Instability In A Streetcar Named Desire

Stanley shows instability throughout the play, especially after the arrival of Stella’s sister, Blanche. Stanley does not allow his anger to take over him at first, but after many months of what he sees as disrespect from his sister-in-law and eventually from his wife he completely breaks down. The first scene of instability shown in the play is at the poker game where when Stella tries to act as head of the house and attempts to break up the poker game. Stanley jumps up and charges after her and slaps her. Another example of Stanley being pushed from sanity is in scene eight when he says, “What do you two think you are? A pair of queens? Remember what Huey Long said- “Every Man is a King!”And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!” (Williams 131).
Once Mitch meets Blanche he instantly feels an attraction. Blanche, trying to seem like she still has some innocence, manages to convince him that she is not the kind of girl who easily falls into temptation and therefore causes Mitch to walk on eggshells around her. Mitch is constantly trying to find a balance between a sick mother, his best friends, and now his new girl. This stress added to Blanche’s constant back-and-forth flirting eventually wears him down. Then Stanley comes in and tells him that Blanche has been fooling him he refuses to believe it at first until he does his own research. Mitch shows his instability in scene nine when he says, “I don’t think I want to marry you any more. You’re not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother” (Williams 150). This amount of stress would cause anyone to be driven