● Williams portrays Stanley’s toxic hegemonic masculinity
- Williams portrays Stanley’s character as an embodiment of the hegemonic
masculine ideals that plague his post-war society
- Stanley is very physically imposing and is described in the stage directions as a
“richly feathered bird” who “sizes women up at a glance”
- In scene 10 when he r’pes blanche he physically towers over her leaving her
“inert” figure helpless
- This suggests that his toxic masculinity is the cause of the death and destruction
of femininity
- Stanley states “we’ve had this date with each other since the beginning” which
frames this act of violence as a historic inevitability
● Blanche is used as a critique of his masculinity
-
● Mitch is almost presented as a foil to Stanley’s masculinity
- Williams constructs the character of Mitch as a foil to Stanley’s masculinity
- Physically, Stanley is much more imposing and looks more like a man
- Mitch, however, treats Blanche initially with kindness and is softer.
- Mitch is a thwarted version of masculinity. While he is initially a foil for his courtly
and kind gestures towards Blanche, he ultimately mimics Stanley’s cruelty once
he finds out who she truly is.
- Mitch directly attacks Blanhe’s weaknesses in a cutthroat manner when he “rips”
● Uses animal imagery to present Stanley as primitive
- Blanche describes Stanley as “ape-like” and “primitive” suggesting that he is less
than human.
- This atavistic imagery paints Stanley as a violent sub-species who Blanche views
as inferior.
- By calling him a survivor of the stone age, she attempts to use her supposed
intellectual superiority to mask her social inferiority.
- This may be a reflection of the racist ideals that the Antebellum South had
towards the new generation of immigrants such as Stanley.
- This also explains why Stanley asserts that he is “one hundred percent
American” because he thinks this is the only way to gain the world’s favour and
he wouldn’t be able to if he was just a “polack”
- Here, he uses his masculinity as a shield from his polish immigrant identity
- Stanley’s brutal, hyper-masculine vitality that necessitates the total destruction of
traditional feminine gentility
● The way in which the war has affected masculinity
- Stanley represents the industrialised post war new south that has no room for
aristocratic gentility.
- The laws of this society benefits his with with “napoleonic code” allowing his to
reclaim what he believes is rightfully his
- He sees himself as a “king”
- Williams portrays Stanley’s character as an embodiment of the hegemonic
masculine ideals that plague his post-war society
- Stanley is very physically imposing and is described in the stage directions as a
“richly feathered bird” who “sizes women up at a glance”
- In scene 10 when he r’pes blanche he physically towers over her leaving her
“inert” figure helpless
- This suggests that his toxic masculinity is the cause of the death and destruction
of femininity
- Stanley states “we’ve had this date with each other since the beginning” which
frames this act of violence as a historic inevitability
● Blanche is used as a critique of his masculinity
-
● Mitch is almost presented as a foil to Stanley’s masculinity
- Williams constructs the character of Mitch as a foil to Stanley’s masculinity
- Physically, Stanley is much more imposing and looks more like a man
- Mitch, however, treats Blanche initially with kindness and is softer.
- Mitch is a thwarted version of masculinity. While he is initially a foil for his courtly
and kind gestures towards Blanche, he ultimately mimics Stanley’s cruelty once
he finds out who she truly is.
- Mitch directly attacks Blanhe’s weaknesses in a cutthroat manner when he “rips”
● Uses animal imagery to present Stanley as primitive
- Blanche describes Stanley as “ape-like” and “primitive” suggesting that he is less
than human.
- This atavistic imagery paints Stanley as a violent sub-species who Blanche views
as inferior.
- By calling him a survivor of the stone age, she attempts to use her supposed
intellectual superiority to mask her social inferiority.
- This may be a reflection of the racist ideals that the Antebellum South had
towards the new generation of immigrants such as Stanley.
- This also explains why Stanley asserts that he is “one hundred percent
American” because he thinks this is the only way to gain the world’s favour and
he wouldn’t be able to if he was just a “polack”
- Here, he uses his masculinity as a shield from his polish immigrant identity
- Stanley’s brutal, hyper-masculine vitality that necessitates the total destruction of
traditional feminine gentility
● The way in which the war has affected masculinity
- Stanley represents the industrialised post war new south that has no room for
aristocratic gentility.
- The laws of this society benefits his with with “napoleonic code” allowing his to
reclaim what he believes is rightfully his
- He sees himself as a “king”
