Stanley kowalski Flashcards
What is the significant of the stage direction- “Roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes”
•immediately characterise Stanley as a symbol of the modern working-class man.
•Stanley’s denim and work attire immediately set him apart from Blanche’s refined, delicate clothing. His outfit symbolizes his working-class background and physical strength.
• contrast to Blanche’s fragility, but also his lack of sophistication
“”with the power and pride of a richly feathered male amoung hens”
•The comparison to a “richly feathered male” (likely a rooster or peacock) immediately establishes Stanley as the dominant, confident, and physically imposing figure in the play.
•He is surrounded by women (“hens”), emphasizing his assertive masculinity and power over them, particularly Stella and Blanche.
•emphasises his vitality and dominance
•The use of animalistic imagery, particularly in relation to Stanley, is utilised by Williams to explore the strength and survivalist instincts that are required to thrive in the competitive, industrialised society of postwar America - A new world where resilience and determination are vital to the ideals of the American dream
What does Stanley represent?
• he is a hard working-class, second-generation immigrant who embodies the rise of the working class and the dismantling of the old aristocratic hierarchy
•”You see, under the Napoleonic code—a man has to take interest in his wife’s affairs.” (Scene 2)
•Illustrates his possessiveness and control over Stella and her finances. •Also highlights the clash between Old South and New America—Stanley believes he has a right to Belle Reve
“Every man is a king!” (Scene 8)
•His character is marked by a raw, unrefined vitality and a sense of entitlement to the American Dream
“He holds the bottle to the light to observe its depletion” (scene 2, stage direction)
•Stanley is suspicious of Blanche from the start, and this action reflects his pragmatic, blunt nature
•He examines the bottle in harsh light, which contrasts with Blanche’s attempts to hide from the truth (such as covering the lightbulb with a paper lantern)
•Stanley holds the bottle to the light, emphasizing how light is a symbol of exposure and reality
•His scrutiny of the bottle mirrors his investigation of Blanche’s past—he doesn’t take things at face value and seeks cold, hard facts
“ he picks up her figure and carries her to the bed. The hot trumpet and drums from the four Duces sound loudly” ( scene 10”
•The phrase “He picks up her figure and carries her to the bed” suggests he is going to rape her
•Blanche is no longer an active character—she is simply a “figure”, which dehumanizes her, reducing her to an object.
•The act of carrying her to the bed is a disturbing image of forced submission, reinforcing Stanley’s ultimate victory over her
•The “hot trumpet and drums” from the Four Deuces (a bar and brothel) symbolize raw, animalistic desire and impending violence.
•Throughout the play, Williams uses music to reflect Blanche’s mental state—here, it is loud, chaotic, and overwhelming, mirroring her sense of panic and impending doom- the “blue piano” plays and “inhumane jungle voices” rise up
•Her reality is being morphed into
•This moment is the culmination of Stanley and Blanche’s battle—a battle between realism vs. illusion, brute force vs. fragile elegance and ultimately, Old south Vs New meritocratic America
• Stanley has been slowly breaking Blanche down, and now he physically overpowers her, shattering any remaining illusions she has
•The scene had been foreshadowed by Stanley’s animalistic behavior earlier in the play. This is the ultimate act of his dominance and cruelty.
•The bed is a place of intimacy and vulnerability, yet here it becomes a site of violation and destruction.
•Blanche has spent the play using fantasy, flirtation, and charm to avoid reality, but none of that can protect her from Stanley’s force.
