A Comparative Analysis of Blanche and StellaWord文档下载推荐.docx

A Comparative Analysis of Blanche and StellaWord文档下载推荐.docx

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ABSTRACT:

AStreetCarNamedDesireisconsideredtobethemostsuccessfulplaythatTennesseeWilliamseverwrote.ThestoryhappenedaftertheWorldWarII.Americaneconomydevelopedrapidlyandstablyatthattime.Thus,thesouthernplantationeconomycouldnotkeepupwiththenorthernindustrialization.PeoplelivinginSouthAmericacouldnotadjustthemselvestothenewlifeaswell.BlancheandStellaastherepresentsofsouthernfemalesmadedifferentchoicesconfrontedwiththehugechangeinthemale-dominatedsociety.Theirbehaviorsdemonstratedwomen’sattitudestowardsmalechauvinism.Thispapertriestomakeacomparativeanalysisoftheheroine,Blancheandhersister,Stellafromtheprospectiveoffeminism.Ontheonehand,itintroducesthecreatingbackgroundandgivesabriefintroductionoftheworkinordertocomprehendtheworkgenerally.Ontheotherhand,itanalyzesthedifferentcharacteristicsofBlancheandStellabydividingtheirlifeintotwopartswhichreflectstheirviewpointsofmalechauvinism.

Keywords:

AStreetCarNamedDesire;

TennesseeWilliams;

Blanche;

Stella;

malechauvinism;

feminism

1Introduction

1.1thecreatingbackgroundofAStreetcarNamedDesire

Astreetcarnameddesirewascreatedin1947aftertheWorldWarIIbyTennesseeWilliamswhowasoneofthegreatestAmericandramatistsofthe20thcentury.OwingtoAmericawasnotinvolvedinthewar;

itbecamearichandprosperouscountry.Inashorttime,theeconomyofAmericaresumedanddevelopedpromptly.Gradually,itplayedasignificantroleintheworldandbecametherepresentofwesterncapitalism.Allofthesuccesswasattributedtothenewindustrialization.AftertheCivilWar,AmericanindustrializationreceivedasustainedandsteadydevelopmentwhichledtoasharpdisparitybetweenSouthandNorthineconomy,faith,culturaltraditionetc.SouthAmericawasbasedonplantationeconomyinhistorywhichresultedtoaclosedandbackwardeconomicsystem.Becauseofthesystem,astrictsocialhierarchywasestablished.Itimplementedblackslavery.PeoplelivingtherebelievedinPuritanism.Thevastmajorityofthemwereengagedinagriculturalproduction,livingatraditionallife.ThepastoralagriculturalcivilizationwastherootofSouthernCultureandSouthernConservation.Bycontrast,inNorthAmerica,capitalistindustryreceivedasustained,steadyandrapiddevelopmentatthistime.Thus,Americahadanincreasinglyinfluenceintheworld.Confrontedwithnorthernmodernindustrialcivilizationandnewthoughts,conservativepeopleinthesouthhadaninstinctiverevulsionandfear.Nevertheless,itwasinevitablefornortherneconomicsystemandculturetoimpactandchangethesouth.Consequently,thetraditionallivingstylesandvalueswerefallingapartundertheimpactofthenorthernindustrialization.

TennesseeWilliamswasborninthesouth,inColumbus,Mississippi.Hismotherwasacountrybeaytywhilehisfatherwasavulgardrunker.Attheageofeight,hisfamilymovedtoSt.Louis,anorthernindustrialcity.Therefore,helivedinatransitionperiodfromplantationeconomytoindustrializedeconomy.ThedecliningoftheSouthandthecourseofindustrializationwereunavoidable.ButhewassentimentallyattachedtothebeautifulpastoftheoldSouthanddeeplyregrettedthedeclineofit.Inhismind,theoldSouthsymbolizedfreedomandromance.Sohewassufferingandunabletoadjustthelifethere.Itwastheexperiencethatmadehimcreatethegreatwork--AStreetcarNamedDesirewhichmadehimaninternationalfigure,whichranfor855performancesandwonhimhisfirstPulitzerPrize,secondNewYorkDramaCritics’CircleAwardandtheDonaldsonAward.

1.2abriefintroductionofAStreetcarNamedDesire

AStreetcarNamedDesireshapedawoman,Blanche,whohadtobetrayherselfandreliedonmalesforsurvival.TheheroineBlancheandhersisterwereboththerepresentsofsouthernfemales,welleducated,graceful,sensitiveandfragile.Theywereborninanaristocraticfamilycalled“BelleReve”whichsymbolizedabeautifuldream.Theyreceivedhighereducation,pursuedthemoralvaluesofSouthernplantationcultureandabidedbythemoralstandardsofPuritanism.

Attheageof16,BlanchewasmarriedtoandpassionatelyfellinlovewithayoungpoetnamedAllan.Hekilledhimselfaftershetoldthefactthathewasahomosexualityinpublic.Sincethenshehadsufferedfromguiltandregretted.ThisaccidentwasBlanche’sturningpointoflife.Herdesirehasbeendeformedgraduallyundertheafflictionofherguiltysenseandlonelyheart.Shestartedtodatewithstrangersfrequentlyinpursuitofloveanddependence.Shethoughtshecouldfindconfidenceinherownfeminineattractionwhichcouldhelpherdispelthesufferingherhusbandgaveher.Butunluckilyshefailedtoattainherhope.Actually,shebecameaprostitute.

