A Streetcar Named Desire Term Papers

A Streetcar Named Desire term paper begins by introducing the character of Stanley Kowalski as he approaches his and his wife's ramshackle apartment, accompanied by another coarsely dressed man, and brusquely tosses a blood-stained parcel from the butcher to his wife Stella with only the monosyllable “Meat!” by way of an explanation.  This interaction can be interpreted as validating to an extent Blanche Du Bois’ perception of him as a Neanderthal-like, primitive man.  In several instances, Tennessee Williams describes him wearing rich, vibrant colors akin to the plumage of a “richly feathered male bird.”  The group of friends Stanley invites for poker is portrayed as a guttural, rough bunch of animals.  On all levels, Stanley represents the naturalistic, unfettered fulfillment of man’s primal urges.  Though morally repugnant, there is an inherent fascination in “the peculiar blend of childhood innocence and vibrant sexuality to be found in elemental people”.  Stanley represents pure, virile manhood, unencumbered by the intricacies of gentility, which entangle Blanche and confuse her self-identity.  Many literary critics agree that the character of Stanley Kowlaski serves as a “rough but effective version of D.H. Lawrence’s vitalistic vision of male force”. As a corollary of Stanley’s symbolic qualities of pure, primal maleness, he consistently offers and demands nothing less than the absolute truth, even to the point of near cruelty, as when he stymies Blanche’s attempt to force him to compliment her appearance.  The ultra-realistic point of view that Stanley represents is directly opposed to the “antiquated idealism” and illusive, romantic worldview that Blanche Du Bois staunchly adheres to.