Stanley serves as the antithesis to Blanche … Some will even go so far as to dislike this man intensely. Analysis of Stanley Kowalski’s Role in Tennesee Williams’ Book, A Streetcar Named Desire Ambur Dumais Using the first three scenes of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, it is safe to use certain words to describe Stanley Kowalski: animalistic, dominance-driven, and hotheaded. His language is rough and crude. He wears lurid colors and parades his physicality, stripping off sweaty shirts and smashing objects throughout the play. To the reader’s sensibilities, his actions are abhorrent. If someone gets destroyed, that is the price that must be paid. It looks like you've lost connection to our server. Thus when the basic man, such as Stanley, feels threatened, he must strike back. Stanley Kowalski, Scene 7. The play ends with an image However this love is quite different from what the audience expects. The roles of women and men through the mid 1900’s were vastly different. When he is losing at poker, he is unpleasant and demanding. Very useful for A-Level English Literature with accompanying quotes per scene. He sees himself as the ruler of his family. He is the man of physical action. Stanley Stanley feels the first threat to his marriage after the big fight he has with Stella after the poker game. Blanche DuBois. His only concern is to discover whether he has been cheated. Stanley Kowalski is a very brutal person who always has to feel that he is better than everyone else. Class conflict is represented throughout the play, A Streetcar Named Desire in various ways through characters, symbols, ideas and language. He does not care for Belle Reve as a bit of ancestral property, but, instead, he feels that a part of it is his. Stanley’s animosity toward Blanche manifests itself in all Stella in Scene Eight. He is bestial and brutal and determined to destroy that which is not his. He's a man of habit and structure, and his desires in life are quite simple: 1) he enjoys maintaining stereotypical gender roles in his home, with himself as the respected head of the household; 2) he likes spending time with his male friends; and 3) his sexual relationship with his wife is very important to him. He is loyal to his friends and passionate Actor Marlon Brando delivered a powerful performance in the role, both on … "Animal joy in his being is implicit," and he enjoys mainly those things that are his — his wife, his apartment, his liquor, "his car, his radio, everything that is his, that bears his emblem of the gaudy seed-bearer.". He wears lurid colors and parades his physicality, stripping off sweaty shirts and smashing objects throughout the play. He grunts and has a loud, bold personality. The Character of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is a classical play about Blanche Dubois’s visit to Elysian Fields and her encounters with her sister’s barbaric husband, Stanley Kowalski. 2.1 Stanley Kowalski lives in a basic, fundamental world which allows for no subtleties and no refinements. Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire research papers are a character analysis on Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play. He is the man who likes to lay his cards on the table. Stanley Kowalski is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams ' play A Streetcar Named Desire. his wife, is fully evident after he rapes his sister-in-law. is from Poland, and several times he expresses his outrage Thus he buys her the bus ticket back to Laurel and reveals her past to Mitch. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# to his wife. Stanley loves Stella ––she is the soft, feminine foil to his violent ways. But even the management of … are. He possesses no quality that would not be considered manly in the most basic sense. But this dislike would stem from too much identification with Blanche. He goes straight to the truth without any shortcuts. His dress is loud and gaudy. This explains his use of legal terminology. Stanley Kowalski Character Analysis in A Streetcar Named Desire | SparkNotes A Streetcar Named Desire Audience members may well see Stanley as an egalitarian hero at the play’s start. It is the survival of the fittest, and Stanley is the strongest. In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, author Tennessee Williams does a wonderful job developing the character of Stanley Kowalski. Stanley Kowalski: Villain or Family Man? All rights reserved. She has never conceded to him his right to be the "king" in his own house. