Forums

Throughout the play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, domestic violence is a main theme. It is explored through both Stella and Blanche, as the acts of domestic violence both affect them. Stanley, Stella’s husband assaults both his wife and his wife’s sister. This play explores the dynamics between both women, and the reactions to Stanley’s actions. Although this play was written in the late 1940s, it still explores important themes in domestic spheres, as domestic violence is prominent in today’s society.
Blanche is subjected to violence throughout her life. First, her husband commits suicide, and then Stanley assaults her as she stays with her sister. This being said, Blanche is no the only one in the play that is assaulted by Stanley. Stella is also affected by her husband Stanley’s acts of domestic violence. Stanley viciously breaks things and becomes violent with his wife to show his dominance. Stanley is known as a man who is brutal, rough and pragmatic, and this comes out through his actions onto women.
According to UNIFEM, violence against women and girls is a worldwide epidemic. Almost 60% of women experience violence from male, and most of these males are husbands, intimate partners, family members and people known to those victimized. A “Streetcar Named Desire” is not just a play that shows what happened between domestic relationships during the 40’s and 50’s, but it also paints a picture of domestic violence today, as it still occurs around the world. In America specifically, over 60% of domestic violence or sexual assaults are not reported. Shame, humiliation, stigmatization, and fear or reappraisals or being labeled a liar all factor into the decision of whether or not to report these sexual assaults (Bromley, 2012).
In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Stella goes on in silence because she feels it is the right thing to do. She does not want to believe that Stanley assaulted Blanche because she wants to satisfy both of their needs. She cannot do this if she speaks out, as this would not keep the peace. Women during the 40’s and 50’s did not speak out against domestic violence, as it was the norm in some households. Today, it is more commonly talked about, as we now live in a more open-minded, accepting society that understands and recognizes the severity of violence against women. Back then, it was uncommon for women to talk about any form of sexual assault because they must remain modest – a woman would be viewed as a tramp if she spoke about anything related to sexual assault or domestic violence. Women back then could have also experienced the aforementioned list of reasons sexual violence is not reported.
Also, because of the different family dynamics in the 21st century, women have more of a voice because they have more power in society. Families in which the men are the breadwinners and the women are expected to take care of the house and children do not exist as often as they did in the 40’s and 50’s. Women of the 21st century are more sexually liberated and not forced into old-fashioned household roles. Although this is true, “A Streetcar Named Desire” is a prime example of the severity and frequency of violence against women in household situations. This play shows what happens when women do not speak out, as well as its affect on family dynamics.
Works Cited
Bromley, Victoria L. Feminisms Matter: Debates, Theories, Activism. North York, Ont., Canada: U of Toronto, 2012. Print.
Hamilton, Geoffrey. "A Streetcar Named Desire Lecture Series." Ideas from Lecture. 25 Nov. 2015. Lecture.
Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: New Directions, 1947.

The omissions of rape scenes in literature is not a foreign concept. Recently I read Matthew Lewis's The Monk and it also did not go into the finer details. In comparing these stories, the rape is the pinnacle moment. This means that the author would have to give such vivid and realistic details to that scene in order to make it seem believable in addition to matching the quality of the build-up text prior to this scene. This may be a probable reason why both authors would not venture to go into great detail. Not only would the in depth analysis be considered too vulgar but it may not live up to the matching depictions of prior scenes.

In the play, Williams exceptionally highlights how a cycle of violence, combined with passion and desire, is very hard to break. Violence against women in the context of this play is a very intriguing topic to discuss, and it is also important to discuss the historical context in which the story was written. The story is immersed in a setting that highlights the decline of the aristocratic family tradition associated with the American South. These are families who are beginning to lose their historical importance as the agriculturally driven Southern states are falling short to new industrial advances in society. An increasing labour shortage of farmers in the South came about during the first world war, as these men were forced to be employed in the military. This could have easily caused household tensions among familial relationships to rise, as women had to take control of both income and house care almost immediately. In the context of this economic and cultural environment, Blanche can be seen as representing the female aristocratic tradition of the Old South at a time when everything was "simple". It can be argued, then, that Stanley is in a sense jealous of all that Blanche represents, which is a simpler time in society. A majority of the scenes in the play portray Stanley as just entering the house from work with his clothing covered in dirt, which could highlight the intense physicality required to work in a newly industrialized society in which factory labor is almost a requirement. This is an image of what true masculinity of the time period embodied...roughness, hard work and brute physicality. And what complements these attributes? Violence! Violence towards women who, at the time, had no way out. A true shame, but Williams does an excellent job in portraying this power imbalance between the male and the female in families in the context of this story's setting.