A Streetcar Named Desire

Feminist Analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams is widely considered the greatest southern playwright and some of his works include Glass Menagerie, The Rose Tattoo, and A Streetcar Named Desire. A Streetcar Named Desire was greatly influenced by events in Williams’ life. Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. Feminism Literary Criticism may be explained by Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire as it deals with the major theme of power, based on sexuality, economic dependence, and abuse.

Men define women by their sexuality and women use their sexuality to get what they want. In A Streetcar Named Desire, it is evident that Blanche uses her sexuality to get around. When the young man comes by to collect for the Evening Star, Blanche has not a single dime. As the young man starts walking away, she calls him back saying “Come here. I want to kiss you, just once, softly and sweetly on your mouth!” (Williams, 5.116). This shows that since Blanche had no money to give to the young man, she paid him with a lustrous kiss. It explains that Blanche is obviously very sexual and uses her sex appeal to gain influence over men, as it is her only essential tool she has to her disposal. Blanche has this fantasy that if she can woo men by her sex appeal, then she will have a life with no worries. However, Blanche is not the only one who uses sexuality to their advantage. Stanley uses sexuality to define his wife. Stanley establishes power via his marriage and Stanley and Blanche fight over Stella as if she is territory. Stanley only needs Stella for sexual relations and nothing else; it is the strongest bond between Stanley and his wife.

Secondly, the economic dependence on men deprives women of the right to dominate their own fate and the strength to struggle against men so that they are reduced into the ‘other’. Women depend on men’s...