I going to start of by saying that I hate plays and I especially hate reading them. When i saw the title I really wasn't interested because I thought it would be about some stupid guy who liked to race cars and his cars name was Desire,but this was the total opposite. The title is kind of similar to the last story we read "The Eyes Were Watching God" because it has nothing to do with the book, and you notice that as you read on the play is kind of interesting. What i found funny was the fact that they discussed things that were kind of taboo for that time. For example Blanche was this women who made up lies up lies and tried to embellish them. She is a women who sleeps with a lot of men, she is definitely not your typical southern bell. I think that she tells lies because she doesn't want to face the truth. She doest even want Mitch to see her in the light its like she doesn't even want to face her age. Then Mich decides that he doesn't want to marry Blanche anymore and this was also like a big slap in the face. He even tell her "You are not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother". Even if I knew I was a typical southern bell and I was in fact a clean women I would have still been offended. So imagine how she felt.
Stanley cut the cake for me or should i say for Blanche. He really took her back to reality. I think the reason he raped her was to prove the fact that if he did it no one would believe that it was true because she is so promiscuous women and that she tells lies. I think her sister pickes her husband before her because she doesnt want a life like Blanche I think she rather just have a fake "happy' marriage than the one that every one is going to talk about. Sort of like the one that Blanche lives.
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I agree that Blanche told lies because she couldn't or wouldn't face the truth. Which was really sad and quite funny especially when she refused to let people see her in full light. Yet, at the end when everything was falling apart for her it made me feel bad for her and realize that maybe her lies were better. When Mitch found out the truth and then didn't want to marry her anymore, he just wanted to use her, we saw exactly what she had been protecting herself from. Stanley also found out that Blanche had been promiscious and wanted the same thing Mitch had only Stanley acted it on it and that added to his desire to one-up Blanche led to rape.
I agree that at the play’s conclusion, Stella chooses a marriage that is essentially false in its happiness over a life of desperation like Blanche’s. Perhaps Williams was making a statement about marriage during this time period, since both depicted married couples, Eunice and Steve and Stella and Stanley, have violent relationships. Clearly Stella and Stanley’s relationship, the main one depicted, is worse because Stanley has raped Stella’s sister. I think that Williams may be trying to critique marriage and show that it is more of an institution that makes acting on sexual desires considered to be socially acceptable and financially provides for women, but that it is not about love. No one has found love in this play, with the possible exception of when Blanche loved Allan. Do you think that Williams is motivated to portray marriage in such a way because he was a homosexual or just because he found fault with the domestic violence typical of the time?
Williams’ critique of marriage reminded me of Kate Chopin’s The Storm because she too shows that marriage is not worth all the esteem with which it is usually regarded. Alcée, Calixta, and even Clarisse all express sexual dissatisfaction with their marriages. They all look to sources outside of their marriage to provide happiness, Clarisse by taking some time away from home to visit relatives and the others by having an affair.
I think Stella and Stanley lived a happy life before Blanche intruded. Perhaps Stella herself was living in a fantasy world, pretending everything was alright. When Blanche came to live with her sister, she turned things upside down. I think that Blanche's presence made Stella look at her life and realize that it wasn't the perfect life she was living. But Stella was now pregnant with Stanley's child and was essentially "stuck" in this relationship.
Blanche was indeed crazy and I believe that she needed help. But for Stella to choose Stanley over Blanche after he raped her was wrong. I do believe that Stella and Stanley were madly in love. You could see it in the way he expressed his sorrow to Stella. And that's what worked for them. I just think Blanche stirred up too much with her lies and stories.
I thought it was ironic that in the end you realize that both blanche and stella are livinig lies, and in denile. they both work so hard for this life of illusion that eventually along the way somewhere they end up getting lost in it. so lost that they chose water over blood and let family values, and self values slip through thier fingers. by the end of the story the only person that is true to themselves is stanley. he is ok with the fact that he is course, abusive and mean to everyone including his friends. and he lets everyone know his position too,there is no point for him to hide anything because he reads like a book and everyone knows it.
I have to disagree with the idea that Stella and Stanley is a "Fake" happy marriage. I think Stella is happy with it I'm not sure why, other then the hinted at good animal like sex, but I'm sure there are women in this world that can be happy with just that in their marriage. Stanley at times treats Stella Badly, but most of the time he seems pretty good to her.
I think that Blanche wants to people to see her in a certain light (the southern Belle), but in order to have people see her that way she has to lie and in order to lie she may have to convience herself that her lie is true. I cannot lie to save my soul unless I pratice saying the lie out loud to myself a couple of times and if you tell yourself something enough you start to believe it.
I feel your pain with the reading plays! I hate it and I dreaded reading this from the first time I saw it in the syllabus. I believe that one person cannot effectively read a play the author intended it to be read.
I agree that Blanche was not a southern bell, but I think that she badly wanted to be one. This is probably why she embellishes such elaborate stories about Shep, and dresses in such fancy clothes when she is broke.
I think that Stanley raped Blanche to have something to "hold above her" just like she was holding things above him. I think that it also showed his power (a very masculine thing), and "win" the contest for Stella over Blanche.
I thought you had a good idea when you said that Stanley raped Blanche because he knew he could get away with it. Since she tends to lie a lot, he was able to get away with. I just couldn't believe that Stella forgave Stanley for raping Blanche by pretending that it didn't happen, when deep inside she knew it did. I agree with you and also think that the reason for Stella taking Stanley back is because she feels secure and taken care of with him, which is what Blanche dosen't have in her life.
I agree that Stella made the choice she did because she didn’t want to see her life turn into her sisters. Stella was happy with her relationship before her sister got there, but by allowing her sister to be taken away it returned her life to the way it was. I began to wonder what the relationship would be like afterwards. I would have to believe that the relationship would be tainted by the situations that occurred. If Stella believed that Stanley had raped Blanche, I don’t think they could live happily ever after.
I agree with you about Blanche. I think the reason Stanley raped her is because of the fact that he knew that if she told someone nobody would believe her because of all the lies she tells anyways. He knew he could get away with it and it would make her realize how low she really was. I like Blanche as a charachter though. She seems like she lives in this fantasy world that noone else really knows of. Mitch's reaction to Blanche after Stanley told him what she was all about is what i expected. I mean it was a little harsh but what are you going to do she deserved it.
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