How Williams Uses the Conflict between Stanley and Blanche to Create Such a Powerful Tragic Play - Coursework Example

The Theme of Conflict and Genre of Tragedy in Tennessee Williams Play “A Streetcar d Desire” Insert Insert Grade Insert 23 October 2012 The Theme of Conflict and Genre of Tragedy in Tennessee Williams Play Introduction A play dubbed “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a play by Tennessee Williams with two main characters known as Stanley and Blanche who conspicuously and persistently demonstrate opposition throughout the play. The theme represented by Stanley, who is Stella’s husband, is that of realism but showing some character traits which may be described as nascent though masculine, a character that is overwhelmingly irresistible to Stella. Blanche is Stella’s sister who under circumstances of duress sold the family plantation, lived in Belle Reve where she took care of a generation of relatives. Blanche wants Stella leave Stanley and go to live with her yet Stella had left the family when she was young. Blanche’s visit to Kowalski’s was ill intentioned with an aim to take her sister back. Stanley fights this battle to a logical end to protect his wife from his foe, Blanche. Blanche’s theme in the play is one which shows less of realism demonstrating a character that is much less realistic than that of Stanley (Tennessee, 2009, p.82). This paper will address and explore how the use of conflict between key characters Stanley and Blanche by play writer Tennessee Williams has created such a tragic and powerful play. In doing this, constructive arguments with substantive and textual evidence will be applied to demonstrate tragic genre using dramatic form and structure. In addition, represented speech and imagery together with cross references to other plays will be used to discuss tragedy with a demonstration of a myriad of contexts such as literary, cultural, social and moral within notions of tragedy. Conflict between Stanley and Blanche and the Notion of Tragedy in the Play There are various instances within the play where conflict between the main characters, Stanley and Blanche, is seen. The arrival of Blanche at the Kowalski household, for example, and the questioning of the authority of Stanley over his home may be described as a first demonstration of opposition and conflict. Although Stanley has in the past been in charge of his home and wife Stella, Blanche’s arrival reflected an act of intimidation and invasion that Stanley strongly disagrees with. Stanley has somehow managed to convert Stella to his style of life, which may be described as a “rat-race” type (Tennessee, 2009, p.91-122).The fact that Stanley and Blanche are clashing with an aim to win Stella is itself a theme of conflict. Conflict is also demonstrated in the course of the play over the Napoleonic code idea by Stanley, which is about everything that the wife has is also his and the Belle Reve plantation which Blanches did not have papers for and hence lost it. On Stanley questioning the source of Blanche’s belongings, she admits that she acquired the wealth from an earlier admirer of hers. This revelation had been a secret for a long time and by Blanche telling it to Stanley, there was more conflict as Stanley managed to unravel the truth (Wei, 2008, p.206). Scene 10 of the play has the pick of conflict between Stanley and Stella where Blanche, the sister, is slowly torn out piece by piece by one Stanley, Stella’s husband beginning with unenthusiastic comments and ensuring that Blanche does not redeem herself even with her long bouts of speech. With Stanley’s disapproval of Blanche’s millionaire tales, he proceeds to rape her and claims that he believed he would overcome her one day and that the date between them was meant to be right from the beginning. The tragedy was that Blanche ended up losing everything beginning loss of family and relatives and the Belle Reve plantation as well as raping by Stanley towards the end and ultimate admission to a mental institute. Though Stella and Stanley had a strong and unbreakable relationship, Blanche seems to have underestimated the inner Stanley and failed to look ahead to determine that he would become the source of her downfall. Symbolism and image are shown as Blanche is styled as arriving in a small way using the streetcar while Stanley’s train is displayed as a big force with influence and power to demolish anything on its way (Tennessee, 2009, p.65). Another sense of imagery from this play is in the use of music in directing the play. Stanley’s situation, which depicts control and strength, could be compared with the blue piano used in stage directions while the background music that is basically polka would be related to the situation with Blanche in the play. The train has been used in the play to depict a theme of sound, which reflects conflict. For instance, Stanley’s unnoticed entrance into the apartment overhearing the conversation between the two sisters and a train passes outside indicating conflict (Wei, 2008, p.205). There is also a demonstration of conflict in the fact that Stanley was simply irresistible to Stella even though he had shown abusive and violent tendencies perhaps because she considered him special and knows his better side. Comparable tragic elements in the play “King Lear” for example include the