A similar method of characterization was used by Tennessee Williams when building up the
character of Stanley Kowalski. The stage directions introducing him in Scene 1 give his physical
description, stressing his animal sexuality, his machismo. He is meant to be seen as the cock of the
walk, ‘the gaudy seed-bearer’ in the playwright’s striking phrase. His basic contempt for women
may be gathered from the way he addresses the sisters during the poker game in Scene 3 (‘You hens
cut out that conversation in there!’). He abuses his friends as well, but they respond with loyalty and
even affection.
Stanley’s ungrammatical speech betrays his lack of education, but he is shrewd, sensing quite early
in his acquaintance with Blanche that some aspects of her behaviour are out of keeping with what is
expected of a Southern lady. Her drinking is no secret to him either, as Mitch tells Blanche in Scene
9.
He is quite as class-conscious as Blanche herself. Having married a gentlewoman, he is acutely
aware and resentful of the differences in outlook and manner between himself and his wife. It is
therefore inevitable that there should be hostility between him and Blanche, who is trying to make
Stella revert to the past of Belle Reve.
It is equally inevitable, given Stanley’s awareness of his masculinity and his contempt for women,
that the hostility should be expressed through sexual domination. The way the play has been
constructed, with the rape as the climax in the penultimate scene, and the last scene centred on
Blanche’s departure, leaves some questions unanswered. Was there a confrontation between Stanley
and Blanche in which he denied her accusation? What went on during those weeks between the rape
and Blanche’s departure?
Such questions in the readers’ minds refer of course only to the action of the play, but they have a
bearing on Stanley’s character as well as on that of his wife. His machismo and his need to
dominate are two aspects of his character that are stressed throughout the play in order to make the
rape plausible. Could it be said that here Tennessee Williams sacrificed subtlety of character to the
demands of the plot?
The first impression of Stanley comes from these quotations. It clearly shows he is a very primitive
almost cave-man like character who doesn’t treat women the way that a woman should be treated.
Similarly he calls her “Baby” which also gives an image of unequal status as she is harmless and
useless whilst he was described with his friends as hard working laborers in blue denim work
clothes.
These animalistic connotations are of relevance with the theme of men overpowering women. The
men in this play, mostly represented by Stanley are primitive, meaning they are more animalistic
than actual gentlemen. Like animals in the wild, there is often an alpha-male or the most dominant
figure in the group, or the pack leader. In this case, Stanley is the pack leader. Many words such as
“animal joy” “since earliest manhood” “richly feathered bird” are evidence of Stanley being the
most dominant figure as a richly feathered bird represents a peacock, and male peacocks are usually
the biggest and brightest of the peacocks who show themselves off to the females. In relation
to Stanley, he is the biggest and shows himself off by taking his shirt off in some of the scenes.
Furthermore he is a worker in blue denim clothes which give a muscular, hard working image of a
man. It’s interesting in the fact that peacocks have bright feathers to attract females relates
to Stanley. Blanche does not like to be revealed in true light as it will show her age, but Stanley
constantly slowly reveals this and the other truths she has tried to hide. Thus metaphorically, he is
as bright as a peacock in that he is the light that will reveal the truth behind Blanche.
Stanley is a flirtatious womanizer. Although he doesn’t know Blanche well at the beginning of the
play, he already shows off his upper body by removing his shirt. Furthermore he gives evidence of
flirtatious behavior to all women despite his passionately sexual relationship with his wife.
Additionally, it could be suggested that Blanche can be seen here as taken aback or mesmerized
by Stanley’s body after he takes off his clothes with the words “please, please do.” This is where the
audience sees a first few signs of Blanche not being as innocent as expected.
Williams also portrays Stanley as very childish. This is one example as he keeps repeating “I’ve got
an acquaintance” to Stella about Blanche. He does this because he doesn’t want to hear what Stella
is telling him and always tries to show that It isn’t true. He doesn’t understand the superiority of
Blanche and Stella’s past of superiority in the autocratic society.
Stanley fears of Blanche’s use of deception and persuasion skills to lure her sister into her
world. Stanley tries to protect his wife by stating that a Napoleonic Code applies to him meaning
whatever Stella owns, he owns. This is clearly a way of protecting his wife as Blanche sold her
property in the past and tries to persuade her sister to get away from this society. By stating that
men own everything, it relates to the theme of men overpowering women and the theme of unequal
rights for women as it was at that time of the play.
Williams develops Stanley as the most dominant figure in the play. To the audience, he orders
people around and does not care about anybody else but himself. This fact is also supported by the
fact that his appearance represents his personality. He is very primitive and muscular, but he also
has a very strong sexual drive for his wife.
