How does Williams explore power in ASND
Williams explores how the power held by characters predominantly derives from incontrollable
genetic pre-sets to expose the tragedy of such a society for the so-called weak. Whilst the stock
character Stanley expresses his dominance through his masculine physicality, Blanche uses her
feminine sexual desire to manipulate those around her. Although both techniques work initially,
Williams reveals the inevitability of Blanche’s tragic downfall alerting the audience of the
incompatibility between being a woman and having power.
Williams explores how Blanche’s power derived from her sexual manipulation ultimately causes her
tragic downfall expressing the dangers that can derive from women taking control in the 1940s.
Blanche’s past, epitomised by her stay in the ‘tarantula’ hotel, is gradually revealed throughout the
play. Through the visual imagery of a spider trapping their victim in a delicately weaved web,
Williams has demonstrated Blanche’s technique of obtaining male attention through manipulation
and restraint. This stands to shock a contemporaneous audience due to the reversal of the
stereotypical male power held in sexual relationships in the 1940s. This forwardness is further
indicated as she ‘swoops down on Dallas’ to meet an old lover. From this predatorial depiction, it is
made intelligible to the audience that Blanche is in control and therefore has power over her
partners. Williams’ presents this overt sexual power to be the reason for her ultimate downfall as at
the denouement of the play, she dresses in a ‘red satin robe’ which merges both her suggestive
intimacy through the fabric ‘satin’ with the peril and violence associated with the colour ‘red’. From
this, the audience is made aware of the potential for danger that derives from Blanche’s actions and
allows them to interpret her sexual freedom as her hamartia that causes her inevitable tragic fall.
This is explored further through the motif of the streetcar. Whilst Blanche begins the play travelling
on a ‘streetcar named desire’, she quickly transfers to one named ‘Cemeteries’ which allegorically
represents the trajectory of the protagonist’s life. Via the unsettling connotation to death, the
audience can delineate that Blanche’s fate has been predestined merely due to her irrepressible
yearning to have sexual power. This stands as a warning against the use of sexual manipulation to
gain control due to its temporary, hazardous nature. Whilst Blanche initially reaches an authoritative
status due to her indulgence in promiscuity, Williams utilises the archetypal character as a symbol of
ultimate defeat against societal expectations as it is her sexual desire that consequently causes her
fall from power.
Stanley’s domination over all the other characters acts to enforce the idea that power stems from
masculinity. In a moment of catharsis, Stanley labels himself ‘the King around here’ which, through
the direct connotations to both royalty and maleness, conveys the fact he has ultimate control in
New Orleans. Williams’ utilisation of the monarchical title stands as a reminder to the audience that
what Stanley represents, New America, has just emerged victorious from the Civil War allowing him
to hold this status. This dominance is further displayed visually as he is dressed in ‘bold, primary
colours’ which contrasts the neutral, more subtle ‘faded white’ worn by the other characters. By
visually depicting Stanley to represent the most central foundations of colour, the audience can
insinuate that his presence is essential in maintaining the social stability of New Orleans. Williams’
tracks Stanley’s journey to achieving ultimate power through the structure of the ‘poker night’. From
the beginning, Stanley makes it clear that ‘poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women’ which
illustrates, through the blatant sexism, that femininity has been predestined to fail in this ‘game’ of
life which prognosticates, to the audience, a fall from grace for all the women in the play. By
comparing life to a ‘seven-card stud’, Williams has accentuated the tragic flaw of this society by
Williams explores how the power held by characters predominantly derives from incontrollable
genetic pre-sets to expose the tragedy of such a society for the so-called weak. Whilst the stock
character Stanley expresses his dominance through his masculine physicality, Blanche uses her
feminine sexual desire to manipulate those around her. Although both techniques work initially,
Williams reveals the inevitability of Blanche’s tragic downfall alerting the audience of the
incompatibility between being a woman and having power.
Williams explores how Blanche’s power derived from her sexual manipulation ultimately causes her
tragic downfall expressing the dangers that can derive from women taking control in the 1940s.
Blanche’s past, epitomised by her stay in the ‘tarantula’ hotel, is gradually revealed throughout the
play. Through the visual imagery of a spider trapping their victim in a delicately weaved web,
Williams has demonstrated Blanche’s technique of obtaining male attention through manipulation
and restraint. This stands to shock a contemporaneous audience due to the reversal of the
stereotypical male power held in sexual relationships in the 1940s. This forwardness is further
indicated as she ‘swoops down on Dallas’ to meet an old lover. From this predatorial depiction, it is
made intelligible to the audience that Blanche is in control and therefore has power over her
partners. Williams’ presents this overt sexual power to be the reason for her ultimate downfall as at
the denouement of the play, she dresses in a ‘red satin robe’ which merges both her suggestive
intimacy through the fabric ‘satin’ with the peril and violence associated with the colour ‘red’. From
this, the audience is made aware of the potential for danger that derives from Blanche’s actions and
allows them to interpret her sexual freedom as her hamartia that causes her inevitable tragic fall.
This is explored further through the motif of the streetcar. Whilst Blanche begins the play travelling
on a ‘streetcar named desire’, she quickly transfers to one named ‘Cemeteries’ which allegorically
represents the trajectory of the protagonist’s life. Via the unsettling connotation to death, the
audience can delineate that Blanche’s fate has been predestined merely due to her irrepressible
yearning to have sexual power. This stands as a warning against the use of sexual manipulation to
gain control due to its temporary, hazardous nature. Whilst Blanche initially reaches an authoritative
status due to her indulgence in promiscuity, Williams utilises the archetypal character as a symbol of
ultimate defeat against societal expectations as it is her sexual desire that consequently causes her
fall from power.
Stanley’s domination over all the other characters acts to enforce the idea that power stems from
masculinity. In a moment of catharsis, Stanley labels himself ‘the King around here’ which, through
the direct connotations to both royalty and maleness, conveys the fact he has ultimate control in
New Orleans. Williams’ utilisation of the monarchical title stands as a reminder to the audience that
what Stanley represents, New America, has just emerged victorious from the Civil War allowing him
to hold this status. This dominance is further displayed visually as he is dressed in ‘bold, primary
colours’ which contrasts the neutral, more subtle ‘faded white’ worn by the other characters. By
visually depicting Stanley to represent the most central foundations of colour, the audience can
insinuate that his presence is essential in maintaining the social stability of New Orleans. Williams’
tracks Stanley’s journey to achieving ultimate power through the structure of the ‘poker night’. From
the beginning, Stanley makes it clear that ‘poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women’ which
illustrates, through the blatant sexism, that femininity has been predestined to fail in this ‘game’ of
life which prognosticates, to the audience, a fall from grace for all the women in the play. By
comparing life to a ‘seven-card stud’, Williams has accentuated the tragic flaw of this society by
