Stanley Under a Microscope

In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams does not leave much room for the audience to place any judgments or opinions on the characters. He makes it so that we don’t have to over think or analyze the characters ourselves, but gives them roles to where their actions depict our final views of them.

For example, with Stanley, one of the main characters and Stella’s husband, we see how rude and obnoxious he is. From the way he treats Stella and Blanch to how he interacts with his friends while playing poker. Williams gives Stanley this bad boy image that is supposed to stick in our minds as exactly that. The only thing we as the audience can do is provide synonyms of what the author has already made Stanley out to be.

It does seem though, as if Stanley has a soft spot for Stella. Other than the time he beats her, he shows much affection and support for her. Ultimately showing the audience his other, softer, side. Here Williams again makes it clear that Stella is the only woman in the story Stanley shows any true compassion for. We, as the audience, know now that he is this “bad boy”, but he has a weakness. Other than that, we are stuck with his callousness, his crudeness, as well as his uncouthness. Williams probably does this so that there is a strong foundation of the storyline he is trying to set up. All the characters have their flaws and their good qualities but he leaves no argument for what the character could be, providing a sturdy storyline.