Austin Van Bruggen
Mrs. Buescher
AP Eng. Lit.
10/4/12
3.2.7
Sisters Blanche and Stella offer readers a glimpse into a rich, complex relationship
in A Streetcar Named Desire. Much has been said about Blanche's decline into
madness. What do you think becomes of Stella? Notice Stella's reactions at key
moments of the play: when Stanley hits her during the poker game, her return, her
conversation with Stanley just before she goes into labor, and her expression of
guilt as Blanche is led away.
Do you think Stella has changed significantly by the end of the play? What about
her relationship with Stanley? How has it changed? Support your reasoning and
describe Stella in detail, using examples from the text.
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is a deep and meaningful piece. It
displays themes of active change in the world and the dominance of men over women in
society. The main characters of the play are Blanche and Stanley, though often, little attention
is given to Stella. Stella’s character changes throughout the course of the play, and this change
reflects the themes of the play. By the end of the play Stella’s character, her relationship with
Stanley, and her relationship to truth and illusion have changed drastically from at the outset.
Throughout the course of the play, Stella’s character changes quite drastically. At the
beginning of the play, Stella is very content with her current life and living situation. She knows
that her life isn’t as grand as it was at Belle Reve, but she is content with the way her life is
regardless. This is made evident when she says, “Aren’t you being a little intense about it? It’s
not that bad at all! New Orleans isn’t like other cities.” (Page 20). As Blanche stays with Stella
and Stanley for several months, a sort of tug of war over Stella’s affections and sympathies
forms between Blanche and Stanley. By the end of the play it is made clear that Blanche has
lost this tug of war seeing as how she refuses to believe Blanches story about her rape by
Stanley. Although Blanche lost the tug of war, she seems to have had a partial victory, as Stella
is most definitely more dissatisfied and unhappy with her current situation.
Stella’s relationship to Stanley also changes significantly by the end of the play. For
example, at the beginning of the play it is made evident through Stella’s dialogue that she is
madly in love with Stanley. This is shown when she says, “I can hardly stand it when he is away
for a night...When he’s away for a week I nearly go wild!...And when he comes home I cry in his
lap like a baby.” (Page 25). This is further supported by her coming back to him shortly after him
beating her on the night of the poker game. The arrival of Blanche in their home truly threatens
to change Stella’s and Stanley’s relationship. Because Blanche and Stanley are polar opposites
that cannot get along, Stella will have to be the middle ground between them and eventually
will have to choose between them. By the end of the play, because of Stanley’s constant attacks
on Blanche, eventually causing her to lose all hold on sanity, Blanche’s love for Stanley has
obviously waned. Although she loved Stanley dearly, she also loved her sister just as much, and
because Stanley was the one that pushed her past the edge of her sanity, she feels more distant
from him. Though, she still continues to be with him out of necessity, having just had a child
with him and relying on him for survival.
By the end of the play Stella’s relationship to truth and illusion in the world has also
changed radically. At the outset of the play Stella and Blanche represent opposite views of
reality; Stella’s view based on truth and Blanche’s based on illusion and fantasy. For example, at
the outset of the play Stella is very down to earth and able to conform to the changing world
around her; this is shown by her relationship with Stanley, an immigrant, even though she
comes from an elite social background. In contrast, Blanche is constantly lying to others, and to
herself, in an attempt to change the way things are to how they used to be. She replaces what
is true, with what she wishes were true, such as deceiving Mitch into thinking her far younger
than she truly is. By the end of the play, Stella adopts Blanche’s tactic of viewing the world as
she wants it to be and not as it truly is. She makes this decision when she is faced with
Blanche’s story of being raped by Stanley. She can’t believe her sister’s story and still be with
Stanley, so she chooses to disregard it as insane ramblings so that her life with Stanley can go
on. This situation is meant to display the dominance that men have over women in their society
at that time. Women weren’t considered equals so without a husband Stella would most likely
become even more destitute than she already was.
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is full of many important themes.
Often times, readers only analyze Blanche and Stanley to assess these themes, though much of
the important meaning in the play is involved with Stella’s character and the changes that she
goes through characteristicly, in her relationship with Stanley, and in her relationship to truth
and illusion. By assessing Stella throughout the course of the play the themes of the piece are
made much stronger and clear.