A Streetcar Named Desire Feminist Analysis
Behind the deceptive facades assumed by each individual is a starving soul hungry for fulfillment. In search of gratification, desperate seekers often spend their entire lives frantically looking for a savior to revive their weary bones. Heralded author and playwright Tennessee Williams understood this reality well. In his magnum opus titled A Streetcar Named Desire, Williams vividly illustrates the story of a woman named Blanche DuBois who embarks on a quest to find such salvation. Readers watch as the protagonist of the play stumbles through the obstacle course of her life in search of a redemptive character who can bring her rest. In a captivating narrative, Tennessee Williams uses his characters to demonstrate the dangers of selling out
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Blanche claims to have dated Shep, who is now a rich businessman, while they were in college. In spite of the fact that Blanche has not had an apparent relationship with Shep since that time, she still looks to him a sort of shepherd. Williams leaves readers with an stimulating play on words here, with the first four letters of Shep’s name being a condensed form of the word “shepherd”. Whenever there is a crisis in the play, Blanche is frequently seen making plans to get in touch with Shep (her shepherd) in hopes that he might save her from her circumstances and bring her fulfillment. At no point, however, does Tennessee Williams hint at the prospect of Blanche and Shep actually conversing. Towards the end of the play, Blanche’s downward descent into insanity correlates with her inability her make contact with Shep. It is as Blanche sees Shep Huntleigh as her completion. Not being able to connect with Shep, then, reduces Blanche in a major way. Daniel Thomieres has some valuable insight on this topic: “[Human beings] want "the desire of the other," which can be understood in the sense that we not only desire the other, but, more importantly, that we desire the other to desire us. The implication is simply that, without being looked at, acknowledged and desired, we do not
Blanche claims to have dated Shep, who is now a rich businessman, while they were in college. In spite of the fact that Blanche has not had an apparent relationship with Shep since that time, she still looks to him a sort of shepherd. Williams leaves readers with an stimulating play on words here, with the first four letters of Shep’s name being a condensed form of the word “shepherd”. Whenever there is a crisis in the play, Blanche is frequently seen making plans to get in touch with Shep (her shepherd) in hopes that he might save her from her circumstances and bring her fulfillment. At no point, however, does Tennessee Williams hint at the prospect of Blanche and Shep actually conversing. Towards the end of the play, Blanche’s downward descent into insanity correlates with her inability her make contact with Shep. It is as Blanche sees Shep Huntleigh as her completion. Not being able to connect with Shep, then, reduces Blanche in a major way. Daniel Thomieres has some valuable insight on this topic: “[Human beings] want "the desire of the other," which can be understood in the sense that we not only desire the other, but, more importantly, that we desire the other to desire us. The implication is simply that, without being looked at, acknowledged and desired, we do not