Throughout scenes 1 and 2 of A Streetcar Named Desire, playwright Tennessee Williams presents Stanley as extremely powerful and authoritative through use of dialogue as well as staging. The audience immediately learns how strong Stanley is in a physical sense; however, we soon discover that he is also very controlling in his own animal nature. Additionally, it becomes apparent that Stanley views himself as the dominant partner in his relationship with Stella, as Williams conveys a sense of preeminence in Stanley's attitude toward his wife. Each of these factors contributes to Stanley's overall image of strong masculinity, which becomes more and more apparent as the play progresses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay Stanley's physical appearance is a key aspect of his overall dominance in Streetcar, as it reflects his toughness and boldness while throughout the piece. For example, in stage directions, Williams describes Stanley as "strongly built, compactly", instantly depicting him as a sturdy, muscular man. The fact that he is "compactly" built not only highlights his strength, but also suggests that he is explosive, in the sense that his body is so compressed that he could easily lash out in an act of violence at any time. At the beginning of Act 1, Williams also notes that Stanley "wears his bowling jacket" and thus reinforces his masculinity. Carla J. McDonough emphasizes the importance of his athletic image, as she says Stanley represents almost everything Williams was not, but always wanted to be. This reading is important, because it allows the audience to connect with Williams himself and understand the expectations of pure manhood in the 1940s. Other stage directions also hint at Stanley's great strength, as he is said to 'lift' a package at Stella's house and 'pull out a handful of costume jewels' when he argues with his wife over Blanche's supposed fortune. The use of the word "lift" denotes his energy and strength, and the fact that Williams chooses to state "full fist" paints the image of a large, firm hand, thus reinforcing Stanley's manhood. Additionally, Williams produces a strong juxtaposition, as a contrast is made between the strength of Stanley's imposing fist and the delicacy of the cheap jewelry, which he could easily crush in the palm of his hand. One could argue that this example represents Stanley's control over Blanche - as he is extremely confident and dominant, while Blanche is very weak and flaky. In the 1940s and 1950s, in South America, there were still great inequalities between men and women; men were still seen as the dominant sex (both physically and mentally), so it's understandable that Stanley is painted in this powerful light and William immediately "warns" the audience of his superiority through his basic appearance. Williams also presents Stanley in a very bestial form. way of demonstrating not only how menacing he is but also how primitive he is. For example, when Stanley is first properly introduced, the stage directions indicate that "the animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes." This reveals Stanley's unsophisticated nature and almost suggests that he is "a different species", as Stella tells Blanche. The fact that Williams describes his animal joy as "implicit" underlines his desirefundamental of sex and its own superficial character. He is compared to a "richly feathered male bird among the hens", indicating how he is the "leader of the pack" in the sense that he is always surrounded by followers who are often intimidated by him (meaning that its domination is not contested). The phrase "richly feathered" describes him as very sensual and attractive, which is accurate given that "brutal lust" is the mainstay of his relationship with Stella. Additionally, the difference between a menacing male bird and an innocent hen is somewhat significant because it verifies the idea that Stanley has ultimate superiority over all subjects around him. Although Williams primarily focuses on the danger of Stanley's animal nature, a Marxist view might be that Stanley is simply taking on the role of "hunter" to protect his family. For example, Stanley would return home with a "red-stained package from the butchers", which suggests animals killing prey; similarly we can consider that Stanley is the predator (of Blanche) and the defender of her territory (her apartment). Additionally, Streetcar is set in the 1940s, a period in which large numbers of immigrants went to the United States in search of work. Many of these immigrants were Polish (like Stanley) and were often treated unfairly, facing prejudice due to their lack of education. Therefore, it is possible that Williams also produced this animal presentation of Stanley to emphasize the fundamental stereotype of the immigrant in the 1940s and 1950s. It could be interpreted that Stanley was actually insecure and asserting himself as a leader brutal in his own apartment in order to feel like more than just a “dirty immigrant”. Stanley's lack of polite conversation is another way in which Williams conveys a sense of his self-importance and overall dominance, as it implies that Stanley sees himself as "responsible" for the dialogue. For example, when he first meets Blanche, he simply doesn't care about appearing well-spoken or cultured and immediately intrudes by asking her personal questions such as "were you married once?" , right? then follow up with “what happened?” This provides an accurate presentation of how rude and brusque Stanley is; he has no respect for Blanche not wanting to reveal such intimate information to him – especially since they literally just met. It becomes clear that Stanley hates anyone who questions him and he is certainly not afraid to announce his own opinions on every subject; for example, he accuses Blanche of lying about Belle Rêve without having real proof. This tactic shows Stanley's complete determination to be right as well as his arrogance, as in the quote "Have you ever heard of the Napoleonic Code?" » Apparently he considers himself intelligent and accomplished, so he completely ignores other people's opinions. During Act 2, Stella begins to become harsher on Stanley as she defends her sister; however, Stanley quickly reasserts his authority by yelling, "Since when have you been giving me orders?" (demonstrating how Stanley "takes charge" in his household.) This characteristic also supports the fact that the majority of immigrants were not very well educated, as it is evident that Stanley lacks basic social courtesy as well as pure respect. . Additionally, his use of explicit speech indicates his desire to present himself as a bold and self-confident character rather than a meek and pathetic immigrant. A feminist approach would emphasize Stella's obedience to her husband and her inability to.