Symbolism of Stanley Kowalski Character

During the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights such as Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to convey personal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and the setting. Williams’ actors have used symbolism to disguise the actuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of their conservative audience. A Streetcar Named ‘Desire’ has a few complicated character traits and themes. Therefore, they have to be symbolised using figures or images to express abstract and mystical ideas, so that the viewers can remain clueless.

Williams not only depicts a clear personality of the actors but he also includes real-life public opinions from the past (some of which are contemporary. ) These opinions were likely to raise controversies on issues such as prejudice, social gender expectations and men and women’s roles in society. There have been numerous occasions when symbolism has taken place in A Streetcar Named ‘Desire. ‘ Firstly, Stanley is insulted several times by Blanche (his sister-in-law) Stella (his beloved wife) and other residents of the ‘Quarter’.

For example, the term ‘animal’ has been constantly spoken of, to define Stanley’s malicious and ill-natured conduct. In scene four, Blanche tries to persuade her younger sister to go elsewhere and leave her husband. On page 163, she complains: Blanche: He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, talks like one! There’s even something – sub-human – something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something – ape-like about him… … there he is – Stanley Kowalski – … Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle!

Furthermore, when the play begins, Stanley enters the ground-floor apartment carrying ‘a red stained package from a butcher’s.

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‘ Stanley: Catch! Stella: What? Stanley: Meat! From these two brief extracts, the keynote is that the red meat is a symbol used to show Stanley’s ‘bestial’ attitude, which is also in another of Blanche’s dialogues: Blanche: There’s something downright – bestial – about him! The image Blanche creates of Stanley (him being an animal – an ape) is coincidental to the fact that she is actually describing her brother-in-law, throwing red meat to his wife in an unacceptable fashion.

We know that Blanche had not been present, at the time of the event. This clearly proves that Stanley’s bad actions are so obvious, even other characters in the play can predict his actions. It is just like saying a tiger arrives at his habitat with ‘red meat’ and feeds his cubs, similar to what any other animal would do. Basically, Stanley tossing the pack of meat at his wife could symbolise that he is not a normal human being! He is an animal, a caveman, or even a ‘madman’, as Blanche prefers calling him! (Page 158) Blanche: In my opinion? You’re married to a madman!

However, the ‘red-stained package’ might mean something completely different. Perhaps the playwright is symbolising a new entry; trying to describe an early impression of Stanley. The colour red could suggest a hot, passionate and sexy character, who does not care about manners as long as sex and women are always there for him. On the other hand, maybe the word ‘stained’ is telling us that Stanley is dirty. ‘Package’ may mean an arrival. Altogether, the ‘red-stained package’ could mean the arrival of a disgusting but good-looking man. Many interpretations have been given here and symbolism depends on what the audience believes it be.

The use of animalistic symbols is repeated, just as Blanche arrives at Elysian Fields. We are given an early suspicion of her unusual and strange sense in clothing. Narrator: Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth. Mentioning the light, we know that Blanche is a fragile and sensitive young lady. Another hint is that she has a fear for strong light; something which will shine over the truth and reveal it to all. The ‘Chinese lantern’ is an important symbol, which Blanche uses to cover up her appearance.

Actually, the playwright uses it to show secrecy and that Blanche is hiding from the outside world. The fact that Blanche is wearing white clothes tells us that she wants a fresh start, because the colour white symbolises purity. Virginity for a woman is just as important. It should be saved for the right man at the right time, which followed the conventions of the period the play was written in. Here we have two contradictory facts which, if combined, could mean the same thing; by wearing such a genuine and formal outfit, Blanche could be trying to fool her audience into thinking that she is untainted – a virgin.

In other words, she may want to wipe out her past and start fresh. An unlikely (though possible) prediction to the phrase, ‘suggests a moth’, could be the alliteration between the words ‘myth’ and ‘moth’. On one side of the story, the playwright may be experimenting with a butterfly-like creature, demonstrating an innocent Blanche to the audience. Opposed to this, he might be giving signs that her white clothes (virginity) suggest there were myths (stories) at one time, concerning Blanche. We will never know for definite, what Williams is really trying to transmit, though he is definitely

sending some sort of a hidden message here! We discover the truth in scene four. Sexuality is a huge theme in this play, yet to discuss. Another major symbol used by Williams, is the streetcar – the title of the play, itself. While Blanche confronts Stella about the previous night (the poker night), she explains to her enthusiastically that the relationship Stella has with Stanley, is merely infatuation. There is a constant repetition of Blanche’s hatred and disgust for Stanley, throughout the script. Blanche: What you are talking about is brutal desire – just – Desire!

