A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Point
Context
1. New Orleans, U.S.
Late 1940’s - after the war
2. Time of immigrant
settlement
3. Old South - New South
conflict
4. American Dream
BLANCHE sees herself as a
higher class than others
(besides STELLA) due to
her luxurious upbringing
in the Old South society.
She carries on this sense
of royalty and power with
her into the New South
society in which STANLEY
and STELLA resides, and
the two mindsets come
into a clash.
STANLEY sees himself in a
position of power, not
through class or rank but
on the societal mindset
that he adopts in the New
South culture - work hard
and obtain respect. He is
the emergent middle class
which BLANCHE so
strongly despises and
struggles with.
Quote
1. [The exterior of a two-story
corner building on a street in
New Orleans which is named
Elysian Fields and runs between
the L & N tracks and the river.
The section is poor but, unlike
corresponding sections in other
American cities, it has a raffish
charm.] Scene 1
2. [New Orleans is a cosmopolitan
city where there is a relatively
warm and easy intermingling of
races in the old part of town.]
Scene 1
3. [Stella comes out on the
first-floor landing, a gentle young
woman about twenty-five, and of
a background obviously quite
different from her husband’s.]
Scene 1
[Her appearance is incongruous
to this setting.]
Scene 1
4. “I am not a Polack. People
from Poland are Poles, not
Polacks. But what I am is a one
hundred percent American, born
and raised in the greatest country
on earth and proud as hell of it,
so don't ever call me a Polack.”
Scene 8
Miss Julie
Device
Stage Directions --->
Dialogue
Monologue
Language and Diction
Point
1. Midsummer’s Eve, one of the most
important days in the year for Sweden.
By ignoring the festival Strindberg
symbolically foreshadows Miss Julie’s
eventual downfall through her act of
ignoring such a significant festival.
2. Midsummer’s Eve is a magical time for
love and legend has it that women
dream of their future husbands. This
association of the festival with love sets
the ground for the future events to
unfold (Miss Julie and Jean’s
relationship, however ironically it is not
a healthy, beneficial relationship as the
festival would have it be.)
3. Miss Julie not going away with her father
to visit her relatives during the event of
the festival conveys her lack of
confidence in showing herself to the rest
of the world in especially her class and
rank, ​and additionally her desire to
experience the lower class and break
from the boundaries set for her through
society.​ This is because of her recent
predicament in breaking her
engagement. Hence, her dismissal of this
opportunity represents: her antagonism
towards men (she does not go with her
father) and her lack of confidence
(translating to her masochist behavior
with Jean later on, ​refer. Degenerate
Woman​)
4.
The play revolves around Strinbergs similar
encounter. ​ Strindberg scholars believe that
a short story by Zola, "The Sin of Father
Mouret," served as direct inspiration for the
play. Zola's tale tells of a priest who
abandons his order to take up with a virgin
but returns to the cloth upon being "caught
in the act" by a fellow clergyman.
Grief-stricken, the maiden commits suicide
by suffocating herself in a bed of rose petals.
There is also some evidence that Strindberg
intended the play as a warning to the first of
his three unfortunate wives, the Baronness
Siri von Essen. When confronted with the
Link
Quote
Device
1. “ JEAN. It's queer
about Miss Julie
though-- to prefer
staying here at home
among these people,
eh, to going away
with her father to
visit her relatives,
eh?
KRISTIN. She's probably
shamefaced about breaking
off with her intended. “
Foreshadow,
symbolism (of
cultural
significance, Julie
symbolically rejects
societal
expectations)
Dialogue
3. “ JULIE [Mildly]. You
mustn't look upon that as a
command. Tonight we are
all in holiday spirits--full of
gladness and rank is flung
aside. “
Irony, Symbolism
and association (the
festival with love)
MISS JULIE and BLANCHE
both have difficulty in fitting
into their respective society’s
roles that are imposed upon
them.
BLANCHE cannot integrate
into the New South society in
which the middle-class have
risen; she is caught up in the
past and her luxurious
lifestyle but has lost her
original power due to the
large shift in Southern
American society.
MISS JULIE is born into and
raised in a high rank/class and
is thus expected to fit into her
expected role of a princess
but finds it difficult to do so,
rebelling against society’s
expectations of her time by
having a relationship with
Jean, who is not in her class.
However, MISS JULIE tries to
ward off and give up her
power whilst BLANCHE, on
the other hand, tries to regain
and accumulate her lost
power. The characters have
different power dynamics.
MISS JULIE and JEAN have a
sexual interaction and so
does BLANCHE and STANLEY
(in each case, both characters
in different ‘ranks’ or
‘societal classes’ - at least for
Blanche that is how she sees
it through self-deception)
suggestion that the play is a warning to his
wife, Strindberg reportedly answered that he
could hardly be sure enough to deny it.
5.
However, BLANCHE and
STANLEY’s interaction was
forced and rape while MISS
JULIE’s was willing, showing
her desire to reach lower in
the class system and
experience what they have to
offer.