Whatwasworse,thetransformationofsocialsystemandtheturbulentsituationsaftertheCivilWarcausedthedeclineofherfamily.Aftertheirparentspassedaway,Blancheandhersister,Stellalosttheirfamily.Facedwithsuchadisaster,althoughthesisterssharedthesameculturalandeducationalbackground,theychosedifferentwaysoflifeinfrontofreality.BlanchedidnotcompromisebutlosingherselfwhilehersisterStellacompromisedbymarringavulgarworkerStanley.

Blanchebecamehomeless,lonelyanddesperate,andshewaslackofmoney.Becauseoftheloveaffairwithayoungboy,shelostherjobagain.Allthesethingsweakenedher,turnedherintoanalcoholic,andloweredhermentalstabilitybit-by-bit.Aftersufferingsomuch,Blanchebegantolietohideherweakness.Shewenttoaskhersisterforhelp.ShemetMitchthere.Shefellinloveandtendedtogetmarriedwithhim.However,StanleyfoundoutthatshewasactuallyahypocriticalwomanandhetoldthetruthtoMitch.Therefore,therelationbetweenMitchandherbrokeup.ThenStanleyrapedhertodestroyherbothinbodyandinspirit.Finally,Blanchewassenttoaninsaneasylum.

2CharacteristicofBlanche

2.1theperiodbeforeshevisitedStella

WhereBlanchegrewupwasaminiatureofamale-dominatedsociety.Womenthereweredependentonmalestolargeextent.Inordertopleasementheyhadtobehaveasacountrybeauty.Blanchewasbornin“BelleReve”wheremaleswerethemasters.Sheadoptedthemalestandardtoregulateherselfwithoutbeingawareofit.Herdressing,wordsanddeedsdemonstratedthat.Shewasparticularaboutherappearanceandwassodeeplyinvolvedinherfantasythatcouldnotgetawaywhichresultedtohertragedylater.Blanchewasinfluencedbytheplantationculturedeeply.Shewasdependentonmalesnotonlyineconomybutalsoinspiritinsteadofpursuingfreedom.BroughtupinaSouthernplantationandeducatedproperly,youngBlanchehadahappylife.Intelligentandbeautiful,shewasagentlewomanand“Nobody,nobody,wastenderandtrustingasshewas.”（Williams1947,p.111）Whenshespoke,sheusedamildtoneandwasexcessivelyparticularaboutwording.However,Allan’sdeathmadeherrealizethatthemale-dominatedsocietywassohypocrisy.Shedidnotbelievepatriarchyandauthorityofhusbandanymore.Shebecameatraitorofthepatriarchalsociety.Butshecouldnotgetridoftheubiquitousinfluenceoftheculturecompletely.Althoughshedidnotagreewiththeethicalstandardsofthemale-dominatedsociety,shehadtobowtoit.

BlanchegotmarriedwithAllanbefore.Shedescribedthisexperiencewithpoetry.AllanwasputintotheheightofGodinhermind.Shelovedhimdeeply.Therelationshipseemedromantic.However,Blancheaccidentlydiscoveredherhusbandengagedinhomosexuality.Shescreamedangrilyandcouldnotacceptit.Theeducationandideashehelddidnotallowhertostandtheexistenceofheterosexualandotherlivingstyles.Thensherevealedthescandalofherhusbandinpublicwhichledherhusbandtocommitsuicide.Thedeathofhishusbandmadeherfeelguilty.Whatwasworse,herfamilymembersdiedoneafteranother.Finally,asyearswentby,littlebylittle,Blanchelostparents,husband,ancestralhomeaswellasheryouthandjobuntilshewasdrivenoutofherhometown.

Sheherselfhadnoonetohelpherandsharedherpains.Afterthese,shewasinvolvedinsexualbehaviorswithdifferentmen,especiallytheyoungmen.Shecouldnotendurethiskindofagoniesandloneliness.Insuchacircumstance,shemetdifferentmentogetcomfortthroughtheirbodies.Thatwaswhyshewantedtodependonthiswaytoforgetherpast.Butshehadneverknownthatwhatshehaddonehadbroughtmoredisasterstoher.Thewayshechosetoreduceherinneremptinesswasavariationofmalechauvinism.AfterBlanche’sfatherandhusbandpassedaway,shelostthesupport.Theinfluenceofmalechauvinisminducedhertoseekformales.Throughshort-timeintimaterelationship,shetriedtoreduceherinneremptiesandpanic.Meanwhile,theconsciousmoralcodehadbeenrestrainingher.Shewasindulgedinanxietybetweenpursuingspiritualfulfillmentandsufferingfrominnermoralcondemnation.Inordertoeliminatetheanxietyshechasedthedesirebycontinuingtolookforoneafteranothermale.Suchanunhealthyandirrationaldesirewasgrowinglikeasnowball.

2.2theperiodaftershevisitedStella

Blanchelostallprotectionandwasexpelled.ShehadtocometoNewOrleansbythe“streetcar”whichsymbolizedherownfactorcausinghertragedy.WhenshearrivedinStella'

slittle,anduncomfortableflat,her“appearanceisincongruoustothissetting.Sheisdaintilydressedinawhitesuitwi