Stanley Kowalski In Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire

The theme of power is often shown through the character Stanley Kowalski. Tennessee Williams’ uses the stage direction “Stanley stalks fiercely through the portieres”. This stage direction suggests that Stanley can be aggressive towards others. The word “stalks” indicates that Stanley is portrayed as animalistic in this scene. The word “stalks” usually refers to how a predator would act around its prey before it would strike. By pairing with the word “fiercely”, Williams’ adds power and emphasises Stanley’s anger towards Blanche. The phrase creates animal imagery for the audience. The use of this stage direction reveals more of Stanley’s animalistic traits; it shows Blanche a glimpse of the violent tendencies of Stanley.