Race in "Streetcar"

Aiken Tong

ENL 10C

Blog Post 2

            At its very core, Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” is about the conflict between Stanley and Blanche. Williams’ characterization of Stanley is very complex; due to his sexual attractiveness and blue collar work ethic, on the surface Stanley is seen to be somewhat of an ideal of American masculinity, but it becomes apparent early in the play that this ideal is to be deconstructed. Due to his overt masculinity, Stanley has developed an array of complexes such as machismo and misogyny, which puts him at odds with Blanche, whose haughty and elitist demeanor in his own home fuels his rage. Born ethnically Polish, Stanley is insecure about his heritage, believing that America is the greatest country in the world and therefore his ancestors’ origin is only thing that can possibly detract from his status as both the alpha male and the aforementioned ideal of American masculinity, and this insecurity leads him to violent outbursts in his attempt to assert his dominance. By establishing the insecurity and motivation behind the antagonist through race, Williams gives momentum to the central conflict of the play which allows it to develop and deteriorate.

            Williams uses Stanley’s race to emphasise the differences in class between him and Blanche, in order to exacerbate their conflict. In Blanche’s breakdown during her first argument with Stella, she reveals that she resents Stella for not staying in Belle Reve. She cries, hysterically “Yes, accuse me! Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go! I let the place go? Where were you! In bed with your--Polack!” Originating from a prestigious and well regarded family with a large estate in the South, Blanche has quite a conservative mindset. The notion that a lower class, blue collar worker, such as Stanley, who is a descendant of Polish immigrants, is married to her sister, and for Stella to speak so openly about her sexual desire for him (I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night... When he's away for a week I nearly go wild!) is nothing short of offensive to Blanche. The underlying themes of class and race in the play are highlighted by Williams, with Blanche representing the conservative values of the South, as her dislike of Stanley before even meeting him is already established because of his race, and her inability to tolerate or understand the interracial and inter-class relationship between him and Stella. This causes her to deliberately present herself to be superior toward Stanley, because even though she lives in the same house as he does and is possibly even poorer than he is, her values cause her to be unable to reconcile the fact that they are now equal in class. Her anti-immigration views also reflect the opinions of even modern conservatives, as seen in her breakdown where she quite literally blames her problems on Stanley, believing that her estate was lost because Stella’s marriage to Stanley meant that she was not able to stay home and contribute financially.

            Williams highlights the fragility of the male ego through Stanley’s insecurity about his race. Through his characterisation of Stanley as an alpha male, Williams effectively portrays him as someone who is deeply aware of and proud of his status, and thus will not allow anything to undermine his status. Stanley is extremely sensitive about threats to his masculinity, therefore he is keenly aware of Blanche’s condescending treatment to him because of his race and class. This is the one thing that he will not tolerate, and therefore he responds violently whenever it is brought up. He yells at Stella over a seemingly innocuous comment about his fingers being greasy, saying “Don't ever talk that way to me! "Pig--Polack--disgusting--vulgar--greasy!"--them kind of words have been on your tongue and your sister's too much around here! …I am the king around here, so don't forget it!” This reaction is ironic, as Stella is the strongest proponent of Stanley’s manhood, and no other characters in the play attach as much meaning to race as Stanley and Blanche. Stanley’s fragile ego is the making of his own insecurities, as he actively resents his roots, claiming “People from Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But what I am is a one hundred percent American… so don't ever call me a Polack” believing that his immigrant origins somehow detracts from his status. Stanley’s own insecurities about his race, and Blanche’s fallacious and bigoted opinions, and the role of the two in exacerbating their conflict thus provides commentary on the values put on one’s race in society.