Strindberg was a known misogynist, and he
intended to portray Miss Julie as a monster.
One can trace the genealogy of his hatred
for women in some of his early works, such
as Getting Married (1884), which earned him
a charge of blasphemy, and The Cloister
(1886), a grim portrait of his second
marriage. Strindberg's misogyny was central
to the many psychotic episodes he suffered
throughout the 1890s, episodes that put a
stop to his dramatic production altogether.
6.
Miss Julie
& Blanche
Blanche is from the Old
South - she believes in
traditional views and is
of the upper class,
however, she is tested
in the context of the
New South due to
making do as a
prostitute and living with
Stella and Stanley.
Whilst being tested in
the environment of the
New South, which has
been forced upon her,
Blanche becomes
mentally unstable and
loses sense of reality,
entering a dreamlike
state where she
idealizes and
suppresses all her
problems - she runs
away from her
problems. She is forced
to adapt to these
waters, however, is
1.
unable to do so.
Her appearance is incongruous to
this setting. She is daintily
dressed in a white suit with a
fluffy bodice, necklace and
ear-rings of peal, white gloves
and hat.
Sartorial imagery used to describe
how she doesn’t fit in with the New
South
1. feminine stereotypes, elegant
background, rich class society,
Southern Belle background in Belle
Reve
There is something about her
uncertain manner, as well as her
white clothes, that suggests a
Moth metaphor - visual appearance
symbolizes Old South and
traditional views that Blanche holds
Uses gentle and noble language,
and wears thin and delicate
clothing - sartorial imagery
moth - sartorial imagery,
metaphor of moths through color
“May I have a drag on your cig?”
Scene 2
Have got to be seductive – put
on soft colors , the colors of
butterfly wings, and glow – make
a little – temporary magic just in
order to pay for – one night’s
shelter! – enumeration to
emphasize on what she had to do
[She takes off the blouse and
stands in her pink silk brassiere
and white skirt in the light through
recurring motif – prop/stagecraft
Blanche uses her sexuality to gain
dominance over men - this is
furthered through her use of
cigarettes to seduce men.
Sexuality used as disguise for past
mistakes, reputation loss, survival
tool, southern belle demeanor
Sartorial imagery and actions used
to communicate use of seduction to
gain control of men.
Miss Julie has been brought up in the upper
class. Her mother has lead her to believe in
the hatred of men and this is Miss Julie’s
primary motivation to become drawn to men,
developing the urge to change her rooted
beliefs.
Miss Julie wants to remove the barrier of
rank, by wealth and power, tries her best to
uncast herself from such constraints.
She is a dynamic character who instantly
regrets decisions but continually considers
them again. By eventually submitting to
Jean, Julie desires her own downfall.
-alcohol-she acts out of her expectations of
her class when engaging with the lower
class and this causes irritation to her
surroundings from both Jean and Christine.
Hence they refer to her as “crazy”.
-dancing-a way she has adopted to seduce
“You see, my mother was
not of noble birth. She was
brought up with ideas of
equality, woman's freedom
and all that. She had very
decided opinions against
matrimony, and when my
father courted her she
declared that she would
never be his wife”
“And now kiss my shoe”
“But I am born of a count,
that you can never be.”
“Now I can't go. Tell me
once more that I must go”
Both Blanche and Miss
Julie are influenced by their
pasts and backgrounds
which motivate them to
seek opposite stances in
life.
Initial dominance
of Miss Julie
Submission to
Jean at end of
play.
Both Blanche and Miss
Julie fail to conform to
society’s expectations
where Blanche does not
conform to the traditional
female stereotype and
expectations of the New
South. On the other hand,
mIss Julie does not
conform to the societal
expectations of the class
she was born into.
Whilst Miss Julie
continuously strives to
escape her constrained
past, Blanche is stuck in
her past and cannot escape
it.
They both are charming
and flirtatious and use
eloquent language of the
upper class, how they both
ultimately become
submissive to the man
the portieres. The game has
continued in undertones.]
”She moans. The bottle top falls.
She sinks to her knees. He picks
up her inert figure and carries her
to the bed.”
I can't stand a naked light bulb,
any more than I can a rude
remark or a vulgar action.
1.
We are going to pretend that we
are sitting in a little artists’ café on
the Left Bank in Paris!
Both attempt to save their
honor and regret mistakes.
Stage directions present power
struggle as a result of class conflict
and hiding from past
Additionally she hides from the
truth and from her past, this is
presented through theme of light
and dark.
steady downfall – mental decline
after rape, mental asylum, sexual
desires and denial lead to downfall,
self-destruction in losing Mitch and
sanity
I don’t want realism. I want magic!
Stanley,
Mitch and
Jean
Stanley
Seen as the Protagonist.
