Gender Roles A Streetcar Named Desire - 1210 Words

Streetcar Named Desire The strong emphasis on the contrast between gender roles, specifically masculinity compared to femininity, is essential to the message portrayed in Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire. This 20th century work acts as a critique on the post war treatment of women and the dependent relationship between women and men. Williams pushed the gendered characteristics of his character to the extreme and the relationship between Stella, Blanche, and Stanley represents all aspects of the disparity between the masculine and feminine aspects of society. In the nineteen fifties men dominated over women and this is demonstrated through Stanley’s brute and aggressive attitude. Blanche and Stella are both defined through their relationship with men however portray different ideas of how women should act. The way that Tennessee Williams constructed his characters represents the truth of societies attitudes towards masculinity and femininity during this time period. Stanley, the protago nist of A Streetcar Named Desire, was constructed by Williams to represent the stereotypical male during this time in American history. Stanley is aggressive, brute, almost animalistic, and lacking in any sense of insight or sensitivity, yet somehow he is also portrayed as being an upright citizen. We are originally introduced to his character with a playful charm as well as learning that he once served as â€Å"A Master Sergeant in the Engineers Corps. Those are decorations!†(1122).Show MoreRelatedRedefining Gender Roles Of A Streetcar Named Desire1605 Words   |  7 Pages103 8 May 2016 Dissecting Gender Roles in A Streetcar Named Desire The representation of gender roles is among the most prominent recurring subjects in theatre, literature and expressive art as we know it. Gender, and what it means to human beings, is a subject that is as difficult to precisely define as death, race, and the concept of existence. 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Williams investigates the continuing fight for authority, on the one hand, and equality on theRead More A Comparison of Gender-Roles in A Dolls House and A Streetcar named Desire1400 Words   |  6 PagesGender-Roles in A Dolls House and A Streetcar named Desire   Ã‚   The roles of males and females in our society are subjects that entail great criticism, and have been under scrutiny for as long as a `society has existed. In analyzing A Dolls House by Henrick Ibsen and A Streetcar named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the effects that gender-roles have on relationships is an evident aspect in both of the plays. The choice of words used by the authors strongly underscores the themes of supremacy