Sexual Tension in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

Paper Summary:

In this article the writer analyzes the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams and notes that bathing and drunkenness are two common threads exposing sexual tension in the play. The writer points out that even the title of the play suggests the sexual tension between the characters. Further, the writer looks at the connections between desire and death as portrayed in the play. The writer maintains that it is as if Williams is telling us that from too much desire only death can come. The writer notes that Stanley, the most dead of all three characters becomes numb to his reactive behavior. The writer concludes that Stanley is trapped in his uncontrollable animalistic sexual desire destined to live like an animal surviving purely by instinct.

From the Paper:

"Stanley is a man's man--full of animal instinct and desire. He cannot control himself in any regard. Stanley cannot control his temper so he beats his pregnant wife. He can't sequester his passion for Blanche so he rapes her. He can't bare losing Stella so he screams for her at the top of his lungs proclaiming his need and love for her. Stanley is all about sexual desire--it rules and runs his life.
"Drunkenness and bathing are the soothsayers for Blanche and Stanley when their desires become overwhelming. Blanche uses a bath to soothe her nerves and to try and wash away her sexually promiscuous path."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: Signet, 1975.

More papers on Sexual Tension in 'A Streetcar Named Desire':

• Book Review # 133273 : "Sexual Tension in "A Streetcar Named Desire"
• Analytical Essay # 58795 : "Symbols and Metaphors in "A Streetcar Named Desire"
• Analytical Essay # 120764 : "Power and Conflict in "A Streetcar Named Desire"

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