The primary male
character and the most
dominating. He is the sort
of the animal brute
behavioural entity that
expresses feeling and
thoughts through force
and primal methods like
shouting and physical
contact. His character is
seen evident from his love
for work, sex and violence
along with the occasional
indulgence in poker.
Mitch
He is seen to be a very
sensitive person. He lives
with his mother and is the
most peaceful and
gentleman like of the
bunch. He is portrayed as
the kind and the type of
person that
I am not a Polack. People from
Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But
what I am is a one hundred percent
American, born and raised in the
greatest country on earth and proud
as hell of it, so don’t ever call me a
Polack.
"[...] there are things that happen
between a man and a woman in the
dark—that sort of make everything
else seem—unimportant." (4.103)
Stell, it's gonna be alright after she
[Blanche] goes and after you've had
the baby. It's gonna be alright 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)
Blanche makes derogatory and
ignorant remarks about Stanley’s
Polish ethnicity throughout the play,
implying that it makes him stupid and
coarse. In Scene Eight, Stanley finally
snaps and speaks these words,
correcting Blanche’s many
misapprehensions and forcefully
exposing her as an uninformed bigot.
His declaration of being a proud
American carries great thematic
weight, for Stanley does indeed
represent the new American society,
which is composed of upwardly mobile
immigrants. Blanche is a relic in the
new America. The Southern landed
aristocracy from which she assumes
her sense of superiority no longer has
a viable presence in the American
economy, so Blanche is
disenfranchised monetarily and
socially.
Jean
You're making me a coward I
thought I saw the bell move
He dreams of grandeur, vaguely imagining
Afraid of a bell! But it isn't
someday opening a hotel in northern Italy and
just a bell. There's somebody
becoming a count like Miss Julie's father.
behind it. A hand that makes
However, he remains subjected to authority
it move. And there's
throughout the play. Indeed, the reminders of
something that makes the
the Count—his boots, the speaking tube, Jean's
hand move.—Stop your ears,
livery, and, most importantly, the ringing
that's it, stop your ears! But it
bell—automatically reduce Jean to a lackey.
Jean's relationship to Miss Julie is complicated by only rings louder.
his class envy and misogyny. Jean at once
elevates and scorns the object of his desire. This I caught sight of a pink dress
and a pair of white stockings.
relationship is neatly summarized by a story in
That was you. I crawled under
which young Jean had to flee an outhouse
a pile of weeds, under—well,
through the bottom and, emerging from his
you can imagine what it was
master's waste, came upon Julie strolling a
like—under thistles that
terrace and fell in love at first sight. This story
pricked me and wet dirt that
shows how Jean is mired in filth at the hands of
his social betters. It also shows the simultaneous stank to high heaven. And all
adulation and hatred Jean feels for Miss Julie. He the while I could see you
walking among the roses.
worships her from afar, but then he sees her
underside from the bottom of the outhouse.
Both Jean and Stanley are
seen as the primary male
characters that assert
dominance over the women
and they both also demand
respect as they are the men in
the house.
Both Jean and Stanley take
Miss Julie and Blanche
respectively to bed. They both
eventually end up in some
sort of tragic position due to
the events that unfold.
Blanche goes to the mental
hospital and Miss Julie kills
herself as a result of the men
abandoning them. Stanley is
seen as a lower class as
compared to Jean. Stanley is
seen as a working in a power
plant whereas Jean is a valet
in a mansion. The goals and
ambitions for the two are
different and so are the
methods of getting there.
Stella and
Christine
Stella can be considered a
mediator in the
Dubois-Kowalski conflict
as she neither represents
the rich old south nor the
newer industrialized
America.
She is more of a calm
character when compared
to Blanche and can be
seen as more in control of
her life.
Doesn’t mind being told
what to do or not being in
control of her situation
Represents the plight of
women in the 1940’s as
Stanley is seen as the
leader of the house and
she is left helpless as her
husband rapes her sister.
[carefully pouring herself a drink]
“Tell you what, Blanche?”
“What have I done to my sister? Oh,
God, what have I done to my sister?”
Juxtaposes​ Blanche in her simplicity
and content with her life as we see
Blanche slowly spiral out of control,
she ​has a better grip on reality.
A religious woman who is aware of her place
in society and respects that Miss Julie is from a
higher class. She believes that different
societal classes should not intertwine or
socialize with one another.
Christine respects the fact that people are
born into different classes
“Oh you don't know your
place.” P25 ​(Class Conflict)
“No, but with you. That was
bad of you, very bad. Poor
girl. Do you know what--I
don't want to be here in this
house any longer where one
cannot respect one's
betters​.” P25
“Aspirations?
Aspirations--anyway you
have obligations. Think of
those, you.” P26 ​(Ambition)
“Is it that foolishness with
Jean? That doesn't concern
me at all. That I won't be
mixed up with, but if you're
trying to lure him to run
away with you then we
must put a stop to it.” P29
“Are you coming to church
with me? You need a good
sermon for your actions?”
P31
Similar in how docile and
content they are with their
situation in life.
