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  • Essay / Evaluating the classification of social classes as illustrated in the book, A Streetcar Named Desire

    Class differences are the root of the conflicts in the play. By carefully analyzing the dramatic methods used in the play and drawing on relevant external information about social class in the southern states of America, show the extent to which you agree with the above statement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Throughout “A Streetcar Named Desire,” William presents conflict as the main theme. Class is an important factor in this theme, displayed through the characters and their actions. Clear contrasts can be seen almost immediately between the characters. Blanche DuBois, the Southern Belle, who still lives in the ideals of the "Old South", and Stella DuBois, the former Southern Belle who chose to marry descendants of the social hierarchy and marry Stanley Kowalski, a lower-class Polish immigrant. Blanche is initially surprised by her sister's new standard of living, surrounded by those of the lower class; not only her husband, but also her friends. Social class issues are clearly illustrated throughout the two opening scenes. Although both sisters come from the same family, they both have different lifestyles that they have adapted to. The social class differences between them demonstrate how society behaved in the 1940s. It is important to establish the atmosphere of this particular setting of New Orleans, especially as Blanche brings into the Kowalski apartment her prejudices that prove to be outside of time and place. Class distinctions don't matter here, which is why Stella and Stanley seem to get along well despite their backgrounds. It was around this time, in the 1940s, that everyone from the surrounding areas started moving there, along with many different groups. also immigrants, making it a center of multiculturalism in the United States at the time. New Orleans has attracted people from all walks of life. And with this diversity of groups of people from different classes and backgrounds coming together and living in one place, there was a kind of cultural revolution that, at that time, was completely and utterly unprecedented. Blanche was completely unaccustomed to this and so her prejudices may have been a cause of conflict in the play. When Blanche shows up at Elysian Fields, Williams writes that “her appearance is incongruous to this setting. She is delicately dressed in a white suit. with a fluffy bodice, pearl necklace and earrings, white gloves and hat, as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the Garden District. Not only are these garments incongruous with the setting, but may also represent more expensive clothing worn only by those of the upper class. Blanche owns many furs, which Stanley immediately assumes are expensive, causing a little conflict between the two women. also has costume jewelry, such as a tiara, which could represent a former member of a higher class wishing to move up in the hierarchy. Blanche assumes the superiority inherited from her family name. She disparages the small size of Stella's house and expects it. But above all, she is surprised that her sister married someone who lacks as much refinement or culture as Stanley. She also shows her prejudice by calling him "Polack". him very clearly in scene four, after witnessing his violence at the poker night in scene three. In her damning account of him, which he hears, she calls him a“subhuman” and “monkey”. This display of ignorance towards the lower class and immigrants causes conflict within the play. Stanley becomes irritated by Stella's lack of respect for him, supposedly caused by Blanche's influence. Stella claims that Stanley is "making a fool of himself", which causes conflict between the two. pair, due to Blanche's superficial manners. Operating on the idea that all men are created equal, the "American Dream" is an ideology in the United States in which freedom includes the possibility of prosperity and success for all, regardless of class or race. It emphasizes a direct link between individual efforts and success in an open, merit-based system and attracts most people to this country in the first place. However, the American "dream" changed dramatically as the country's definition of success applied primarily to middle-class white men from the 1930s to the 1950s, creating a class structure fueled by discrimination. In the play, the audience sees that it is Stanley who seems to benefit the most from the "American dream", as an immigrant who has led a decent life in America. Stanley states that this "pulled Stella down", referring to the fact that she married into society's hierarchy. This fact displeases Blanche, as does another element in which class is the driving force of conflict within the play. Stanley also claimed that "she liked it", meaning that she liked living as a lower class citizen, which would also cause conflict between her and Blanche, since Blanche had to defend Belle Reve alone. Certain elements in Blanche and Mitch's relationship could be seen as conflict between classes. Blanche acts like a refined woman, with “old-fashioned ideals”. It's clear that Mitch wants to follow through on his desires with Blanche, but is stopped by her pretension. She tries to act like a superior member of society, who will not stoop to being manipulated by a man and losing his respect. After Blanche asks Mitch if he speaks French, an attribute associated with the more refined and educated upper class, he replies that he does not, displaying the gap in the hierarchy between them. Blanche teases Mitch in a language he doesn't understand, asking him, "Do you want to sleep together tonight?" You don't understand? What a shame!" Blanche quickly becomes more amorous, irritating Mitch and causing an increase in the underlying themes of conflict. Throughout Blanche's stay in his house, he feels that she has been drinking his alcohol, eating his food , used his house, which he endowed with his own money through hard work, but he always belittled him and opposed him. She never conceded his right to be. the "king" in his own house So, he must stand by and watch his marriage and home destroyed, and be demeaned by someone of a supposedly higher class than him, or else he must retaliate His attack. is slow and calculated. He begins to compile information about Blanche's past life. He must present his past life to his wife so that she can determine who the superior person is and show that she does not in fact belong. a higher class When he has accumulated his information, he is convinced that as common as he is, his life and his past are far superior to those of Blanche. Now that he feels his superiority again, he begins to act. He believes that after having proven how degenerate Blanche is, he now has the right to punish her directly for all the indirect insults he had to suffer from her. So, he buys her a bus ticket to Laurel and reveals her promiscuous past to Mitch. This is a.