Streetcar characters Flashcards
Blanche Du Bois
Blanche is a fading Southern belle from a once-wealthy family. She is delicate, refined, and clings to the remnants of her aristocratic past, but beneath her genteel exterior lies deep insecurity and emotional fragility. Blanche arrives in New Orleans after losing the family estate, Belle Reeve, and her life unravels as her troubled past, including sexual promiscuity and the loss of her young husband, comes to light. Her dependence on illusion and denial of reality ultimately leads to her mental breakdown.
Stanley Kowalski
Stanley is a powerful, brutish, and practical man with working-class roots. He is intensely physical, dominant, and possessive, especially in his relationship with his wife, Stella. Stanley’s raw masculinity contrasts sharply with Blanche’s refined demeanor, and he resents her presence in his home. His aggressive nature leads him to destroy Blanche by uncovering her secrets and asserting his dominance, culminating in the play’s climactic and devastating rape scene.
Stella Kowalski
Stella, Blanche’s younger sister, is more grounded and practical than Blanche but shares her family’s aristocratic background. She left behind her privileged upbringing to marry Stanley, drawn to his raw passion and energy. Stella deeply loves Stanley, even tolerating his violent behavior. She is caught between her loyalty to her husband and her concern for Blanche, but ultimately chooses Stanley, showing the complexity of her emotional dependency on him.
Mitch (Harold Mitchell)
Mitch is one of Stanley’s friends and is more sensitive and gentlemanly than the others. He becomes romantically involved with Blanche and is attracted to her apparent refinement and vulnerability. However, when he learns about Blanche’s past, Mitch feels deceived and withdraws from the relationship. His character reflects a yearning for companionship but also a strong sense of morality, which ultimately leads to his rejection of Blanche.
Eunice Hubbell
Eunice is the Kowalskis’ upstairs neighbor and landlord. She is outspoken, tough, and practical, and her relationship with her husband, Steve, mirrors the volatile and abusive dynamic between Stanley and Stella. Despite this, Eunice stays with Steve, showing the pervasive nature of dependency and tolerance of abuse in the play’s world.
