Female Characters in Tennessee Williams’ Works

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Female Characters and Their Dependence of Males in A Streetcar Named Desire
The Role of Minor Female Characters
Discussion
Some Minor Female Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire
Female Characters in the Glass Menagerie
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Sex and violence are often portrayed in literary works, especially those works that have been written in the middle of the 20^th century. The matter is that this period is known as that of racial and gender discrimination; in those times women and non-white people were significantly restricted in their rights and freedoms. Tennessee Williams was quite successful in the depiction of these themes in his works. His A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie are two plays in which female characters are portrayed as weak and dependent on men. A Streetcar Named Desire begins with placing emphasis on the lower position of a woman, Stella, as compared to a man: “Stella … a gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her husband’s” (Williams 2004, p. 4). The Glass Menagerie, in its turn, opens with Tom telling about himself in a rather self-confident tone: “I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve … I give you truth … I turn back time. I reverse it” (Williams 1999, p. 5). This allows distinguishing common themes in these two plays. A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie abound with female characters, such as Blanche DuBois, Stella Kowalski, Eunice, a Negro Woman, A Mexican woman, a prostitute, a nurse, Amanda Wingfield, and Laura Wingfield each of who is depicted as a weak helpless woman dependent on the male characters in some way.

Female Characters and Their Dependence of Males in A Streetcar Named Desire

Blanche DuBois as a woman of no dignity

Though Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire is full of interesting female characters, there is one character that attracts readers’ attention from the first lines. This is Blanche DuBois, a fading woman, who is still attractive and is able to use her own sexuality in order to become happier. Richard Gray (2004) admits that this character is constantly struggling for a new life, the life that can make her more desirable, more interesting, and more valuable for the society she lives in. However, her approaches to achieve the desired purposes are a bit strange and even fallen. This character may serve as the brightest example of female dependence on males, their services, and their care. She seeks male sexual admiration in order to comprehend her own sense of self-respect, self-esteem, and her power. Blanche sincerely hopes that her beauty and abilities to attract men are the key to her satisfaction and the desirable escape from poverty. She does not believe that her skills, her awareness, and her diligence may be helpful as well. She does not find it necessary to think about other kind of assistance except the male’s one. Such passion and dependence lead to negative and terrible outcomes: being raped by her sister’s husband, Blanche gets to the insane asylum and becomes open to other types of degrading seduction. She realizes that the only way to be happy and be satisfied is to accept the doctor’s courting. This action of Blanche DuBois is the final proof of why and how women become dependable on men and their power. Sometimes, a woman wants to be defenseless and fragile; but still, it is very important to remember about dignity and the sense of self-esteem that make any person a worthwhile part of this world.

Stella Kowalski’s inability to set priorities

Blanche’s sister, Stella, serves as another bright example of female dependence on men. From the very beginning, it seems that the sisters have nothing in common: Blanche is a free woman, who wants to find male support, and Stella is a married woman, who has certain feelings for his husband and values her status of being married. Once, her husband Stanley said that “Every Man is a King! And I am the king around here” (Williams 2004, 131). His words perfectly depict Stella’s position and dependence. Even though she wants to be free, independent, and happy, she cannot do anything but be dependent on her husband. Rachel Ballon (2003) mentions that in order to create a perfect and captivating female character, it is necessary for every male writer to touch with his own feminine side, and Tennessee Williams succeeded in touching like no one else. His vision of female dependence is described in various ways, and Stella’s way is one of the most controversial. Till the end of the story, Stella does not want to believe that her dependence on men is so similar to the same dependence of her sister. Stella cannot imagine how such a beautiful woman as Blanche may be so fragile and so weak; however, at the same time, Stella herself becomes a woman of the same kind with the same dependence. The point is that Stella should not search for male care but use the one of her husbands. This character helps to comprehend that female dependence on males may be of different types and maybe disguised in many ways, and, if a woman does not accept the reality of being dependable on someone else, it does not mean that this reality is true.

Eunice and her influence to Stella’s life

Ram Narayan Panda (2006) underlines the significance of present and emphasizes “the pastness of the past” (188) that are so perfectly presented in Williams’ work. Such connection of past and present is depicted in Stella and Stanley’s relations and supported by Eunice’s words. Eunice is one of the minor characters whose role was to persuade Stella that her relations with Stanley should be more important than her support to Blanche. Eunice performs the role of the wife that needs to accept her husband’s interests and behaviour. If her husband wants to use power and violence to be satisfied, Eunice has to support and satisfy him. From the very beginning of the play, this woman has a concrete position and a certain point of view that she is a married and dependable woman. She cannot live without her husband’s support; she may be happy only being closed to her husband despite of his constant abuses. This character shows that any woman is able to fulfil her own life only with the help of men. Women just have no choice but accept their husbands as they are. It does not actually matter whether wife and husband’s relations are animal and violent or spiritual and renewing, and woman has to follow her husband’s desire, thereby proves that her dependence on men is something irreversible.

