“It only took a few minutes to realize that the play and production had thrown open doors to another theatre world”
“language flowing from the soul”
“this play made it seem possible for the stage to express any and all things and do so beautifully”
“He[Brando]roared out Williams’ celebratory terror of sex”
“‘Streetcar’ is a cry of pain”
Context:
Southern Belle- a young woman from the Deep South who were middle to upper class. They would wear long, almost Victorian style, dresses and look beautiful whilst looking for a rich husband.
New Orleans- Where Jazz was born. After WW2,
Americans were very patriotic
Americans were very patriotic
Immigration- During the 1940s there was mass immigration into the USA from other countries
Stanley:
Masculinity-
“Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher’s. (Scene One, Stage Directions)”
Look at how Williams uses props to emphasize Stanley’s "primitive" masculinity.
“BLANCHE
Well, I never cared for wishy-washy people. That was why, when you walked in here last night, I said to myself — "My sister has a married man!"— Of course that was all that I could tell about you. (2.114)”
Well, I never cared for wishy-washy people. That was why, when you walked in here last night, I said to myself — "My sister has a married man!"— Of course that was all that I could tell about you. (2.114)”
Blanche may be deluded, but she’s not dumb. She understands that Stanley prides himself on his masculinity, so this is the angle she works when trying to get into his good graces.
STANLEY
[booming] Now let’s cut the re-bop!
BLANCHE
[pressing hands to her ears]
Ouuuuu! (2.115-6)
[booming] Now let’s cut the re-bop!
BLANCHE
[pressing hands to her ears]
Ouuuuu! (2.115-6)
Stanley’s masculinity is often expressed through loud noises, whether it be "bellowing" or "booming" or smashing things around. This takes a toll on the delicate Blanche.
STANLEY
You see, under the Napoleonic code – a man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairs – especially now that she’s going to have a baby.
[Blanche opens her eyes. The "blue piano" sounds louder.]
BLANCHE
Stella? Stella going to have a baby? I didn’t know she was going to have a baby! (2.151-2)
You see, under the Napoleonic code – a man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairs – especially now that she’s going to have a baby.
[Blanche opens her eyes. The "blue piano" sounds louder.]
BLANCHE
Stella? Stella going to have a baby? I didn’t know she was going to have a baby! (2.151-2)
Stanley says this deliberately in order to hurt Blanche. He’s just been a bit humiliated since Blanche proved her story about Belle Reve with the financial papers, so this is his way of asserting his dominance once more.
STELLA
Drunk – drunk – animal thing, you!
[…]
[Stanley charges after Stella.]
STELLA
You lay your hands on me and I’ll –
[She backs out of sight. He advances and disappears. There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out.] (3.165-8)
Drunk – drunk – animal thing, you!
[…]
[Stanley charges after Stella.]
STELLA
You lay your hands on me and I’ll –
[She backs out of sight. He advances and disappears. There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out.] (3.165-8)
Violence is the unfortunate accompaniment to the assertive virility that Stella finds so attractive. Because the two are so closely tied together, Stella can’t distinguish between them, and finds even his aggressive streak to be attractive.
He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself. (4.16)
Stanley’s dual nature makes it difficult for us to condemn him as readers (or as the audience).
On the contrary, I saw him at his best! What such a man has to offer is animal force and he gave a wonderful exhibition of that! But the only way to live with such a man is to – go to bed with him! And that’s your job – not mine! (4.90)
Think about this passage in the context of the eventual rape in Scene Ten…
Since earliest manhood the center of [Stanley's] life has been pleasure with women [...] He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and
determining the way he smiles at them
Stell, it's gonna be all right after she [Blanche] goes and after you've had the baby. It's gonna be all right again between you and me the way it was. You remember that way that it was? Them nights we had together? God, honey, it's gonna be sweet when we can make noise in the night the way that we used to and get the colored lights going with nobody's sister behind the curtains to hear us! (8.55)
Basically, Stanley sees his marriage as suffering because with the sister-in-law in town, he can't relate to his wife the way he normally does.
"there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark—that sort of make everything else seem—unimportant."
Since earliest manhood the center of [Stanley's] life has been pleasure with women [...] He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them. (1.205)
Since earliest manhood the center of [Stanley's] life has been pleasure with women [...] He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and
determining the way he smiles at them
Stell, it's gonna be all right after she [Blanche] goes and after you've had the baby. It's gonna be all right again between you and me the way it was. You remember that way that it was? Them nights we had together? God, honey, it's gonna be sweet when we can make noise in the night the way that we used to and get the colored lights going with nobody's sister behind the curtains to hear us! (8.55)
Basically, Stanley sees his marriage as suffering because with the sister-in-law in town, he can't relate to his wife the way he normally does.
"there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark—that sort of make everything else seem—unimportant."
Since earliest manhood the center of [Stanley's] life has been pleasure with women [...] He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them. (1.205)
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