FEMININITY

• “crumpled white satin gown” - S10
• STELLA

  • Mihaela Magdić - '' Gender Stereotyping in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire '' , Stella = ‘a transitive type of a woman.
  • She is neither a Southern belle nor a modern woman.
• • Stella accepted her subservience - not viewed as a problem -"I'm not in anything I want to get out of " -S1
  • “sort of thrilled by it.” (scene 4) - After Stanley’s physical abuse of power over her in scene 3,
  • “ her eyes and lips ” portray a “ narcotized tranquillity ” signalling to the height of Stanley’s psychological hold over her.
• " Manages to catch it; then she laughs breathlessly ” - S1 [Stella]

  • Thrill from Stanley's masculinity , no matter how destructive.
  • Her breathless laughter = toxic nature of their relationship - abuse is tolerated or even covered over with out-of-place emotions.
• ELYSIAN FIELDS

  • Greek Mythology, Elysian Fields first = paradise in the Underworld where immortal heroes were sent. Then resting ground for ‘ blessed dead ’
  • PROLEPTIC IRONY - intentional creation of Elysian Fields as S's street name - foreshadow his physical victory over Blanche and psychological victory over Stella
  • Gender power imbalance - For Stanley - sanctuary for his desires - through his bowling, playing poker and drinking
• ELYSIAN FIELDS (2)

  • For women -entrapment. For Blanche - represents madness through the verbal and physical abuse she tolerates from Stanley- Harsh reality of life - not her utopic fantasies.
  • Stanley's psychological hold over Stella ultimately results in her d entrapment - not even a life without Stanley (“I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley - S11