– the name of that rattle-trap street-car that bangs through the Quarter, up one old narrow street and down another… Stella: Haven’t you ever ridden on that street-car? Blanche: It brought me here – where I’m not wanted and where I’m ashamed to be… In this selection the ‘rattle-trap streetcar’ named ‘Desire’, might represent Stanley, while the ‘Quarter’ may represent Stella. In my opinion, Blanche is really implying that Stanley is the typical, careless husband who has most probably slept with (‘bangs’) many young ladies (‘up one old narrow street and down another’.

) He has had many one-night-stands and, informally, could be called a ‘player! ‘ This is a term used in modern day English, but during the nineteen-forties, the alternative would be a ‘rogue. ‘ Another suggestion to the quote, ‘up one old narrow street and down another’, could be the description of the movement made, whilst practising sexual intercourse – as we know this is done in and out or ‘up’ and ‘down! ‘ Following Blanche’s quotation, Stella retorts a defensive question, actually referring to the streetcar named Desire, which Blanche has just described.

She may be trying to allude to the fact that Blanche had once been in the same shoes as her – riding on the same streetcar and having a desire for sex and man. Of course, this does not mean having had a number of intimacies with strangers. To Stella, Stanley and only Stanley, is one important man in her life. Stella could also be referring to Blanche’s virginity. After reading this page again, I have had second thoughts. I am still unsure, as this extract is very ambiguous.

Personally, I think Stella is asking her elder sister whether or not she is a virgin but then again, this is subject to the audience and what choices they might make over the speech. Ironically, the audience may even interpret this speech to be an indication of the fact that Blanche’s history involved prostitution and she had had plenty of affairs with various men. This information is fully discovered later, but at this early stage, Williams uses a phallic symbol to signal the theme of sexuality. The streetcar also personifies the following understandings:

Reproductive power, by symbolically and indirectly relating to a phallus. The statement ‘bangs through the Quarter’ can be used to describe both the phallus and the streetcar. * Men were superior to women, during the mid-twentieth century. The evidence is in the speech because men could obviously do anything they wished, when they wished; go ‘up’ and ‘down’ whenever they liked, even make good use of their ‘Quarters! ‘ By saying this, I would like to point out that Stanley always had the upper hand to Stella. He was very convincing and managed to win over Blanche, to persuade his own wife.

The rape scene can also be associated with superiority. Stanley used Blanche’s body to prove that she was a liar, a cheater and had gone insane. He also saw women ‘with sexual classifications’ and judged them, depending on their appearance; we are told on page 128. Therefore, it is a fact that men were superior to women, and they could fulfil any of their ‘desires! ‘ Finally, when Blanche answers her sister’s question, she is taking it literally (referring to the real streetcar, which brought her to Elysian Fields. ) That is how it would seem to a new audience. This is a fine example of symbolism.

One who hears the dialogue in the highlighted selection (above) is likely to assume that Blanche is talking about the real streetcar, on which she travelled to arrive at her destination. Truthfully, I think Blanche is implying that sex was what made her come to Elysian Fields. She is declaring that because of sex, she has had to suffer through all those problems. Blanche has obviously grasped the significance of her past mistakes, repented them and known what is right and wrong. It is interesting to notice how one, short piece of text can be so symbolic and how easily it can be misunderstood!

The first time I read the play I did not observe all these ideas. Nevertheless, after reading the script repeatedly, I realised that every single word Williams had entered had been deliberately done, to represent some things of his time. One of the reasons for doing this could be because it was a crime just to say the word ‘sex’, or anything related to that subject. Instead, playwrights suggested these ideas by using symbols, as what this essay is all about. Progressing to the sound of music and instrumental signs, Streetcar includes two very significant symbols that are linked with crucial themes such as sexuality and madness.

The ‘hot trumpets’ and the ‘blue piano’ are constantly heard during short periods of tension and when Blanche experiences insanity! Williams has introduced the ‘blue piano’ in scene one. The first page of the script tells us that it ‘expresses the spirit of life which goes on here’ – referring to a part of New Orleans (Elysian Fields. ) On certain occasions, the polka tune was also played. For instance, at the end of scene one, Stanley raises doubts about whether or not Blanche is married. This reminds Blanche of her horrific past and how her young husband had died. It creates tension and if,

as an audience, we were to view the stage drama, it would build a large amount of suspense. The reason for this is that straight after the polka music plays, Blanche claims that she is ‘going to be sick! ‘ From this, we know that Blanche is in a bad state and wants to forget. Returning to the sound of the ‘polka tune’, I would like to add that music in general life, can have quite an effect on its listeners. Polka music was played for a lively nineteenth-century dance. Here, it has been used to keep the viewers focused and to grab their attention on the story line. In the following fragment, Blanche and Stanley are deep in conversation.