The Role of Minor Female Characters

Negro Woman

Such minor female characters as Negro woman and Mexican vendor of flowers also play an important role in the play Streetcar Named Desire. On the one hand, Tennessee Williams uses them to underline the multiculturalism of New Orleans of that time. Yet, they also reflect the status of women in the then society. Even despite the fact that they seldom enter into conversation with other people, their occasional remarks as well as the authors description can tell very much about them. The Negro woman is “daintily dressed”, however, her white cloth is “moth-eaten” (Williams, 2004, p 5). This may indicate that this African American is not quite well-to-do and that she is forced to live in very poor conditions. Yet, she desperately tries to conceal her poverty. Later, the author shows her rummaging in the handbag that she finds in the street (Williams, 2004, p 160). Her poverty reduces her to such a miserable state. To some extent, this female character represents the difficulties, faced by many African-American women, who had neither education nor constant source of revenue and this subsequently made them very dependent on men. In this play Tennessee Williams describes various forms of dependence both psychological and financial (Roudané, 1997, 214). The Negro woman is important to that extent that it helps to explore the theme of sexuality. She sees a sexual innuendo in Stanleys gestures toward Stella and finds them very hilarious (Williams, 2004, p 5). In this work Tennessee Williams does not directly focus on such an issue as racial discrimination but his depiction of the Negro woman suggests that at the end of the nineteenth century, the representative of African-American community did not fully enjoy their civil rights. For instance, it is quite possible to deduce from her speech that she hardly received any education. The author gives readers virtually no clues about her family background or her past however; one can presume that in the course of her life she could hardly make two ends meet and these hardships eventually resulted in moral depravity. The writer does not attempt to evaluate her behavior. Nonetheless, his attitude toward her seems to be sympathetic. Though, this is just an assumption that can hardly be substantiated by textual evidence.

Mexican vendor of flowers

In turn, the Mexican woman helps the author to better portray Blanches emotional state. She sells funeral decorations and accidentally frightens Blanche by saying “Flores para los muertos ?”, which means “flowers for the dead” (Williams, 2004, p 149). This offer put Blanche in the state of severe shock as she believes that the word “dead” is addressed directly to her. Through her the writer creates a very ominous image: being blind, dressed in black shawl, she virtually scares Blanche to death. These scene aims to prove that Blanche is a very fragile and vulnerable person, who constantly lives in the world of her dreams and who can invent monsters out of nothing (Tischler, 2000). Of course, it is rather difficult to discuss the Mexican woman in connection with dependence on man. She acts as catalyst that forces Blanches fears to resurface once again. The audience understands that the protagonist is a very sensitive individual who only wants to look courageous. It should be noted that the Mexican woman hardly talks to other people in the course of the play, but she is needed only to throw light on Blanche personality. Overall, Tennessee Williams succeeds in producing a very powerful impression on the reader.

Discussion

These examples show how skillfully Tennessee Williams is able to bring his message to the reader. With the help of minor characters he recreates the inner world of other people. Most importantly, he manages to give a succinct account of the social life in the United States. Although women were officially granted their civil rights, they were not delivered from bondage. Poverty and sexual objectification were their major properties. In this play Tennessee Williams places emphasis on the idea that American women of that period of time could belong to various ethic groups, social classes, but all of them had to rely on men in order to survive (Delvin, 1986). A Streetcar Named Desire is extremely interesting to that extent that it illustrates dramatic changes that took place in American society at the end of the nineteenth century. Former norms of behavior like chivalry, female submission were no longer acceptable but many characters of that play still continued to live in the past. Female characters are portrayed as vulgar and passive. They cannot make independent decision and cannot earn their own living. They may not be content with their bondage but their do nothing to gain freedom. On the whole, it is possible to argue that the Negro woman and the Mexican vendor of flowers only make the authors ideas more prominent. They are an inseparable part of the setting and their importance should not be underestimated.

Some Minor Female Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire

Apart from the abovementioned characters, there are also some minor ones in A Streetcar Named Desire. However, this does not mean that these characters are insignificant. Among these, there is a prostitute that Blanche notices on the street before Stanley rapes her and a nurse who is often referred to as ‘Matron’ in the play. The prostitute, perhaps, reflects the idea of violence and dependence on men best of all. Though this character does not have a single line in the play, it says much more than any other character. Not only does she present the way in which men treat women, but serves as a projection to William’s memories. In the play, the prostitute is attacked by the drunkard: “He pursues her along the walk, overtakes her and there is a struggle” (Williams, 2004, 159). In reality, similar situations have been taking place in William’s family. William’s father was a drunkard and “when the parents were together, turbulence was inevitable” (Haggerty 2000, p. 1460). Thus, the prostitute symbolizes the way women are treated by men, whether the latter are drunk or sober. In those times when the play was written, it was normal for a husband to come home drunk; at this, he was never accused of this because he was the head of the family and, for the most of families, the only working person. This is why women simply had to bear humiliation and, sometimes, even beating on the part of their husbands.