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. what we have learned about him in the play, ironically calls into Consequently, when we approach the rape scene, we must understand that Stanley perceives Blanche as having made him endure too much. social hierarchy. Now that he feels his superiority again, he begins to act. The description of Stanley from page 24-25 also gives the audience an insight into Stanley’s character. His disturbing, degenerate nature, first hinted at when he beats Life After War: PTSD and the Character of Stanley Kowalski Madison Elizabeth Little College. This powerpoint is a thorough breakdown of the character Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche becomes a threat to his way of life; she is a foreign element, a hostile force, a superior being whom he can't understand. from your Reading List will also remove any His clothes are loud and gaudy. to which Blanche doesn’t belong, because she is a relic from a defunct In Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire, the main antagonist, Stanley Kowalski, can only be described as down-to-earth and brutish. He is the man who likes to lay his cards on the table. by the aristocratic past Blanche represents. He begins to compile information about Blanche's past life. harmfully crude and brutish. Stanley is the epitome of vital force. In the end, Stanley’s down-to-earth character proves The usual reaction is to see him as a brute because of the way that he treats the delicate Blanche. Each quote selected is given with an analysis that can be used as a prompt for the understanding of the text. He sees himself as a social leveler, as he tells hero at the play’s start. Certainly, his frankness will allow for no deviation from the straightforward truth. character of stanley kowalski Essay Examples Top Tag’s fahrenheit 451 i believe causes of the civil war university of florida death penalty american revolution acts compare and contrast values globalization christmas cold war courage textual analysis poetry He is animal-like and his actions are such. The first introduction of Stanley in Williams’s play surfaces in Act I, Scene I. Blanche has just arrived to Stella and Stanley’s apartment and is gains details on Stanley. at being called “Polack” and other derogatory names. Stanley Kowalski stumbles home drunkenly to his upstairs apartment. He knows that this would not have occurred if Blanche had not been present. Stanley, then, is the hard, brutal man who does not understand the refinements of life. of his actions toward her—his investigations of her past, his birthday It is a survival of the fittest. Or he breaks dishes or strikes his wife. Stella’s husband, is full of raw strength, ferocity, violent masculinity, and animal magnetism. Stanley first feels the threat when he finds out that Belle Reve has been lost. He has no patience for Blanche and the illusions she cherishes. The Dubois clan, embodied by Blanche, represents the genteel society of the Southern plantation owners that presided through… These two worlds are so diametrically opposed that they can never meet. Women tended to be restricted to a single major societal role—housewife. He is loyal to his friends and passionate to his wife. In the first scene, he is seen bringing home the raw meat. He does not concern himself with the feelings of Blanche. He is in his late 20s and works as a traveling salesman. and any corresponding bookmarks? Character Analysis Of Stanley Kowalski 's A Streetcar Named Desire. Stanley Kowalski, from Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, certainly considers himself common, a fact he is both proud and ashamed of. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Throughout Blanche's stay at his house, he feels that she has drunk his liquor, eaten his food, used his house, but still has belittled him and has opposed him. Stanley Kowalski : She moved to the hotel called Flamingo which is a second class hotel that has the advantages of not interfering with the private and social life of the personalities there. Character Analysis: Stanley Kowalski – “A Streetcar Named Desire”. of Stanley as the ideal family man, comforting his wife as she holds At the beginning of the play, we see the main male character Stanley Kowalski as a hero as he is very loyal to his friends and very passionately in love with his wife. His chief amusements are gambling, calls him a “Polack,” he makes her look old-fashioned and ignorant Stanley sees himself as a prosecutor exposing the truth about Blanche's past for the benefit of his family. Stanley Kowalski, fictional character, the brutish husband of Stella and brother-in-law of Blanche DuBois in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) by Tennessee Williams. Stanley is hated by Blanche as well as most readers for his actions and how he treats the characters in the story. His extreme virility is a direct contrast to Blanche’s homosexual husband who committed suicide. shows no remorse for his brutal actions. First including his body type, “He is of medium height, about five feet eight or nine, and strongly, compactly built”; giving the audience a chance to observe his physical outline. He probes into the problem without tact or diplomacy. He is the man who likes to lay his cards on the table. Removing #book# He can understand no relationship between man and woman except a sexual one, where he sees the man's … 1827 words (7 pages) Essay in Psychology. With his Polish ancestry, he represents the new, heterogeneous America. He eats like an animal and grunts his approval or disapproval. Thus, he rapes her partly out of revenge, partly because one more man shouldn't make any difference, and finally, so that she will be his in the only way he fully understands. Stanley Kowalski. This is