]

[...] A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams (1947) Examen de Littérature Américaine L1 LLCER 1/Discuss the relationships between Stanley Kowalski and his wife Stella Kowalski. (10 points) Stanely and Stella Kowalski share a very special relationship. On one hand, we have Stanley, a man brutal, who crave a sort of violence, of bestiality. He is mainly and asserts his dominance easily. On the other hand, we have Stella, Blanche's younger sister. She too comes from the aristocracy but unlike her sister, she has sort of rejected her origins a long time ago. [...]

[...] They are interdependent and complementary, limited in their relationship (especially Stella). Analyze the following passage from Scene V. (10 points) In this extract, Blanche is waiting for Mitch to come to pick her. While doing this, a young paperboy arrives and this scene occurs. Blanche, an ancient aristocrat who is now ruined, craves lustful behaviour and strong sexual needs. Her sexual appetite isn't controlled and reasonable. She has expressed her disapprobation toward Stella and Stanley's sexuality but hers is not more "sane" nor "balanced" (in this extract, it is her and a teenager, an unbalanced "relationship"). [...]

[...] And when he arrives, she plays the "princess card", demanding him to bow in front of her, with a bunch of flowers. She plays the "elegant lady card" like she is some sort of graceful lady, she's coming from an aristocratic family after all. It's like she didn't try to lure a young boy into her bed just before he arrived. That says that she was "standing there a little dreamily", after the paperboy's departure, she controls her reality, but she chooses to ignore it, she chooses to fly away in some sort of vivid living dreams of her confection. [...]

[...] Is that Mitch's future arrival that has convinced her to let the young boy go? Blanche appears to be an elegant lady from the aristocracy, her manners are graceful, she's often seen wearing white, but on the inside, she's no different than Stanely or Stella, she is lustful too, but unlike them, her sexual appetite isn't controlled, balanced or sane. It's like a dangerous obsession. And she is well aware of that, proof on the end of this scene, just before Mitch arrives. [...]