Stanley is a very difficult character to everybody, even with his wife and friends. The quotation
shows that Stanley told Mitch about Blanche’s past in order to stop him from marrying her. One
interpretation suggests that here he is trying to protect Mitch from Blanche’s deception about her
past and so he tells him about her to stop them from marrying, thus it makes him seem more caring
towards his friends and a hero. However, a contradicting interpretation suggests that Stanley doesn’t
care about Mitch and his feelings but focuses only on one aim: to get rid of Blanche. So he told her
in order for Mitch to think twice about marrying her and destroying their relationship which makes
Blanche’s life even worse as she will lose the only person in the story she has a common life with.
Although Stanley is quite childish, spoilt and an uneducated worker in society, he is still however
quite cunning and street-smart. He hates Blanche and when he buys Blanche a ticket out of his
world, he expects her to go feeling destroyed. So when Blanche tells Stanley of meeting a
millionaire he makes sure to discredit this lie and remove even the pretence of dignity that it would
have given Blanche. We see again that he isn’t fooled easily by her words. We know that Blanche is
very deceiving as she does not show her true side or her true appearance as she constantly avoids
the light. However, unlike the other men, Stanley isn’t fooled. The quotation further emphasizes the
fact that Stanley resembles a predator.
Stanley doesn’t care anymore about what happens to Blanche as she leaves. He has won the war
with Blanche and now can turn back to Stella and his baby. The use of the words “Now, honey.
Now, love” suggests that he is back in control and so there will be peace and they are now bonded
together like before Blanche invaded their home. Their bond has tightened by the fact that Stella has
had her baby and it is the mixed blood of both the world of Stella and the world of Stanley.
Furthermore, he doesn’t care about anybody’s need except his own as he reaches inside her blouse
even though she mourns the fact that her sister is leaving.
Stanley can be seen both as hero and villain. Stanley represents the lively, vibrant, industrial
lifestyle that will take American forward into economic boom, but at the same time could also be
viewed as the villain as he rapes Blanche and destroys her dreams as well as her life. Stanley is the
main male character in the story thus giving the story the balance of male and female but also he
represents all men who live in the society at that time – looking for women, hulky, hard laborers,
dominant and overpowering.
This is when Stanley finally rapes Blanche before she leaves. This is a key moment because the
quote “we’ve had this date from the beginning” suggests that the rape was inevitably going to
happen, and that Blanche’s fate has been sealed because of Stanley’s hatred of her and the two
opposing worlds that they come from. This physical destruction of Blanche completes the verbal
destruction began earlier by revealing the truth to both her and Mitch about the illusory nature of
Blanche’s character and dreams. The rape represents the sudden end of these dreams and it clearly
rips her world apart and drives her insane. This relates to some of the main themes of the play such
as dreams vs. reality, and men overpowering women but most importantly the theme of passion
being destructive as the rape rips her dream world apart.
(Mr. Hoye’s IB website)
Stanley is Stella's strong and good-looking husband. He works in a factory and has little 'proper'
upbringing. Stella loves him dearly, as well, but he has trouble controlling his temper. He is smarter
than he appears and is the first person to see through Blanche's facade. He plays poker, bowls,
drinks, and is completely in love with Stella. He is often referred to as a Polack and a commoner.
(bookrags.com)
Stella's domineering and possessive husband and Blanche's brother-in-law. Of Polish origin, he
represents all that is virile, masculine, common, and boisterous in life. Vengeful in nature, he
becomes Blanche's nemesis, spoils her chance of a possibly happy marriage with his best friend,
Harold Mitchell (Mitch), and rapes her himself.
(Pink monkey.com)
Stella’s husband, is full of raw strength, ferocity, violent masculinity, and animal magnetism. He
wears lurid colors and parades his physicality, stripping off sweaty shirts and smashing objects
throughout the play. His extreme virility is a direct contrast to Blanche’s homosexual husband who
committed suicide. Stanley loves Stella––she is the soft, feminine foil to his violent ways. Their
connection is indeed, as Blanche says derisively, “sub-human”: their physical relationship creates a
deep bond between them. However, Stanley is drawn to Blanche, and in the play’s climax, he rapes
her while Stella is in the hospital having the baby.
(Lit charts.com)
Stanley Kowalski, Stella's husband, is a man of solid, blue-collar stock - direct, passionate, and
often violent. He has no patience for Blanche and the illusions she cherishes. Moreover, he is a
controlling and domineering man, demanding subservience from his wife in the belief that his
authority is threatened by Blanche's arrival. Blanche, however, sees him as a primitive ape driven
only by instinct. In the end, though, Stanley proves he can be as cold and calculating as she is.
(gradesaver.com)