1.
In the play "A Streetcar Named Desire", written by Tennessee Williams, the protagonist Blanche DuBois comes to New Orleans to visit her sister Stella, who is married to the Pole Stanley Kowalski. Blanche´s life has collapsed after the suicide of her husband Allan and the loss of the family estate Belle Reve. Blanche is not able to have a sexual relationship anymore and cannot understand the sexual connection between Stella and Stanley. She begins a romance with Mitch, one of Stanley´s friends, but only with the aim of marrying him. But when he gets to know that she had affairs with strangers and with one of her students in the past, he is not willing to marry her anymore. At the end of the play, Blanche is raped by Stanley which leads to Blanche´s final psychic collapse.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Character's Attitudes towards Sexuality
- 2.1 The Role of Sexuality in Blanche's life
- 2.1.1 The Traumatic Experience of Allan's suicide
- 2.1.2 Blanche's romance with Mitch
- 2.1.3 Blanche's duality
- 2.1.4 The Rape
- 2.2 The Relationship between Stanley and Stella
- 2.1 The Role of Sexuality in Blanche's life
Objectives and Key Themes
This term paper analyzes the multifaceted role of sexuality in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." It explores how sexuality shapes the characters' lives, relationships, and ultimate fates, examining the contrasting attitudes towards sexuality and its consequences.
- The traumatic impact of Allan's death on Blanche's sexuality and subsequent relationships.
- The contrasting views on sexuality between Blanche, Stella, and Stanley.
- Blanche's dual nature and her conflicting desires for innocence and sexual liberation.
- The role of sexuality as a power dynamic in the relationships between the characters.
- The connection between sexuality, death, and psychological collapse in the play.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by introducing the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" and its central character, Blanche DuBois. It outlines Blanche's tragic circumstances, including the suicide of her husband and the loss of her family estate, which have led to her emotional and psychological instability. The chapter establishes the play's focus on sexuality and foreshadows the paper's exploration of this theme through the lens of Blanche's experiences and relationships with other characters, particularly her sister Stella and Stanley Kowalski.
2. The Character's Attitudes towards Sexuality: This chapter delves into the diverse attitudes towards sexuality displayed by the main characters. Blanche's traumatized psyche prevents her from forming healthy sexual relationships, driving her to seek out affairs with younger men and to pursue a marriage with Mitch out of practicality rather than genuine affection. Conversely, the chapter highlights the importance of sexuality in Stella and Stanley's passionate, yet volatile relationship, contrasting Blanche's repressed sexuality with Stella's uninhibited embrace of her physical connection with Stanley. The chapter also examines Stanley's aggressive masculinity and how it controls Stella. The clash between these opposing views forms the core of the chapter's analysis, setting the stage for subsequent chapters that will dissect individual aspects of this complex interplay. The stark contrast between Blanche's avoidance of mature sexual relationships and Stella's acceptance of Stanley's animalistic nature establishes a critical tension in the play.
Keywords
Sexuality, Trauma, Repression, Desire, Power Dynamics, Relationships, "A Streetcar Named Desire," Tennessee Williams, Psychological Collapse, Masculinity, Femininity.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Streetcar Named Desire - Sexuality and its Consequences
What is the main focus of this academic paper?
This paper analyzes the multifaceted role of sexuality in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," exploring how sexuality shapes the characters' lives, relationships, and ultimate fates. It examines contrasting attitudes towards sexuality and its consequences.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include the traumatic impact of Allan's death on Blanche's sexuality, contrasting views on sexuality between Blanche, Stella, and Stanley, Blanche's dual nature and conflicting desires, sexuality as a power dynamic, and the connection between sexuality, death, and psychological collapse.
What specific aspects of sexuality are examined in relation to Blanche DuBois?
The paper examines Blanche's traumatized psyche and its impact on her ability to form healthy sexual relationships, her pursuit of affairs with younger men, her marriage to Mitch, and the traumatic experience of rape. It also analyzes her duality and conflicting desires for innocence and sexual liberation.
How does the paper contrast Blanche's sexuality with that of Stella and Stanley?
The paper contrasts Blanche's repressed sexuality with Stella's uninhibited embrace of her physical connection with Stanley. It also examines Stanley's aggressive masculinity and its control over Stella, highlighting the clash between these opposing views as a central tension in the play.
What is the role of sexuality as a power dynamic in the play?
The paper explores how sexuality functions as a tool of power and control within the relationships between the characters, particularly the dynamic between Stanley and Stella, and how it impacts Blanche’s experiences.
What is the connection between sexuality, death, and psychological collapse in the play, as analyzed in the paper?
The paper investigates the link between the characters' experiences with sexuality, the trauma of death (specifically Allan's suicide), and their subsequent psychological deterioration and collapse.
What are the chapter summaries provided in the preview?
The preview includes summaries of an introductory chapter setting the scene and introducing Blanche DuBois, and a chapter focusing on the contrasting attitudes towards sexuality of the main characters, particularly Blanche, Stella, and Stanley. The preview indicates further chapters would likely delve deeper into these themes.
What are the keywords associated with this academic paper?
Keywords include: Sexuality, Trauma, Repression, Desire, Power Dynamics, Relationships, "A Streetcar Named Desire," Tennessee Williams, Psychological Collapse, Masculinity, Femininity.
What is included in the provided preview of the academic paper?
The preview provides a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
- Quote paper
- Kira Wieler (Author), 2009, The Role Of Sexuality in Tennessee Williams´ "A Streetcar Named Desire", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/187301