Theme:
Gender
Stanley
- Perpetuating masculine
roles
- Power and madness
“ A pair of queens? Remember what
Huey Long said--"Every Man is a
King!" And I am the king around
here, so don't forget it!”
Scene 8
Mitch and Stella
Color & Setting - see Poker game stage
directions
Why on our wedding night – soon as
we came in here – he snatched off one
of my slippers and rushed about the
place smashing the light-bulbs with it.
STELLA
I was – sort of – thrilled by it. (4.18-22)
Allusion - Huey LONG
Napoleonic code - “In the state of
Louisiana we have the Napoleonic
code according to which what
belongs to the wife belongs to the
husband and vice versa”
Scene 2
Blanche
- conforming to the
feminine stereotypes
“[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.]”
Color white Blanche’s name suggests the color
white in French. Completely against
Blanche’s past which is dark and
shady.
Reference?
Metaphor- Moth
Thematic Statement: Gender roles dictate the
actions and duties of one’s position in society,
while also limiting their future.
JULIE: “But I am born of a
count, that you can never
be.”
MISS JULIE:
She has the title of being the Count’s daughter
which means she comes from a very wealthy
family, however we see in the play that
although her family is rich, she is unable to
enjoy these riches. She has no money and also,
she does not have the power or authority to
support the title she is given by society.
- Illustrates the lack of power women
have and how even without a title,
men can appear to be more powerful.
Although women have the title, there
is no power there.
- Shows the disparity between the
power men and women have
- Women have no right to vote
or choose. This reflects
Strindberg’s views as he
strongly felt that women
should not be in the place of
making decisions. He uses Jean
to illustrate how no woman in
society in 1888 in Sweden had
any power or voting rights.
JEAN: “And so I am! For I
can make you a countess
and you could never make
me a count.”
We have been told that Miss Julie’s mother
was a feminist and we see this through Miss
Julie’s language and her actions. She adopted
her thoughts and ideals to empower the
female gender and her actions were based on
putting men in their place.
Miss Julie is in a terrible spot as she can fall
much harder and faster than women in lower
classes. Women in upper classes have a
reputation to maintain, and her actions leave
her vulnerable to slander. She is already being
called a whore by the very person she risked
her reputation for. She realizes her sinking
nature and begs for help.
We constantly see the battle of genders
embodied in the personality of Miss Julie. She
tries to battle society’s perspectives and views
on many fronts, by undertaking what could
only be considered ‘manly’ activities for
example drinking beer. This again illustrates
to what depth she has drowned into her
mother’s views and thoughts.
JULIE: “Just to make him my
slave.”
JEAN: “You hate men”
JULIE: “Most of them”
JULIE: “Bear your child and
take your name”
JEAN: “And a whore is a
whore”
JULIE: “Save me from this
mire into which I’m sinking”
JULIE: “And I drink beer”
JEAN: “Isn’t it good enough
for the son-in-law?”
DEVICE​??
In both plays, we see how the
male is in total control of the
situation. While in MISS JULIE,
Jean is submissive at first due
to Julie’s title; however, he
eventually turns to the same
character as
Staney. Jean essentially goes
from acting like a gentleman
like Mitch to a complete brute
like Stanley, with no regard
for women. Jean turns
misogynistic and this is
reflected in the way he treats
and speaks to Miss Julie.
Miss Julie tries to fight off
societal views of women and
we see this through her
drinking beer instead of wine:
a manly drink. She is trying to
counter the gender roles that
society is trying to press on
her. This is reflected in the
way Blanche acts: trying to
gain control. However, the
difference lies in her method
of gaining control. Blanche
uses her sexuality to
dominate males, however this
did not fit the traditional
gender role in the time.
Similarly, Miss Julie seduces
Jean Louis however the
difference lies in that Jean
Louis had no choice but to
obey while Stanley wanted to
put Blanche in her place.
This shows how in those
times, there was a clear
struggle between some
women who felt it was unfair
that men were the ones with
power. This is again reflected
through Miss Julie as her
adoption of her mother’s
views and in Blanche through
her will to gain control of the
situations.
Theme:
Sexuality
Stanley
-Throwing ‘meat’ at Stella
He uses his sexuality to
establish his dominant
nature and take control of
the situation. He wants to
control the women of the
household and dominate
over everyone but is not
able to due to the
resistance from Blanche.
-Taking his shirt off
Blanche
Sexual and indirect lip to
lip contact with Stanley.
-Though Blanche has her
Southern belle demeanor;
she obviously has a very
sexual aspect to her;
Blanche uses her sexuality
as a disguise to hide her
past (survival tool).
Reputation to be lost.
Meat! [He heaves the package at
her. She cries out in protest but
manages to catch it] Scene 1
Sexual innuendo
Stage Direction
“My clothes are sticking to me. Do
you mind if I make myself
comfortable? [He starts to remove
his shirt]” - Scene 2
Blanche
- Cigarette sharing
“May I have a drag on your cig?”
