The theatre has provided the avenue critical assessments of the society over the years. In addition, many writers are able to express the inner critical review of the society as a whole. in the past, writers have delved into using the theatre as a social commentary to reach a wide array audiences. Most playwrights are popular for their extensive use of language as a powerful tool in transforming literature into the vehicle for progressive social engagement. The doxa or the popular beliefs in the society forms the framework for much of the works presented in the theatre as it reflects the sociological perspectives of the everything that goes on in the society. Arguably, the communication and the language in the plays serve as a reminder of the different social structures that exists in the society and one is able to distinguish between the socially accepted norms in the society and those that are questionable. Tennessee Williams looks at the social issues that exist in the society and the play reveals the personal characters of the individual characters as they interact with each other and conform to the rules of the society.
Timothy Mayer suggests that the “the theatre is an inherently social medium” (Mayer 1) that reflects the “edited and ritualized mirror image of the society which puts it on and watches it” (Mayer 1). Williams uses the theater in this regard to reflect his condemnation of the society and the treatment of women in the society. In fact, Williams condemns the society reflects the ambiguous moral puzzle that leaves the readers with conflicting emotions on the roles of the characters. On the one hand, Blanche creates controversial responses from the audience as she is the fallen victim of the cruelty of the society and yet she becomes assertive as she lashes out against the dominating role of Stanley. Lauren Siegle postulates that Williams’ portrayal of Blanche as the tragic protagonist is largely the result of his personal culturally ingrained misogyny (Seigle 1) and as such the Blanche becomes the ideal representation of the victimization that stems from the intentional stab at womanhood (Seigle 1). Nonetheless, one could argue that Blanche’s downfall is the result of Williams’ need to sympathize with the treatment of women and their downfall based on the society and the ways in which the society destroys women. Arguably, Williams’ portrayal of Blanche reflects the belief that the author is not a misogynist, but instead he is one who openly condemns the environment as the driving force that brings about Blanche’s tragic circumstances.
According to Dana Variano all good social intellectuals use language as the tool to voice their discrepancies in the society (Variano 3). In addition, this method allows the readers to draw conclusions on the “various sides of the issue and form their own opinions” (Variano 3) based on the dialogue in plays. Williams sets the story “A Streetcar named Desire” in an age where the society had to deal with the conflicts and complex themes that helped to shape the characters. In fact, the plot reflects the period directly following the Second World War and the readers see Stanley and Blanche as the instrumental characters who oppose the restrictions on social class. In addition, Williams uses these two main characters to symbolize the different attitudes that people have of sex and love and the struggles for dominance in the relationship (Galloway 1). The power struggle between Blanche and Stanley is interesting as Williams gives a direct critical review of the ways in which the couple defies the societal standards. Nonetheless, one cannot truly say that either of the two characters is good or evil as Blanche must confront her conflicting emotions and the contradictions to the needs and desires that she must accept. Based on the doxa in the play, the readers begin to appreciate the theater as the vehicle to understanding the fact that there is no clear champion in the personal war that ensues between these two characters. Interestingly, Shirley Galloway argues that Blanche and Stanley are individual characters who represent the “symbols for opposing classes, historical periods, and ways of life, struggle and find a new balance of power, not because of ideological rights and wrongs, but as a matter of historical inevitability” (Galloway 1).
Additionally, Williams creates the resolution as Stanley skillfully subdues Blanche in scene ten in a manner that is similar to the traditional ways in which men subdue women over the years. Blanche’s actions become the commentary for the society in which she lives as women are often submissive to men and ultimately they are subdued by the men in their lives. Blanche’s desires are clear as she is drawn to Stanley despite her best efforts to avoid the feelings that draw her to his character. Williams uses Blanche to comment on the conflicting emotions that women have towards men and yet they are drawn to these men who are depicted as resounding heterosexuals who are “strong enough to protect her from an increasingly harsh world” (Galloway 5). The society often depicts men as stronger than women and Stanley is the ideal representation of the strength and dominance of the image that a woman would want but cannot have in a relationship.
