A Streetcar Named Desire Feminist Analysis
Contrasting Feminist Themes Between Two Plays Throughout history the role of womanhood has constantly been defined by society and not a natural, instinctive condition, unlike being a man. Although this theme continues through the ages, different societies, cultures, and time periods have led to many different views of womanhood and the female body itself. Feminists believe that the idea of gender is a social construct and does not solely define a person. “As a social and political movement with practical goals, feminism necessarily emphasizes the destructive results of such gender teachings on those who are biologically human” (Baym 1). This has created “feminist criticism” which is defined as literary criticism informed by feminist theory. Many playwrights and authors have used this kind of criticism to fuel their stories, such as Tennessee Williams, Charlotte Bronte, Eve Ensler, and even William Shakespeare. Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues has both similar and contrasting feminist themes as Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. Feminism in literature has a long history, as does the feminist movement itself. Although feminism has always been present, modern feminism is split up into three waves. First wave feminism describes the suffrage movement in …show more content…
This play brings up issues such as a woman’s need for marriage and men’s approval, the role of womanhood given to girls in the South, and even sexuality and promiscuity of a woman and how society views them for it. Blanche spends her whole time devoted to hiding the fact that she “had many intimacies with strangers” (Williams 118) among many other skeletons in her closet. Both plays have the same feminist ideals, but one shows them outright and in a positive light, where the other shows the negative effects if these ideals are not put into
Critical Lens Essay
692 Words | 3 PagesIn doing so, examine the feminist lens’s interpretation of the text. How are gender roles defined? Where to women fit into the text’s plot line. What do you notice about the women in this text? Is this congruent (similar) to society’s view of women, by today’s standards?
Essay On Women In Othello And A Streetcar Named Desire
1737 Words | 7 PagesAlthough being written centuries apart, the limited expectations of women presented in ‘Othello’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ differ little from each other. The female characters are confined by society’s expectations of male dominance, female purity and virginity, and the many passive roles of women. Despite the differing legalities surrounding the position of women between the centuries in which the plays were written, both plays explore the impact of how societal conventions confine women and the ways they must comply to be safe in a patriarchal society. The behaviours and treatments of Desdemona, Blanche and Stella illustrate the attitudes enforced on and the behaviours of women throughout both periods in time and it is these attitudes and behaviours that impact the plays to the greatest extent. When characters in either plays defy their norms, or demonstrate a lack of compliance they induce negative consequences, such as the murder of Desdemona and the institutionalisation of Blanche.
A Streetcar Named Desire Conflict Essay
783 Words | 4 PagesHowever the main conflict is Blanche’s inability to accept reality or her inability to let go of her past. Blanche sees herself above her sister’s life and carries a sense of entitlement that no longer fits her environment like it did in her past. Underneath, Blanche is a liar and Stanley is not. Stanley and Stella are able to able to admit what they are while Blanche is constantly trying to hide who she is. She is unable to come to her desire and sees herself superior to the people around her.
Examples Of Feminism In The Crucible
1988 Words | 8 PagesFeminism is the philosophy, found in both literature and society, that the Western world is fundamentally patriarchal. Throughout the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, there are several examples of women being oppressed, as seen through the feminist critical lens. Miller uses male characters to reference to women objectively to help demonstrate this. This teaches that women are oppressed not just in literature, but in life. The female characters gain power in a male-dominated society through an elaborate plot of accusations and executions.
Feminist Criticism In Othello
1360 Words | 6 PagesA Modern View of Feminist Criticism William Shakespeare 's "Othello” can be analyzed from a feminist perspective. This criticism focuses on relationships between genders, like the patterns of thoughts, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and power in relations between and within sexes. A feminist examination of the play enables us to judge the distinctive social esteems and status of women and proposes that the male-female power connections that become an integral factor in scenes of Othello impact its comprehension. I believe that the critical lens that provides modern society with the most compelling view of literature is Feminist Criticism because it analyzes distrust and disloyalty among relationships, women being treated as possessions
A Streetcar Named Desire Past And Present Analysis
1547 Words | 7 PagesBlanche is an old southern Belle who expects the man to be a gentleman and in her level of class, scene 10 “A cultivated woman, a woman of intelligence and breeding, can enrich a man’s life” (Williams, 1947) this is how Blanche intertwines the past and present as past women were only there to be seen, look after the house and provide children and present Blanche could be seen to be past her prime. Blanche is representing the past as she is still dress in grand dress white moth Ironically Blanche appears in the first scene dressed in white, “the symbol of
A Streetcar Named Desire Gender Roles
765 Words | 4 PagesThis overall outcome is caused by a series of events building on each other. Both Stanley and Blanche embody their specific gender roles at the time. In the mid-1900s, masculinity meant control, aggression, physical dominance, and even violence. Complementing these traits is a typical absence of manners, refinement, and sensitivity. One point of view voiced in the play is that this sort of physical masculinity is sub-human and primitive; another is that it is sexually attractive and appealing.