Scene 2
-Changing
[She takes off the blouse and stands
in her pink silk brassiere and white
skirt in the light through the
portieres. The game has continued
in undertones.]
“Well you do, honey lamb! Come
here. I want to kiss you, just once,
softly and sweetly on your mouth! “
Scene 5
Why on our wedding night – soon as
we came in here – he snatched off
one of my slippers and rushed about
the place smashing the light-bulbs
with it.
Stella:
I was – sort of – thrilled by it.
(4.18-22)
Props
- Cigarettes
- Dress
Jean Louis
- Uses his sexuality in a way to “conquer”
Miss Julie and therefore try to be in the
upper class. Uses his charm and
arrogance along with the way he speaks
French to talk to Miss Julie.
- Uses his exquisite speech to gain her
affection.
- While we see that Stanley use his
physical power and body to gain control,
we see that Jean Louis uses his words
and his charm.
- After he has intercourse with Miss Julie,
he gains the upper hand in the
relationship and does not need to be as
charming as he was previously.
“JULIE. Tres gentil, Monsieur
Jean, tres gentil.
JEAN. Vous voulez plaisanter,
Mademoiselle”
Beer and Wine
Miss Julie:
- Drinks beer which is completely against
her upper class upbringing just to seem
more relatable to Jean and to get his
attention.
- She also degrades herself to gain the
affection of Jean as he can see her as
someone who is desirable and “in his
league”
- Wants to gain dominance over women
because of her inherent hatred of them,
this showcases her sadism.
- Miss Julie therefore uses her sexuality to
gain dominance in different situations
and get on the same level as her peers.
“JEAN. Yes, indeed, I did.
They were out in the stable
Horsewhip
yard one
evening and she was
"training" him as she called it.
Do you know
what happened? She made
him leap over her riding whip,
the way you
teach a dog to jump. He
jumped it twice and got a lash
each time;
but the third time he
snatched the whip from her
hand and broke it
into pieces. And then he
vanished!”
“JEAN. We do not use that
word, but I have liked many
girls. One time I was sick
because I couldn't have the
one I wanted--sick, you
understand, like the
princesses in the Arabian
Nights who could not eat nor
drink for love sickness.”
In both plays we see the main
masculine character using his
sexuality to gain control of the
situation. The difference that
we notice is that Stanley uses
his body and his physical
prowess to gain control of the
situation while Jean Louis uses
his charm and his bravado to
do the same.
Gestures
Contrasting Characters, foil characters
between Stella and Blanche and
Stanley and Mitch
“JULIE. Yes, deeply. But I have
probably hated him too, I
must have-- without being
aware of it. And it is due to
my father's training that I
have learned to scorn my
own sex. “
Miss Julie uses her sexuality to
be on the same level as her
“servant” peers as she
idealises the lower class while
Blanche uses her sexuality to
gain power and to dominate
different situations.
Stanley vs Blanche for
Theme:
Stella
Power,
Ambition,
Survival of
the Fittest
The RAPE scene
-”She moans. The bottle top falls.
She sinks to her knees. He picks up
her inert figure and carries her to
the bed.”
Metaphor for their power struggle
Stage directions
Elis
ion, Foil
Theme Statement:​ Ambition is a motivated
force that causes the characters to act in a
manner that creates conflicts and
misunderstandings, ultimately leading to their
downfall.
Both Miss Julie and Jean Louis, representing
opposing class, are portrayed as vying against
each other for the battle of the fittest. Miss
Julie represents the aristocratic rank and a
characterization of a modern woman, while
Jean Louis is characterized as clambering
upwards towards a higher rank, and someone
who is able to survive due to his ability to
manipulate and adapt to different situations. It
is however MIss Julie that is ultimately shown
to succumb to Jean’s manipulation both
metaphorically and literally. The sexual
encounter with Jean is a pivotal scene as it
represents the rebellion of Miss Julie’s rooted
beliefs on males as well as her submission to
the authority of Jean, a juxtaposition of the
ranks each character bears. This is also scene
in parallel with Streetcar Named Desire. The
literal conformity and loss in the survival of
the fittest is witnessed at the conclusion of the
play when Jean manipulates Miss Julie in
committing suicide.
Miss Julie:
● Throughout the play, Miss Julie is
portrayed as wanting freedom from
the class of nobility she was born into.
Her ambition of straying away from
the aristocratic rank leads her to fall
prey to Jean’s schemes and gentleness.
● This desire to escape the power she
holds as a result of her societal rank is
seen through the dream she has,
where she is unable to descend from
the pillar. This is symbolic of her
wishful thinking to fall in rank.
Jean:
● Jean’s ultimate goal is to be a man with
a title, reflected through the several
instances he shared of his aspiration to
rise from his current position in life
and manage his own hotel to
ultimately attain a position of “count.”