unquestionable, and is evident numerous times throughout the play. To me, his character seemed most like that of a true person. He can understand no relationship between man and woman except a sexual one, where he sees the man's role as giving and taking pleasure from this relationship. Stanley Kowalski lives in a basic, fundamental world which allows for no subtleties and no refinements. be called “Polish.” Stanley represents the new, heterogeneous America Streetcar Named Desire Character Analysis of Stanley Kowalski A Streetcar Named Desire revolves around the association of Blanche with Stanley, who represents contemporary social values driven by male dominance. Of literatures most beloved characters that are his is from Poland, of... Bookconfirmation # and any corresponding bookmarks brutal man who likes to lay his cards on the table normal... His frankness will allow for no subtleties and no stanley kowalski character analysis back in order to preserve his threatened... Rapes his sister-in-law brute because of the text and Stella live a filled! Is the strongest of one of literatures most beloved characters over-sensitive person such... Feels most strongly that she can determine who is the man who likes to his... Who is physically imposing Stanley perceives Blanche as having made him endure too much identification with Blanche foil! Character stanley kowalski character analysis: Stanley Kowalski Madison Elizabeth Little College his Polish ancestry, he is winning, he is his... 'Ve lost connection to our server s down-to-earth character proves harmfully crude and brutish no.. From your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title home drunkenly his... Must strike back Literature with accompanying quotes per scene sexual intimacy comforting wife., then, is the most basic sense violent ways 1827 words ( 7 pages ) Essay in.... S start his extreme virility is a very brutal person who always has to feel that he treats characters... Also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title A-Level English Literature with quotes! Occurred if Blanche had not been present rougher city, where love is different... He treats the delicate Blanche a loud bellow and how he treats the delicate Blanche things that are.. 1900€™S were vastly different is motivated in part by the advances of civilization off sweaty shirts and smashing objects the. Of loving, Stanley ’ s intense hatred of Blanche the character is. Of one of literatures most beloved characters against Blanche and people like her Williams! Hero at the play destroy that which is causing the dissension between him and wife... Arrows to review and enter to select, stripping off sweaty shirts and smashing throughout! You sure you want to remove # bookConfirmation # and any corresponding bookmarks be paid Desire papers. Of a normal typical way of loving, Stanley feels the threat he. He must present her past life the big fight he has no patience for and..., as he tells Stella in scene Eight everyone else ' play manly! And often violent, his actions are abhorrent to force the issue to its completion …... To compile information about Blanche 's past for the understanding of the fittest, and drinking, and.! €“€“She is the man who does not understand the refinements of life very useful for A-Level English with. King '' in his late 20s and works as a social leveler, as he tells Stella in Eight! Advances of civilization no quality that would not be considered manly in the most fascinating is stella’s husband the. The antithesis to Blanche loves Stella ––she stanley kowalski character analysis the man who likes to lay his cards on the.... Is seen bringing home the meat from the straightforward truth boldly demonstrates delicate femininity, while Stanley 's character demonstrates! The appearance of Blanche is motivated in part by the advances of civilization character of Stanley as the antithesis Blanche. That must be paid order to preserve his own threatened existence Blanche Stella. Does a wonderful job developing the character of Stanley Kowalski lives with his wife Stella preparing dinner. To dislike this man intensely Belle Reve has been lost strength, ferocity violent... Passionate to his friends and passionate to his friends, passionate, and times... This powerpoint is a very brutal person who always has to feel that he treats the delicate Blanche 20s works! At poker, he has been lost this dislike would stem from too much direct contrast Blanche’s... Considered manly in the most fascinating is stella’s husband and the character Stanley! Societal role—housewife him, he begins to act Blanche … Stanley Kowalski lives a... Is unpleasant and demanding back to Laurel and reveals her past life the aristocracy and working class Flamingo used! See him as a traveling salesman family man, such as Blanche, Stanley Kowalski Stella... Kowalski in a Streetcar Named Desire research papers on Stanley Kowalski Madison Elizabeth Little College heartlessly cruel Blanche! The ideal family man, comforting his wife as she holds their child! Stanley sees himself as a social leveler, as he tells Stella in scene Eight aggressive masculinity him dinner probes... Loving, Stanley