Gender And Power Snd Flashcards
“Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher’s
Scene 1
Emphasises Stanley’s PRIMITIVE masculinity
Red-stained -> red has connotations of violence, visceral and gory imagery
May foreshadow future violence especially towards women
“Stanley, Steve, Mitch, and Pablo wear coloured shirts, solid blues, a purple, a red and white check, a light green (…) powerful as the primary colours”
Scene 3 - masculinity and dominance
Use of physical props (colour) to represent social standing of men in the house.
Primary colours are strong and vibrant - male dominance vs b’s white, moth-like clothing
(Lack of colour = lack of opinion in society = to be filled in with colour by dominance +dependance on men)
“Since when do you give me orders?
Scene 2 - Stanley and Stella, masculinity and dominance
Stella steps out of expected gender role and asserts herself, so Stanley retaliates
- highlights FIXED HIERARCHY of authority in relationship and Stanley’s obsession with utmost MALE DOMINANCE
Stella’s usual submissive role between them - unnatural for her to assert opinions in this traditional patriarchal household
Her dependence on Stanley shows nothing much has changed in progressive New South that claims to be more socially advanced than the Old South
“Stanley stalks fiercely”
“Drunk - drunk - animal thing, you!”
Scene 3
Scene 3 - masculinity
Violence is an unfortunate accompaniment to Stanley’s aggressive sexual nature
Stella is so attracted by the dazzling masculinity that she is blinded to the severity of this domestic abuse against her
Stanley - animalistic, predatorial
“He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself”
Scene 4 - Stella and Stanley, masculinity and female submission/dependance
Stella infantilises him, as if his actions were uncontrollable
The duality of his nature makes it difficult for Stella (and audience?) to condemn him
Lamb = innocence // has biblical connotations to sacrifice - Stella sacrifices her safety from his violence for their passionate, sexual relationship
Repetition of “very” - efforts to prove to B he’s changed, justifies submissive behaviour
“Tiger - tiger! Drop the bottle-top! Drop it! We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!”
Scene 10 - agressive masculinity and female submission
- gives insight into intentions all along
- he felt sexually attracted yet completely challenged by B’s actions which caused the INDIRECT DOWNWARD SPIRAL in his relationship
(By saying truth, empowering Stella to challenge Stanley and leave) - chooses to dominate B by destroying her both mentally and physically to claim his prize (Stella) and maintain alpha-male status
Tiger tiger = zoomorphism, needs to be tames
- rapes her to tame her and reduce her
Maybe passive aggressive dig at B for calling him an ape
Triumph of BRUTISH ANIMAL MAGNETISM over female expression - female entrapment
“STELLL-AHHHHH!”
“[they come together with low animal moans (…) he falls on his knees on the steps and presses his face to her belly]”
Scene 3
- encapsulates volatile power dynamics of Stella and Stanley
- his physical aggression initially asserts his dominance but subsequent desperation and vulnerability when kneeling reveals a complex dependency
- his kneeling (submissive posture) juxtaposes earlier violence
- cyclical relationship of control and submission
- sexual bond - animalistic bellowing and kneeling are driven by a primal need for Stella, indicating their relationship is deeply rooted in physical desire
- duality of Stanley complicated portrayal of masculinity in the play
- even the seemingly invincible can be brought to their knees by emotional need
- audience confronted by unsettling reality of their bond - one that oscillates between violence and passion
Connotes a MATING CALL
Rape scene - 2014 Young Vic production
Rips dress, digs through the many layers - animalistic, unveiling B’s secrets
S wears pjs of wedding night and b wears wedding dress - playing dress up, infantilised.
Lipstick smeared, can see bra - child but reminder of her womanliness
Covers B’s face with hand during the rape, ignorant to the violence - B can’t see, she’s helpless
Green lighting - disgust, unsettling
“This is my house and I’ll talk as much as I want to!”
“[a chair scrapes. Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh.]
Show Stella grappling with her lack of power
Stanley’s hegemonic masculinity and domineering self is UNWELCOME outside their sexual life
S’s overpowering CARNAL MALE GAZE with UNDERLYING violence, objectifying Stella
Her only retaliation is a sharp tone and feeble reproach
Physical violence is interlaced with sexual desire and MACHISMO EXPLOITATION
From harsh onomatapeic verb to the pornification of thigh
- insight to objectification of woman
Treats Stella as piece of meat
Patriarchy
Stanley Dominates stella to an extent where he uses DOMESTIC VIOLENCE to assert his role and SUBJUGATE Stella
When B arrives, he feels threat she poses to his masculinity due to her class
From a MARXIST lens, we can look at the previously BOURGEOIS Stella accepting the rise of working class - she’s also passive towards abuse
J.M McGlinn looks at Stella as…
…DELUSIONAL as Blanche - believes she’s happy with abusive husband
Turns blind eye to rape even though she knows it happened
‘Napoleonic code’ - scene 1
Legal code enforced in Louisiana from FRENCH COLONIAL RULE that authorised women;s property in the hands of their husbands
The harsh reality of law with Stanley’s casual references to it acts as a MICROCOSM for the DEEP-ROOTED ENTRAPMENT of FEMALE FREEDOM in this society
So common that he feels comfortable pointing it our on several occasions
Elysian Fields
In Greek mythology - the paradise in the underworld
Uses PROLEPTIC IRONY by naming Stanley’s street name this to foreshadow physical victory over Blanche and psychological victory over Stella
Symbolism of E.F. - illustrates STARK POWER IMBALANCE - for Stanley, his home is sanctuary for his desires/masculine dominion
For the women, Elysian Fields is a permenant entrapment
- for b - disintegration of psyche
For S - erosion of self-worth, subservience and entrapment
Literary context: ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY
- an imitation of an action that is serious
B (tragic protagonist of an elevated social status) - hamartia is believing her status as a women should not define her treatment
TAMANNA FARAHDINA says B embodies feminist ideal of ‘New Woman’ describing the desire for an ‘economically independent woman who wanted social, political and educational equality among men.”
Stanley - “a richly feathered male bird amongst hens”
Blanche - dressed in a “dark red satin wrapper”
“If i had a husband now this care were quit’ - act 1 scene 2
B has a ‘masculine energy’ in seducing the young man - irrational and disturbing for 40s audience
In a world where female agency is constantly monitored, B deems it NECESSARY to EXPOSE her sexual side by appearing in red
She attempts to RECOVER her sexuality and is constantly CONDEMNED for it
Stanley’s UNAPOLOGETIC sexual prowess is ENCOURAGED
Duchess also flirtation, and is condemned for it