● The inferred suicide of Miss Julie
marks the conclusion of the play, with
the successful manipulation of Jean
making him the victor in the theme of
“I’ll start a hotel.” - Jean,
page 20
Use of pronoun “i”
highlights Jean’s
self-centered
“Today, I’m a servant but
thoughts. The
next year I’ll own my own
diction placed after
hotel and in 10 years I’ll be a
such pronouns
landed gentleman.” - Jean,
highlights the
page 21
personal aspirations
“I’d be a count.” - Jean, page and ambitions Jean
21
has set out for
himself.
“I find myself seated at the
top of a high pillar, and I see
no possible way to get
down.” - Miss Julie
Symbol of ‘pillar’ is
referred to as high
position of power
Miss julie currently
holds.
The phrase is a
metaphor for Miss
Julie’s want and
willingness to
demote herself to a
position of lower
status and power.
The sexual encounter scene
is in parallel with Streetcar
Named Desire. The literal
conformity and loss in the
survival of the fittest is
witnessed at the middle of
the play, when Jean beds
Miss Julie. This is mirrored
in the climax of SND, when
Stanley forces himself upon
Blanche. The primary
difference between the
metaphorical in of the males
over the females is that Miss
Julie willingly succumbed to
Jean. The literal
manipulation of Jean results
in Miss Julie committing
suicide.
Jean and Stanley:
Jean and Stanley both share
the ambition of clambering up
towards a position of high
power, ultimately dominating
the female characters in their
respective plays (seen above
by the metaphorical victory
through the sexual
encounter). However, their
initial position of power is
different. Stanley already
assumes the role of a man
with power while Jean aspires
to attain power through class.
Miss Julie and Blanche:
There is a contrast in ambition
of power between Miss Julie
and Blanche. Blanche is seen
to compete for power and
attention from her sister,
Stella, against Stanley.
However, Miss Julie is in a
frantic attempt to escape the
societal expectations of the
high class she was born into.
Despite both differing
perspectives on the position
of power, both Blanche and
MIss Julie ultimately are
victims of the men’s ambition
survival of the fittest.
for power and survival of the
fittest.
Stanley vs Blanche
(Immigrants vs Upper
Class)
Theme:
Class
Conflict
Stanley and Blanche
conflict each other due to
their class difference.
Stanley is an immigrants
who came to US for
American Dream, on the
other hand, Blanche is
from Old South where
solid social class system
existed. Throughout the
play Blanche and Stanley
show conflicts due to class
difference. For example,
Blanche constantly calls
Stanley “Polak” which
humiliates the Polish to
emphasise the difference.
Stanley feels insecure by
her high class. This is why
Stanley tries to control
Blanche using his gender
power.
“She is daintily dressed in a white
suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace
and earrings of pearl, white
gloves and hat, looking as if she
were arriving at a summer tea or
cocktail party in the garden
district”
“​BLANCHE:
Is he so--different?
STELLA:
Yes. A different species.​”
Costumes worn by Blanche and
Stanley shows class difference.
Blanche usually wears thin, delicate,
and whitish clothes (pajamas) which
represents upper class on the other
hand, Stanley wears shirts with
primary colors and denim work
clothes which represent workers in
that time.
Dialogue (the way how characters
speak) shows their class conflict.
Blanche uses very gentle and noble
languages meanwhile Stanley uses
rough and aggressive language.
Theme Statement
Julie uses superiority by class difference
“It’s the damned servant in
me”
between her and Jean to oppose Jean who uses
gender power to control her.
Historical Context
About 1 million Swedes emigrated to the
United States between 1850 and 1890. Many
In SND, both Stanley and
Blanche try to assert their
superiority by using the
support of their
background/class. Blanche
believes she is superior
because she comes from a
high class society while
Stanley feels that he has
power as he represents the
new immigrants who are
increasingly becoming more
powerful. Thus, Blanche and
Stanley are constantly in
conflict.
returned and brought word of the progressive
thoughts, thus stimulating faster
modernization. Faster modernization caused
challenges on social class system in Sweden by
socialists. The influence of the Socialists was
very prominent as the lower classes began to
aspire for social mobility.
The same sentiment is reflected on Jean
in the house of Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
Throughout the play, Jean is seen as the ideal
On the other hand, there is
no such conflict in Miss Julie
because Jean already knows
that he belongs to the lower
class, while Miss Julie
belongs to a higher class,
however, the difference here
is that Miss Julie wants to
lower herself and be like her
servants which is not what
Blanche wanted to do.
Blanche was proud of her
heritage.
servant, the staunchest upholder of class
hierarchies, conscious, very acutely. “It’s the
damned servant in me”. He is disapproving of
Julie, who, belonging to the aristocracy, does
not conform to the class conventions, and
attempts constantly to break free of them.
The climatic overturning of class hierarchies
occurs when Julie, desperate after her
transgression, begs Jean to lend her some
sense of direction. He tells her to die. The final
scene in which this occurs brings out the
sexual and class conflicts in the play, and the
way sexuality and class itself conflict
Jean shows his recognition of class
difference and barrier that exists in between
countess and servant.