The emotional challenges that Blanche faces are real as Stanley strips away the desperation and pretense that Blanche hides behind in the story. Similar to the typical women who is caught between her family’s expectations and her personal needs, Williams implies that the men are strong enough to break down the emotional barriers of the women they encounter. Blanche is adamant as she notes “I warn you, don’t, I’m in danger” (Williams, 1836) as she attempts to retreat into her fantasies and finds that Stanley is making the effort almost impossible. Williams makes the social commentary through his antagonist and the fact that Stanley is representative of the fact that Stanley’s character represents the new order of the New America and the immigrants who seek equality for all. This image is in contrast to Blanche’s character as she symbolizes the dying social class of people of the 1940s. For Blanche, the social system is ideally a world of the working class and the aristocrats and she clings desperately to this world. The modern audience can identify with Blanche’s ideals as she clings to the notion of her former life and yet, this belief is short-lived as the audience begins to appreciate the liberal views of Stanley and Mitch. Interestingly, Williams reflects on the fact that people should be assessed based on their actions or merits and not on their ancestry. The readers can make the clear distinction between the prejudice that Blanche shows and the fact that Stanley is a hardworking man. Blanche is quite open in the way that she feels about Stanley as she notes his animalistic traits that are in direct contrast to the appealing views of Stella. Arguably, Stanley is forceful as Blanche would suggest, but the readers see the softer side of his character in scene three as changes from the violent and abusive husband into a subdued and thoughtful husband who shares a tender moment with Stella. Williams interjects this scene into the play so that the audience can appreciate the dual characteristics and nature of mankind.
The readers have conflicting emotions on the abusive nature of Stanley and when he rapes Blanche. This episode of rape is a cause for concern among feminist theorists as the invasion of the female body from masculine attacks creates the distress for women. But Blanche emerges as strong in some respects as she engages Stanley in verbal combat, and challenges his authority, (Alternative critical perspective: Feminist criticism 13) and shows that “she is no gentle maiden facing this beast” (Alternative critical perspective: Feminist criticism 13). The truth is that Stanley Kowalski leaves the readers questioning the desire to hate the sexual, dominant, and aggressive nature of men. The playwright presents Stanley as the typical male who enjoys spending time with his friends even at the expense of his wife. In addition, Williams’s social commentary of the man as the head of the household is quite clear as Stanley is the head of the household. He is the breadwinner and clearly he believes that women should be the homemaker, who provides his needs daily. But, this archaic view of the role of women is clear in Blanche’s beliefs in the elite. Her criticism of Stanley serves as the platform for which Williams shows the criticism of feminist groups and their beliefs that women should not be dominated by their male counterparts.
Through Williams’s sympathy the readers see Blanche’s circumstances as criticisms to the social circumstances that shape her persona and in turn impact her downfall. Additionally, the social commentary that Williams provides influences the audience’s criticisms of his personal homosexual tendencies and the sympathy that he bestows on Blanche. Arguably, one could say that Williams’ views on homosexuality in the masculine society are the reason he shows this level of sympathy towards Blanche. In fact, critics suggest Williams was better able to identify with the weaknesses of the women because of his sexual preferences and this would explain his need to draw sympathy from the audience towards women. On the other hand, Williams social commentary in the play is a reflection of his need to critically challenge heterosexuality as he appears to condemn the sexuality leaves Blanche as a victim and Stanley as a monster who takes advantage of women.
In concluding, the play is a social commentary of the ways in which men dominate the society and dominate the women in their lives. Williams reveal that men see themselves as the breadwinner and therefore they are entitled to the excessive control that they wield over the women in their lives. But, throughout the play, the playwright leaves the audience to question the role of the abusive male and show that women are able to resist the dominance of the males in their lives. Blanche is the symbolism of the old ways and yet she brings about the most impressive actions in the play as she defies the role of Stanley in the play. She criticizes his role and this brings about the abusive nature of Stanley as he feels that he must maintain his dominance in the society and in turn in the lives of these women. Clearly, Williams uses the play as a vehicle to criticizing the social issues of men and women in the society and proves that women should be treated as more than sexual objects in their homes.
References
Alternative critical perspective: Feminist criticism 13: Tennessee Williams “A Street Car named
Desire” (2006) Web 13 May 2016 <http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/streetcar/feminist.htm>
Galloway, Shirley, Last Stop: Blanche’s Breakdown, (1993) Web 13 May 2016
<http://www.cyberpat.com/shirlsite/essays/street.html>
Mayer, Timothy, The Cult of Social Theater, (1967) The Theatregoer, Web 13 May 2016,
<http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1967/6/15/the-cult-of-social-theater-pbefore/>
Seigle, Lauren, Blanche Dubois: An Antihero, (n.d) WR 100, Paper 2, Web 2016,
<http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-2/seigle/>
Williams, Tennessee “A Street Car named Desire” Kelly J. Mays, The Norton Introduction to
Literature, Eleventh Shorter Edition, 2003, W.W. Norton & Co., New York.
Variano, Dana, Theatre as a Social Commentary, (2008) Web 13 May 2013,
<http://www.philanthromedia.org/archives/2008/10/theatre_as_a_social_commentary.html>
