A Victim Of Patriarchal Conventions

A Streetcar Named Desire is considered to be the most successful play that Tennessee Williams ever wrote and Blanche Dubois the most successful female character he ever created. Through years Blanche's personality and tragic experience have aroused much critical interest and provoked different comments. Many critics took Streetcar as a moral play and interpret it from psychological perspective. However, this thesis disapproves of the popular psychoanalysis and holds that the inner conflicts can find their root in the social conventions of the patriarchal society, therefore the suppression of women as a subordinate "other" is dealt with at length as responsible for Blanche's so-called flaws in personality.There are five chapters in this thesis:Chapter one serves as an "introduction", which gives a general survey of Williams'life and his possible adoption of feminism. As the play is largely autobiographical, the main clash between the protagonist and the antagonist in the play is modeled upon the real life of his violent father and fragile mother. Moreover, the heroine reflects some qualities of his mother and sister. Though Williams never claimed himself a feminist, his sympathy towards women is evident in his works. His works have great significance in view of the awareness of women's hope and despair. This lays the basis for readers to analyze Streetcar from the feminist perspective.In Chapter Two the author of this thesis intends to critique psychoanalyses by other critics. Although Blanche's neurotic symptoms and the conflict between her id and superego present an in-depth view of her psychological dilemma, it is necessary and objective to look into the social and cultural root cause which entraps as well as destroys her.In Chapter Three the author of thesis is a detailed analysis of Blanche's tragic fate from the social and cultural context and proceeds to penetrate into the underneath cause responsible for Blanche's tragic downfall, namely, patriarchal conventions.It illustrates how Blanche, as an Other, gradually gets excluded and confined. Her exclusion is dramatically presented and can be simplified as:exile from Laurel-seeking sanctuary in Elysian Field-exile from Elysian Field- confined to madhouse.Chapter Four introduces some other characters who constitute the hostile environment in which Blanche is destroyed and their respective relationships with Blanche. Stanley's playing-role as a social construct of patriarchal culture may account for his cruel behavior and destruction of Blanche. By defeating Blanche the female intruder Stanley becomes another kind of loser. Moreover, Stella Kowalski and the "gentleman caller" Mitch also serve as important clues to the overall understanding of Blanche's personality and tragedy.In conclusion, Blanche Dubois is an important figure to demonstrate Williams's humanistic and social concern. Blanche is a victim of patriarchal conventions whose destruction makes her the most tragic character in A Streetcar Named Desire. As men and women living under patriarchy, Blanche, Stanley, Stella and Mitch are all tragic characters, none of whom can achieve a real happy ending.