behaviour of King Lear in his susceptibility to flattery depicting that he was not a wise man. This is seen as the king chooses to take empty words from Goneril and Regan as opposed to those of Cordelia, his daughter, who has true love for him but does not give a damn about his fancies. Another instance where tragedy sprouts in the play “King Lear” is when the King turns on her daughter for her refusal to take up flattery from him, thus distorting the natural order of things. Even later, other daughters of the King namely Goneril and Regan also disown and reject him (Lefler, 2010, p.215). This further aggravates the matter as it creates more natural disorder and the theme of children and parentage in a cultural context gets disturbed. Stanley and Blanche represent different characters in the play with the former representing the new south where it is survival for the fittest and magnanimity no longer exists. Blanche is a representation of the old south with dying traditions and cultural practices. The new south dominates and overcomes the old south because the latter’s traditions are dying off with time. From the foregoing, it is evident that Stanley was the victor even though Blanche fought the good fight too. A similar situation in King Lear Play as that of Blanche’s downfall is the King’s decline in the state of mind spiralling quickly from power to insanity, descending into chaos and everyone treating him as a “nobody”. This is a situation King Lear put himself into through his hubris and constant hamartia. As an indication of further tragedy, the King continued to suffer mentally and physically. Loss of eyesight and contemplation of suicide by one of the King’s daughters was also a signal of suffering and tragedy which would be compared to the downfall by Blanche in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Death is another prominent disaster in “King Lear” play as most characters including the king himself are finally killed in mysterious and varied circumstances (Lefler, 2010, p.224). Conclusion “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a play in which Tennessee Williams, the author paints a sad ending of tragedy as two main characters; Stanley and Blanche are conspicuously and persistently seen to take opposing sides on all issues throughout the play. The outcome of a winners-curse nature is perhaps the lesson from the play as illustrated clearly through the genre of tragedy. On the one hand, Stanley is used to show character traits similar to those of the people in the new south with a different culture and lifestyle from the old south. Stanley also demonstrates a theme of realism. On the other hand, Blanche represents the opposite force of Stanley both in character and behaviour. She portrays much less realistic character and represents the old south culture which is shown to be dying rather fast. Blanche desires to have her sister Stella, leave Stanley who is married to her and return home to live with her. Stella had left her sister Blanche and family many years ago when she was young. This plan drives Blanche to visit Kowalski’s with ill intentions of taking her sister away. Stanley fights this battle to a logical end in a manner leading to Blanche’s downfall and determined to protect and retain his wife. Blanche’s tragedy in the play is illustrated through a number of events which are all undesirable experiences for her. This began with the loss of her family and relatives as well as the Belle Reve plantation, raping by Stanley who is her sister’s husband, and the ultimate admission to a mental institute. Blanche’s styled arrival in a humble way using the streetcar and Stanley’s train which is shown as a big force with influence and power to demolish anything on its way, are examples of imagery and symbolism in the play. More instances of imagery and symbolism are in Stanley’s situations and circumstances are similar to those that would be said to show control and strength and that could be compared with the blue piano used in the stage directions while the background music, basically polka, would be related to the situation with Blanche in the play. To illustrate the genre of tragedy, this play may be compared with that known as “King Lear” authored by the famous William Shakespeare which is a different play but similar to “A Streetcar Named Desire” in terms of artistic the theme of tragedy. In comparing with “King Lear”, a number of instances where tragedy is evident include the instance of loss of eyesight and contemplation of suicide by one of the King’s daughters. This can be said to be a signal of suffering and tragedy which would be compared to the downfall by Blanche in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. A similar situation in King Lear Play as that of Blanche’s downfall is the King’s decline in the state of mind spiralling quickly from power to insanity, and descending into chaos. The King’s demise was so tragic that by the time of his last moment everyone treated him as a “nobody”. Bibliography Lefler N., 2010. “The Tragedy of King Lear: Redeeming Christ?” Literature & Theology; Vol. 24 Issue 3, p211-226 Tennessee W., 2009. “A Streetcar Named Desire.” London, A&C Black Publishers Ltd. Wei F., 2008. “Blanches Destruction: Feminist Analysis on A Streetcar Named Desire”. Canadian Social Science; Vol. 4 Issue 3, p102-108 Read More