Critical Analysis Of A Streetcar Named Desire
959 Words | 4 PagesA Streetcar named Desire written by American playwright Tennessee Williams is a Marxist play that depicts the socio economic status of the characters and people living during that time. The play was written in 1947, two years after the second world war. The historical time leading up to the Second World War known as the Interwar period from 1918-1939 was an era classified with economical difficulties for a majority of American citizens. After the new economic system based upon capital emerged succeeding the Industrial Revolution, the United States saw a massive prosperity in the early twentieth century only to be demolished by the stock market crash of 1929 also known as Black Tuesday (source). These unsuccessful stock markets were one of the signs that showed that the new system, which depended on an extensive labor force and an open and unregulated market, was not as reliable as previously thought, this period was known as the Depression.
Theme Of Dominance In A Streetcar Named Desire
698 Words | 3 PagesThe Fight for Dominance In today’s society, gender norms convince men that unless they are able to control women, they are weak. Considered the inferior gender, women must find new ways to prove their own strength, whether it be through manipulation or their sexuality. The battle between the two continues as men strive to remain dominant, often by immoral means, and women attempt to gain the upper hand. In the screenplay, “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, the sexual tension and struggle for dominion between Blanche and Stanley is evident, and as the play continues, Blanche's promiscuity and Stanley's predatory nature foreshadow an inevitable confrontation.
Society In A Streetcar Named Desire
847 Words | 4 Pages“A Streetcar Named Desire” is a very elegant film in which the Southern gothic culture is demonstrated profoundly. Tennessee Williams uses the characters in the play to bring about a sense of how corrupt society truly was in the 1940’s in the South. The 1940’s was marked by an immense amount of violence, alcoholism, and poverty. Women at the time were treated as objects rather than people. Throughout the play Tennessee Williams relates the aspects of Southern society to the characters in the play.
A Streetcar Named Desire Analysis
1000 Words | 4 PagesPast and Present Intertwine Through Symbolism Tennessee Williams is a world famous playwright. He has won many prestigious awards. In 1947, Williams penned one of his most famous plays, A Streetcar Named Desire, winning him the Pulitzer Prize. William’s background greatly influenced his writing, and because of this, alcoholism and mental illness are issues strongly reflected in his works (Williams 1817). A Streetcar Named Desire is a story about a women with mental health issues, named Blanche Dubois.
A Streetcar Named Desire Literary Analysis
1697 Words | 7 PagesA Streetcar Named Desire Literary Analysis The late 1940’s were characterized by the emergence out of World War II that led to a dependence on the idea of The American Dream, which meant men were working harder to achieve a more comforting lifestyle and opportunity while women were still fighting the oppression of caused by unequal representation. This idealistic dream is illustrated throughout Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire”, which has a rigid dichotomy between illusion and reality revealed throughout multiple characters and their dysfunctional lives that are a direct result between fantasy and actuality. Illusion is taken advantage of as an alternative to the unfair circumstances that the characters in “A Streetcar Named
A Streetcar Named Desire: Discussion Questions
1073 Words | 5 PagesI. Vocabulary Effeminate- Adjective -(of a man) Having or showing characteristics regarded as typical of a woman; unmanly. (Pg 114) Repertoire- Noun - A stock of plays, dances, or pieces that a company or a performer knows or is prepared to perform. (Pg 130) Malarkey-
Gender Stereotypes In Streetcar Named Desire
966 Words | 4 PagesIn A streetcar named Desire, Stella is associated to this stereotypic role, she is an innocent woman and housewife who takes care of her husband by loving him in an outrageous way. Even if Stanley is hitting her, she still loves him. Whereas Blanche acts like a seductress, at first sight she seems to be pure by wearing a “daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice” (Williams 3). In reality the authors gives a false impression of her in order to affirm that stereotypes or first impression are not always true. Indeed, after several scenes Blanche uses her power of seduction in order to manipulate men and reach her objectives.
Character Analysis: A Streetcar Named Desire
434 Words | 2 PagesBlanche as a character often refers to light in a way of conveying illusions in which she lives her life by, this is demonstrated when Williams writes “the dark is comforting to me”. Darkness implies that Blanche prefers to be hidden from the light of the real world and would rather retreat into darkness where all is merged and obscure, much like an illusion, therefore demonstrating that Blanche choses to live her life in a hazy world were nothing is clear and hence everything can be depicted to her own ideas of making the world much more pleasant than it really is, so she is consumed by illusions. The use of the adjective “comforting” suggests that the dark is a protector and warmth to Blanche which further implies that Blanche uses the dark
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