The nurse is also quite an interesting character in William’s A Streetcar Named Desire. This nurse, the Matron, is different from other female characters. Her weakness does not lie on the surface. On the contrary, she is a strong and confident woman, or, at least, she seems to be one. The Matron is a nurse in the hospital and she has an unbelievable talent to calm down especially violent patients. The Matron is like a male character. It is remarkable that she is strong physically. This can be seen from the scene where Blanche is at the hospital and the doctor asks to bring her out: “The Matron advances on one side, Stanley on the other” (Williams 2004, p. 175). This shows that physical strength of the Matron is equal to that of a man, because Stanley is a male character. The nurse’s emotional weakness is never shown. It is clear, however, that she is dependent on one male character, the doctor who gives her orders. On the one hand, this takes place because she is his subordinate; on the other hand, however, the nurse never talks in the play, which means that she is regarded only as a working force and, evidently, she was given this job only because she is physically strong for it. Therefore, even the minor female characters of the play support the idea that women were helpless and dependent on men.

Female Characters in the Glass Menagerie

Amanda Wingfield

Another play by Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie represents the figures of two “displaced” women. They are Laura and Amanda Wingfield, daughter and mother respectively. Their roles are different, of course. However, their helplessness is apparent throughout the whole play. It is seen in each word and each intention of Amanda. It is reflected in each thought and each move of Laura.

The whole play is narrated through the eyes of Tom Wingfield. This artistic trick was used by Tennessee Williams, so that to depict helplessness of both Amanda and Laura from the part of their close relative. First of all, it is better to analyze the character of Amanda. She is a mother of two adult children who seeks for better destiny for them. She is single. However, she is inspired by the memories about her former husband. In other words, Amanda is too focused on bygone emotions and happiness that she experienced long ago.

Amanda understands that her daughter is crippled. However, this does not make her sad. She projects own intentions as of men on Laura. Her tries to persuade the daughter omit the reality of Laura’s inner discomfort. Such persistence of Amanda Head (2006, p. 439) relates to her “glamorous illusions about past.” Hence, Amanda can be called a displaced woman due to her inability to recognize the reality. Moreover, it considers not only the truth of her life, but also realities of her children. Williams puts emphasis on the impulsiveness and persistence of Amanda in order to show how she veils herself. Living in illusions, she does not take a look at her miserable existence pointed out in sorrows of Laura and Tom. Williams never tried to pose any biographical details into his plays. However, Karsh & Travis (2009) admit that the playwright delineates the figure of his mother in the character of Amanda.

Laura Wingfield

The character of Laura Wingfield is central in the play. This girl is a cripple. It is her physical drawback. However, she, like many girls, tends to feel and experience the same emotions of being with a man and communicating with people on equal base. In this respect Tennessee Williams illustrates the whole inner world of Laura centred on the collection of glass animals. One should understand that owing to her physical disability she is very sensitive and vulnerable.

McKinney (2003, p. 165) admits that Laura Wingfield “lives in a world of tension between her desire to be left alone and her yearning for social life.” The figure of unicorn is the most significant for Laura in her glass menagerie. After the words of Jim, an invited college friend of Tom, about his engagement to another girl, Laura deepens more into her helplessness. It is shown symbolically in the unicorn breaking. Her doomed destiny reminds her about disability to take men’s fancy. Laura’s glass menagerie reflects her transparency that is hurt by her mother, her brother and finally by Jim. At this point a viewer/reader can run into the pain of Laura Wingfield. The author shows that her helplessness is entire in the world of people. Notwithstanding her inner desires, she is stopped by society. In turn, it makes her more introverted. McKinney (2003, p. 165) describes misery of Laura when she “blows out her candles and faces the future alone.”

Conclusion

Taking into consideration the discussion of the female characters from two William’s plays, it can be concluded that women were treated violently by men and, what is even more terrible, they did not have a possibility to stand up to this violence. All these women suffered from men’s treatment, be it Blanche who was raped by a man, Stella who was deceived by her husband and dependent on him, Eunice who was physically abused by her husband, or such minor characters as a Negro woman and a Mexican woman forced to live in poverty because of discrimination, a prostitute who had to bear attacks from the drunkards, and a nurse who had to do a more difficult job due to her dependency on the male doctor. This all shows how helpless the women were and how much their rights were neglected.

References

Ballon R & Ballon RF 2003 Breathing Life into Your Characters. Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati.

Delvin, AJ 1986, Conversations with Tennessee Williams, Univ. Ress of Mississipi, Jackson.

Gray RJ 2004 A History of American Literature. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden.

Haggerty, GE 2000, Gay histories and cultures, Taylor & Francis, New York.

Head D 2006, The Cambridge guide to literature in English, Ed. 3, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Karsh Y & Travis, D 2009, Regarding Heroes, David R. Godine Publisher, Boston, MA.

McKinney E 2003, Paul Baker and the integration of abilities, TCU Press, Fort Worth, TX.

Panda RN 2006, “Intertextuality of Dramatic Discourse: A Study through Miller’s All My Sons and Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire”, Studies in Literature in English. Edited by Mohit K. Ray. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi.

Roudane, MT 1997, The Cambridge companion to Tennessee Williams, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Tischler, NM 2000, Student companion to Tennessee Williams, Grenwood Publishing Group, London.

Williams, T 1999, The glass menagerie, New Directions Publishing, New York.

Williams, W 2004, A streetcar named desire, New Directions Publishing, New York.

Click Here To Order Now!