I am not sure I completely understand the significance of the name of this play. A streetcar named desire, it brought Blanche to her sister’s apartment, but it does not really come into play at all after that except for a mention here and there. Maybe it is just that each character has their secret desires and the streetcar just symbolizes that they are more common then they realize, even though they come from different class levels, and backgrounds they still have the same hopes and dreams as the rest: The American Dream. On the other hand, it may not mean anything at all, and it just sounds nice…
To tell the truth, I was somewhat disappointed in this play. I was expecting it to be a little deeper than it was, this may have been due to the title. I thought there was going to be this epiphany, or some monumental experience. Rather, you find that Stanley is as abusive as he seems, Stella is a weak person who is greatly influenced by the fear of being alone and a single mother, and Blanche is crazy but may just be more sane than the rest. The end also disappointed me, just because it did not end in a way that I would have preferred. No one was better off at the end; Blanche was sent to a mental hospital in front of everyone she was side swiped, embarrassed and humiliated as she realized her own sister sent her away. Stella realized she made a mistake, traded her sister for security built off of abuse, and
Stanley reminded me a lot of Tea Cake, at first you think he’s this really nice guy and perfect for Stella, but then as the plot goes on he beats her, rapes his sister, and really isn’t as great of a guy that you would like him to be. But at first glance, he has all these friends, and makes a decent first impression that makes you second guess his character. Stella also reminded me of the grandmother from their eyes were watching god. Two weak characters who depended upon others for their support. The grandma towards the end of her life relied completely on fait and god, she gave up being someone to look up to for Janie, sent her away so that someone else could take care of her. Stella, realizes that there are weaknesses to Stanley’s character; the way he acts when he is drunk, the way he treats her sister, and the abuse part, and yet she will stay with him no matter what, even if it means turning her back on her sister in order to lock in on some form of security. She does not want to think about what would happen to her if she were a single mother, where she would go, or what she would look like. Even though she has a sister that will love her no matter what, who maybe demanding and crazy sometimes but will always be there for her because they are sisters.
Stella also reminds me of Janie in their eyes were watching god. In the sense that they both rely on men to achieve, live, and gain in their lives. Even though they could each get along fine without, and Stella could rely on her crazy sister, she chooses each time to kneel down to
3 comments:
I agree with you in that I was a little disappointed with this play. As the play goes on, we realize just how crazy Blanche is, our disgust for Stanley grows, and Stella continues to be pushed around.
However, I do have to disagree a little. Although I wasn't pleased with the end, I don't know if I would have liked it any differently. I think that Blanche wreaked havoc upon her sister and Stanley. Blanche created all these lies to kept her a safe distance from reality. I think if she stayed around, she would have been more of a nuisance to Stella. However, I think Stella should have stood up to Stanley, especially after raping her sister. If she was able to stand the abuse against her, that's one thing. But once he took to, in a sense, abusing Blanche, that's intolerable.
Stanley was well respected by his friends and deeply loved by his wife. However, what he did to Blanche discounts all that he was creditable for.
I agree that the ending of this story was unsatisfying. The play builds itself up and then climaxes as Blanche's lies unravel causing what little grasp she has on life to also unravel and then Stanley rapes Stella. This scene left me shocked although I'm not sure why. It was easy to see the tension building between Blanche and Stanley and I knew something was going to happen between them but I was not expecting rape. After this scene Blanche is taken off to a hospital and that is the end of the play. To me it seemed as though this play ended rather abruptly.
I have to stay that it is interesting that you think Stanley is so much like Tea Cake. That he uses violence only once against Stella because he believes that it will put her in her place and well you can see that it does. I think that it is also interesting that Stanley and Stella have such a passionate ralationship together that it is almost like Janie and Tea Cake's.
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