Conflict Essay Flashcards
1
Q
Introduction
A
- no doubt that title and playwrite, it a play in which the central protagonist, Blanche Dubois, is in conflict with the brutal antagonist, Stanley kowalski
- the main cause of their conflict is due to them coming from very different backgrounds with Blanche being brought up in a wealthy family in the old south of America and Stanley being a polish immigrant who has worked for everything he has
- when Blanche enters his world of the new south of America she must try and survive
- these differences make their personalities clash and cause the thematic battle between the new south and the old south
- the conflict between illusions and reality is also established through the conflict between these two characters are Blanche lives in a world of illusions whereas Stanley lives in the present moment and reality
- this conflict leads to blanches inevitable mental downfall as Stanley becomes more and more dominant over her leading to Blanche being ruled by him in the climax of the play
- the conflict is effectively conveyed to the audience through carefully employed techniques such as characterisation, costume, staging and the plays climax
2
Q
Stanza 1
A
- conflict is immediately established through the contrast in their costumes and how they behave in the opening scene of the play
- when Blanche arrives at Elysian Fields, she is described as wearing a ”white suit with a suit fluffy bodice”
- the colour white symbolises innocence and purity highlighting blanches illusion and wanting to appear as youthful
- her appearance is also described as ”incongruous to this setting” suggesting she stands out from those around her in the new south
- this emphasises her transitional mannerisms from the old south, which she represents, as she likes to dress immaculately
- in contrast to this Stanley is ”roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes” emphasising he is a scruffy man who often appears as dirty or untidy however he doesn’t care about this
- Stanley is also described as animalistic and primitive when he throws Stella a blood stained package and says ”catch… meat”, which highlights the harsh practical reality of the new south
- in further contrast Blanche is described as being ”uneasy” throughout this scene indicating her vulnerable, delicate and weak character which is different to Stanley who appears as bold and brash
- these differences in appearance and behaviour suggest the conflict is inevitable as Blanche disapproves of the way Stanley lives and doesn’t want her sister living with such a lack of privilege and stanley is repulsed by blanches former affluent life when he has built a life form nothing
3
Q
Stanza 2
A
- as the play progresses, their personalities start to clash more as Stanley is the first person to start to see through blanches facade
- in scene 4, the night after Stanley has hit Stella, Blanche is outraged
- she can’t see why Stella wants to stay with such a brutish man when she was brought up so well at belle reve
- Stella reveals his Stanley has always been violent but she has learnt to live with it and now sees it as thrilling
- she states ”Stanley’s always smashed things. Why on our wedding night he snatched off one of my slippers and rushed about smashing lightbulbs”
- Blanche disagrees with this so trades to start convincing Stella to leave Stanley as she feels she deserves better
- Blanche starts ripping Stanley’s personality to shreds to Stella and she calls him an ”ape” and says ”there’s something downright bestial about him” implying how much Blanche now dislikes him
- it is clear that Blanche wants Stanley gone to protect her sister but it is also highly implied that Blanche wants rid of Stanley as she knows he is starting to see through her facade to the reality of her life
- Blanche realises that with Stanley around she can’t hide for much longer as he will find out the truth so Blanche needs him gone in order to keep surviving in the new south
- however little does Blanche know, Stanley overheard this conversation which further intensifies their conflict
- at the end of scene 4, Stanley “grins” at Blanche revealing how he is now determined to destroy her as we see throughout the rest of the play
4
Q
Stanza 3
A
- in scene 7, Stanley delights in revealing the truth about blanches past to Stella, in a brutal and remorseless way
- he reveals how she has a reputation for being a prostitute in the flamingo hotel and how she interfered with a school boy and that is why she is not currently working
- he pulls apart her facade by itemising the lies stating ”lie number one… lie number two”
- this typical directness of Stanley mirrors his primitive behaviour from earlier in the play once again highlighting the practical reality of the new south
- in contrast to this exposure of blanches reality, Blanche can be heard singing off stage in the bathroom while Stanley destroys her facade
- she sings the lyrics ”it wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me” hinting at her optimism after a successful date with Mitch that ended with a kiss
- Blanche sees a future with Mitch which would allow her to cement her survival in the new south, however it is clear their relationship relies on Mitch continuing to believe her act
- as a result of Stanley’s malicious revelation about her character, tense dramatic irony is created as while she sings she is totally unaware her facade is being destroyed meaning Mitch will find out the truth and their relationship will be over
- as a result their conflict continues to increase as with Mitch gone, Blanche is left totally exposed, vulnerable and unable to survive in the new south as the truth she has been so desperate to hide from has come out
- Stanley can now destroy Blanche
5
Q
Stanza 4
A
- the conflict between Blanche and Stanley reaches its climax in scene 10 where Stanley rapes her
- this is Stanley’s final attempt to completely destroy Blanche as we see him at his peak of power meanwhile, Blanche is at her weakest
- in scene 19 blanches costume is described as “soiled and crumpled” which contrast to her immaculate appearance throughout the rest of the play and age has also been “drinking fairly steadily” which is something she used to try and hide
- Blanche is losing her ability to survive
- Stanley is described as animalistic again throughout this scene as he “springs” towards Blanche who is terrified by “inhuman jungle cries” all around her
- the new south is becoming an increasingly scary place for Blanche as she becomes place for Blanche as she becomes less and less able to survive within it
- the end of Blanche survival is highlighted as Stanley eventually overpowers her as he picks up “her inert figure and carries her to the bed” implying the rape
- blanches inert body symbolises she has completely given up and has accepted defeat within the conflict
- Stanley’s triumph over Blanche is also emphasises as well as the defeat of the old south and everything Blanche represents
6
Q
Stanza 5
A
- by scene 11, it is clear that due to Stanley final, deliberate destruction of Blanche, she can no longer survive within the new south
- she has retreated into a total world of illusions as she can’t cope with the harsh reality of her life
- this is highlighted when she says “is it the gentleman I was expecting from Dallas?” when there is a knock on the door
- she is oblivious to the fact is it actually a doctor who has come to take her into a mental hospital and instead thinks it is shep huntleigh, an old admirer or hers who has come to take her on vacation
- this has been one of her illusions throughout the play and she now fully beloved it to be true highlighting her total mental downfall as she has chosen her illusion world over coping with reality
- in vast contrast to this, Stanley is now triumphant as he has defeated Blanche and won the ongoing conflict as he sees her being taken away by the doctor, the inevitable victory of streaky and the new south is cemented. Stanley and Stella are a United unit and can now resume their once passionate relationship before Blanche arrived
- there desire for one another is highlighted when Stanley “kneels down beside her and his fingers find the opening of the blouse” suggesting how desperate Stanley is to have Stella to himself again
- the final line of the play where Stanley states “this game is seven card stud” again highlights how Stanley has won. His competitive nature and determination which has been evident since the poker night suggests her sees life a game and won’t stop until he gets what he wants
- in life, Stanley now has all the right cards symbolising the end of the old south and belle reve
- Stanley and the new south have won the game
7
Q
Conclusion
A
- there is no doubt that the conflict between Blanche and Stanley in title, is a key feature of the play which impacts majorly on the play as a whole
- it plays a vital role in conveying the central concern of illusions and reality as well as helping to highlight the thematic battle between the old and new south of America
- as the conflict intensifies throughout the play, the audience witness Blanche retreat into insanity and lose her ability to survive while Stanley becomes increasingly dominant and powerful as he sees Blanche deteriorate
- the conflict is conveyed in an effective way through carefully employed techniques such as costume, characterisation and stagecraft making it impactful to the audience