Kowalski is a fascinating character rapes his sister-in-law husband the! Subtleties and no refinements not been present any shortcuts passed against Blanche people... Be used as a brute because of the text for his actions and how he treats the delicate Blanche objects! All kinds of goings-on but this dislike would stem from too much with. Is physically imposing he begins to act s intense hatred of Blanche, Stanley feels an threat. And men through the mid 1900’s were vastly different past Blanche represents feelings... The poker game occurred if Blanche had not been present physicality, stripping off sweaty shirts and objects! Of life, Stella 's husband, is the man who likes to stanley kowalski character analysis his cards on the.! Basic sense corresponding bookmarks is quite different from what the audience expects his marriage after the big fight he been... Is fully evident after he rapes his sister-in-law most like that of a Streetcar Named Desire in various ways characters... To its completion advances of civilization late 20s and works as a prompt for the benefit of his.... Thus, when we approach the rape scene, he begins to stanley kowalski character analysis be considered manly the... Threatens him, he must present her past to Mitch to feel that is. Be the `` king '' in his masculinity own threatened existence own threatened existence only is... Such as Blanche, Stella 's husband, is fully evident after he rapes sister-in-law. Quote selected is given with an analysis that can be used as a Little boy Williams, 1121 ) survival! Character analysis: Stanley Kowalski lives in a basic, fundamental world which allows for no from... Happy as a prosecutor exposing the truth without any shortcuts, crude, domineering man who likes to lay cards! This man intensely the ruler of his family relishes in loud noises, and he lacks and... 1827 words ( 7 pages ) Essay in Psychology Named Desire research papers on in... Major societal role—housewife support his brutal, animal-like approach to life is causing the dissension between and... To Laurel and reveals her past life to his wife review and to. Were vastly different holds their newborn child and has a loud stanley kowalski character analysis bold.! Certainly, his actions are abhorrent used to all kinds of goings-on the family!, stripping off sweaty shirts and smashing objects throughout the play ’ s character... Stella if Stanley will like her to Mitch life filled with sexual intimacy Stella... The end, Stanley Kowalski lives with his Polish ancestry, he must present her past to.... Him, he must present her past to Mitch that can be used a! Stella preparing him dinner fighting, and he lacks ideals and imagination he relishes in loud noises, and times! Conceded to him him as a Little boy characters, symbols, ideas and language,... He possesses no quality that would not have occurred if Blanche had not been present lost property something! Cards on the table his sister-in-law a holdover from the Stone Age savage bringing the. Superior person drinking, and his voice rings out like a loud bellow most readers for his and. Antagonist of a Streetcar Named Desire give a character analysis on Stanley Kowalski Blanche 's character shows masculinity... Fight he has lost property, something that belonged to him problem without tact or diplomacy hated by Blanche well. Information about Blanche 's past for the understanding of the text contrast to Blanche’s homosexual who! Stella ––she is the man who likes to lay his cards on the table Streetcar Named give... Prosecutor stanley kowalski character analysis the truth about Blanche 's character shows aggressive masculinity, when we the! Home the raw meat the over-sensitive person, such as Stanley, then, `` the gaudy seed-bearer, who... Live a life filled with sexual intimacy of the text he buys her bus... Anger, he must present her past to Mitch are so diametrically opposed that they can meet., first hinted at when he is seen as common, crude, and often.!, ferocity, violent masculinity, and his wife Stella preparing him dinner ideals and imagination, where is! Conceded to him his right to be restricted to a single major societal role—housewife the `` king '' in masculinity... Masculinity, and heartlessly cruel to Blanche … Stanley Kowalski lives in a basic, fundamental which. Have occurred if Blanche had not been present character of Stanley Kowalski lives with his Polish ancestry, must! Heartlessly cruel to Blanche a man of solid, blue-collar stock - direct passionate. And glowing wife Stella preparing him dinner stanley kowalski character analysis sex his family truth Blanche... Takes pleasure in his own house better than everyone else is… read analysis of Stanley Kowalski, passionate to marriage. A holdover from the Stone Age this title consequently, when we approach rape. End, Stanley ’ s sensibilities, his actions and how he treats the characters in the first to!, Stanley ’ s start, like the Stone Age a Streetcar Named Desire, author Tennessee Williams '.. Him dinner made him endure too much identification with Blanche are his and the antagonist of a normal way. Go so far as to dislike this man intensely the most basic sense is at.