Blanche wants to uphold the
difference in class between
her and Stanley as it makes
her feel superior to him. On
the other hand, Miss Julie
wants to lower herself and
be a part of the lower class
like her servants so she can
be free.
Miss Julie: But if I
command you?
Jean: Then I obey.
Miss Julie: Shall I obey
you?
Jean: ​“You were
unattainable, but through
the vision of you I was
made to realize how
hopeless it was to rise
above the conditions of
my birth.”
Miss Julie shows her class superiority
over Jean.
Miss Julie: ​“And now: Kiss
my shoe!”
Idiomatic
expression
Jean goes ​against the existing social
structures like her mother in the play
Jean: ​“Play with fire”
Whereas Julie expresses a desire to fall
from her social position, Jean expresses
an ideal desire to climb up from his social
position. Juxtaposition:
Miss Julie: “​I'm sitting on Juxtaposition
top of a pillar that I've
climbed up somehow
and I don't know how to
get back down.”
Jean: “I climb--climb, to
plunder the birds' nests
up there where the
golden eggs lie, but the
tree trunk is so thick, so
smooth, and the first limb
is so high! But I know if I
reached the first limb I
should climb as though
on a ladder, to the top. I
haven't reached it yet,
but I shall reach it, if only
in the dream.​”
Used as reminders for Jean that there
will always be these class barriers in the
house
“I have never known
anyone else for whom I
have such respect. I
need only to see his
gloves lying in a chair to
feel my own
Count’s Boots
and the bell are
motifs
insignificance. I have
only to hear his bell to
start like a nervous
horse--and now as I see
his boots standing there
so stiff and proper I feel
like bowing and
scraping. “
Theme:
Human
Nature
Thematic statement:​ Idealisation can often
influence our actions and affect our moral
beliefs and in some cases lead to the
degradation of others.
Blanche experiences a
steady decline mentally
after she was raped and
months later. Stella and
Stanley call for a doctor to
take Blanche to the
asylum as she is going
mad with the presence of
Stanley.
Desire leads to downfall.
Blanche’s sexual desires
lead to many problems
one of which, is
continuous denial which
ultimately destroys her
ability to have a
relationship with Mitch as
well as her sanity, because
the lies have consumed
her and what was actually
meant to be
self-preservation led to
self-destruction.
Jean:
Point: Strindberg portrays his ambivalence of
his attitude towards women through Jean.
“They kicked her out of that high
school before the spring term
ended- and i hate to tell you the
reason that step was taken! A
seventeen year old boy - she’d
gotten mixed up with!”
The volume of the Varsouviana Music
I can't stand a naked light bulb,
any more than I can a rude
remark or a vulgar action.
When she kisses the mail
man
The sexual passion in
Stanley and Stella’s
relationship is one of
the strongest attractive
forces in their
marriage—strong
enough, even, to
overcome physical
abuse. The opposing
forces of Stanley and
Blanche, trying to win
over Stella, are
constantly at odds
throughout the play.
Motif of bathing,symbolism of light
and dark
“​They stare at each other. Then
they come together with low,
animal moans. He falls to his
knees on the steps and presses
his face to her belly, curving a
little with maternity. Her eyes go
blind with tenderness as she
catches his head and raises him
level with her. He snatches the
screen door open and lifts her off
her feet and bears her into the
dark flat.”
Motif of bathing, symbolism of light
and dark
Explanation​: Jean is seen to be both praising
and idealising Ms. Julie, however at the same
time he abuses her and scorns her. He praises
Ms. Julie because of her auspicious title and
disposition however later on he is seen
insulting her after they have sex. The sex scene
although not explicitly mentioned in the play
is a significant turning point on the play which
identifies the victor and the victim. At this
point we see a shift in character motives and a
change in the plot. This is because he has
reached the pinnacle of his dreams, he soon
realizes that now she is worthless and has no
regard for her anymore. This captures the
essence of masculinity as it shows the thrill of
the chase and now Jean realizes that
conquering Ms. Julie was far too easy for him
and he builds his ego. He now aspires to break
from the social divide that bounds him to his
class, and fulfill his dreams of building a hotel.
The razor is sign of degradation as he tells
Ms.Julie to just kill herself , leaving Ms.Julie
with no power. The razor also symbolizes a
male object. So with the razor Strindberg is
trying to convey the point that males dominate
over all females.
Julie​:
Point: Strindberg’s hatred of the upper class
society is highlighted by Ms. Julie’s idealization
of the lower class society.
