A Streetcar Named Desire

Let me start off by saying that it has been a while. I know, I know, I know. I'm sorry.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play that I am rather fond of. My boyfriend is a movie enthusiast and tends to make me watch all of the great things that has ever been produced in the film industry. I first saw this play about three years ago. I watched the Marlon Brando rendition.

In class we did a lot of talking about the characters that we chose. I chose Stella. I chose her because I felt everyone seemed to find her to be an idiot. I wanted to stick up for her character and try to rationalize the situation she was in and try to help others realize there was more to her than just a punching bag for Stanley.

So I guess I sympathized with her right off the bat. I "got" her, you know? She wasn't a weak woman, hell I think she was pretty empowered actually. She lived in a place that she loathed. A southern town of the same people, the same routines and the same scenery. She wanted a CHANGE . I can't imagine how scary it must have been for her to go out at this time in the world to a city she didn't know, just because she needed a change. It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there like that, especially as a woman in this time. So no, Stella isn't weak. She's just bored and needs excitement.

I am not condoning woman abuse. I do think there is an element of shock and dysfunction her relationship with Stanley, but who's to say she doesn't want it that way? She seemed pretty aware of Stanley's anger issues throughout the whole play, so when she went off at his poker buddies in Scene Three, I think she knew what she was doing...at least subconsciously. She subconsciously knew how Stanley would react and she didn't care. She's thrilled by Stanley and the way he makes her feel.

Some people in class brought up that she just wanted attention and I couldn't disagree with a statement more. It wasn't about having all the attention on her, it was about experiencing the desire and ignoring the actual problems in her life. We see her ignoring "real life" when she flees town, we see her ignoring her actual problems when she causes a fuss with Stanley and we even see her ignoring the reality that Stanley rapes Blanche when Stella sides with Stanley and "ships" her sister off to a mental hospital. She rejects the harshness of the world and only wants to have fun.

Now this isn't to say she does this without regret. She probably does regret some of the things. She seems guilty for leaving her sister to deal with all the problems back home and she seems extremely guilty for sending her sister away, but at the end of the day, the need for Stanley and  the need for adventure will overpower her feelings of guilt. For ever ounce of guilt she feels, she'll more than likely make up for it fun. Desire overrides guilt.