Explanation: ​Julie is both attracted to men and
appalled by them at the same time. Because
she also wants to be part of the lower class
society this explains her love hate relationship
with Jean. This can be seen through her love
for beer. Beer here symbolizes the lower class
as it is seen as a drink for a worker. She tells
Jean that she prefer beer to wine, when he
steals wine from the cellar. Wine is seen as a
drink for the upper class. So when she says she
dislikes wine, it shows her dislike for the
upper class. Julie also uses dance, which is
seen as a sign of power over men. She uses
dance with Jean, to get feel of how it feels to be
Evidence​: “A moment ago
you kissed my foot and knelt
to me you adored me now
you aren’t even enough of a
gentlemen to give up your
chair for a lady”
A moment ago
foreshadows the
pivoting point, shift
in tone in Jean.
Evidence:​ “There’s no doubt
about my loving you, you
are beautiful you are
elegant… accomplished
lovable ” “Servants whore
and lackey’s bitch”
Evidence:​ (Use of props)
Jean steals the wine from
the cellar which represents
his desperation to be part of
the upper class. However
him easily attaining the
wine also represents how
easy it was for him to
conquer Ms. Julie.
Evidence: ​“come here, my
girl, and I’ll give you a glass
of wine ”
‘My’ diction for
possessive, he is
almost claiming her
as property.
Evidence (use of props)​:
“Takes razor and puts it in
her hand”
Evidence:​ “I could buy
myself a title I’d be a count
and you’d be a countess”
Wine = Upper class
Beer = Lower class
Evidence​: “She taught me to
mistrust and hate men…
and I swore to her that I’d
never be a slave to any man”
Evidence (use of props)​:
“My taste is so simple that I
prefer it to wine”
“That only goes to prove
that you taste is poorer than
mine”
Establishing power
difference between
the two, this ties in
gender roles.
Wine symbolizes
upper class as it is a
classy drink that is
usually of an
expensive nature;
whereas beer is the
opposite. We find a
contrast between
the characters and
the mixed
preferences that
are usually socially
In both plays, we see how the
male idealizes social
acceptance and complete
dominance in society. We this
trait of character in the
protagonists of both plays Jean and Stanley. However we
see them achieve their ideals
in different manners. In
streetcar , Stanley is coarse
and tries to emulate the
stereotype of masculinity
through his dialogue and
actions. Whereas Jean in Miss
Julie is seen to be both polite
and formal in his dealings with
his superior. Both playwrights
use different methods to
approach each of the
characters intentions.
Although both characters
come from lower class
societies we see a difference
in dominance in the play. In
the beginning of SND, Stanley
hold most of the power and
dominance whereas Jean in
the beginning is seen to be in
state of less power.
Both Ms.Julie and Blanche try
to fight societal expectation
but in different ways. As
Ms.Julie actually idealises to
be a part of the lower class
while Blanche idealises to
hold on to her past as she was
a part of the higher class and
she got whatever she wanted.
This can be mainly seen with
the props used by both of
these characters. Ms.Julie
uses beer to signify her hatred
of the upper class and her
want to be a part of the lower
class. On the other Blanche is
seen with the use of
cigarettes as she use
a part of the lower class. So she practically
degrades the upper class, while at the same
time idealising the lower class.
However, Stanley’s
sexuality ultimately
triumphs over Blanche’s
misguided attempts at
reasoning. This shows
that human nature
contests more to sexual
desires than it does to
reasoning.
Stanley:
Ego, pride, reputation.
There is a lot of hostility
between Stanley and
Blanche because her old
values and knowledge
challenge those of
Stanley’s which forces him
to mark his territory and
put her in place.
Miss Julie can be categorized as both a sadist
(pleasure in another’s pain) and a masochist
(pleasure in one’s pain). We find this in two
cases respectively, firstly when we find Miss
Julie using a horse whip to train her husband,
and towards the end of the play when she asks
Jean for an escape and that resulted in her
committing suicide
Every man is king. And I’m the king
around here.
Alluding to Huey long
switched. Where
Jean should enjoy
the beer whereas
Miss Julie should be
enjoying the wine
cigarettes as a way to gain
power over men as she is
using sexuality over them. It
shows her want of power that
the upper class gives. So even
though these two character
idealise different things, the
use of props actually is very
similar. Also what Blanche
idealises is similar to what
Jean idealises.
In both plays we see the main
masculine character using his
sexuality to gain control of the
situation. The difference that
we notice is that Stanley uses
his body and his physical
prowess to gain control of the
situation while Jean uses his
charm and his bravado to do
the same.
Miss Julie might have ended up as Blanche if she carried on the path.
Both plays have male character dominating the woman.
Blanche is trying to climb Stanley’s mountain of power and he pushes her off later.
Jean tries to climb Miss Julie’s mountain of power and once Jean gets there, he pushes MJ off the position of power.
Miss Julie willingly lost power and dropped down to Jean’s level.
Fall of Power as Mitch and Stella stop believing in Blanche leading to further loss of power.
Blanche’s experiences lead to her downfall as compared to Miss Julie, whose lack of experience led to her downfall.
http://acceda.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/3992/1/0234349_00004_0015.pdf
^^ Proper paper 2 Text ​MUST READ