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Absolute power arises from a system that feeds on individual fear and primal human weaknesses

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Absolute power arises from a system that feeds on individual fear and primal human weaknesses

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Absolute power arises from a system that feeds on individual fear and primal human weaknesses

The absolute power that arises from a system, a system such as Stanley Kowalski’s household, arises from feeding on individual fear and primal human weaknesses. Stanley’s control over his own household and the people within it is shown in both Stella and Blanche’s basic necessity; a home. The power that Stanley holds over Blanche is really seen when her place in the household is threatened and may be forced to leave. Blanche needs a home and also a male suitor, all things she needs to keep on surviving in the environment around her and Stanley holds power over her knowing she needs both those things. In the final scene of the play, Stella sees her sister being taken away knowing what Stanley has done to her but her surrounding environment shows her dependance on Stanley and the power he holds over her, again, on a primal human weakness.

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Masculinity & femininity are entirely constructed by society.

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Masculinity & femininity are entirely constructed by society.

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Masculinity & femininity are entirely constructed by society.

Although we are born male or female, our masculinity and/or femininity is not a biological fix, but a social construct. Masculinity & Femininity is a recurring theme explored by Tennessee Williams throughout the socially critical play “ a streetcar named desire”. Society post WW2 was dominated by men,who were trained to be the financial supporters, whereas women were defined as inferior and helpless. This power dynamic has been constructed by society for decades, and is most prevalent in the abusive relationship between Stanley and Stella Kowalski. However, this construction is ultimately challenged by the arrival of southern belle,  Blanche Dubois ,who refers to Stanley as “ a polack” within only the first few scenes of the play. The use of this derogatory term challenges Stanley’s authority and instantly defies the fragile role a woman at the time had been entitled to. This illuminates the ideologies that were constructed at the time.  Moreover, as the play progresses, Blanche continues to act on anti-stereotypical actions while simultaneously attempting to create the illusion. Blanche as a whole demonstrates how the social construct at the time had forced her to restrain herself from her true desires in order to fit within the feminine role constructed by her society.

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“Capitalism and consumerism have made humanity self-destructive”

In the novella, it is evident that the capitalistic society of Prague has resulted in a community void of humanity, in which individuals have sabotaged their relationships and ideologies in order to adjust to the system. This is first seen in the relationship between the protagonist and his parents, which is ultimately transactional, driven by avarice, as to demonstrate an extrinsically motivated society. This is illustrated in the first scene, where it is palpable that Gregor has maintained his employment, instead of pursuing his dream, in order to provide for his family and fulfill his father’s debt. It is stated “the money was gratefully accepted and gladly given, but there was no special uprush of warm feeling.” This insinuates that the protagonist was purely a means to his family’s happiness, as opposed to being an integral member of the family unit. Kafka has presented this relationship as transactional, particularly with his father, in order to exemplify that in the modern world, greed has won over humanity. These actions reflect the author Kafka’s circumstances, in which his father had placed work centric culture in their relationship.

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Liam: Question 4 on "consumerism and capitalism"

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Liam: Question 4 on "consumerism and capitalism"

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Both ‘The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka and “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams were written in the 20st century, a time when the contemporary themes of capitalism and consumers ruled society. In ‘The Metamorphosis’ capitalism is clearly portrayed through the financially driven values Gregor and his family possess. These values are seen when the most unpredictable events take place as Gregor is metamorphosed into an insect, and despite this the sudden turn of events, Gregor first thoughts are still how he will get to work on time. Kafka’s portrayal in of capitalistic values are clearly shown here as society has forced Gregor to play a role in a money-driven society.This eventually lead to Gregor's family, including his previously loving sister Gretta, ostracizing Gregor due to the lack of financial aid he is no longer able to give, leading him to a lonesome and tragic demise. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire”, Blanche representing the ‘Old America’ due to her old fashioned ideologies and expectations, enters a home ruled with destruction. This destruction is portrayed through Stanley, who represents the ‘New America” due to his consumerist and capitalistic values, as seen through aggressive nature evident when he loses his temper and rapes Blanche .In both texts capitalistic and consumeristic values are evident and the one similarity they share in regards to these two themes are that they are both what lead the protagonists to their tragic downfalls.

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Capitalism and Consumerism has made Humankind Self-destructive (note that I’ve only listed one example of how capitalism causes self-destruction. In reality there are countless more)

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Capitalism and Consumerism has made Humankind Self-destructive (note that I’ve only listed one example of how capitalism causes self-destruction. In reality there are countless more)

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Capitalism, by its very nature, is founded on the principle of exploitation of the individual at the benefit of the other; often in the form of a small minority having control over the masses. Despite capitalism unquestionable financial benefit to the economy and a country’s infrastructure, it comes at the sacrifice of the proletariat.

The self-destructive nature of Capitalism is shown through the irony that is associated with the Proletariat’s grueling lifestyle, as a result of their manipulation by the aristocrat. To elaborate, proletariat’s are force fed the ‘fake’ promise that one must ‘work hard’ today and sacrifice their youth, to ensure a ‘better future’. While this promise is very clearly deceptive (as if everyone’s rich, no one is rich), the irony stems within the fact that in order to achieve this ‘better future’, one must subject himself to years of monotonous, unfulfilling work, ultimately sacrificing physical and mental wellbeing for a purely chimerical goal. This concept is reflected by Kafka through Gregor, another cog in the capitalistic machine that has been successfully manipulated, reassuring himself that  he must only endure another ‘five or six years at most’ before he may retire. Gregor, unable to handle the pressure of his difficult life, ultimately metamorphoses into a ‘monstrous vermin’ (self-destruction), signifying that his inability to fulfill his required roles goes again the natural order of the ‘system’. At the most basic level, capitalism has broken his spirit.  Kafka, an avid socialist was heavily influenced by the Marxist philosophy that work which the proletariat is unsatisfied with, is the sole cause of their dehumanization and destruction as individuals. This concept is mirrored through Gregor, who as a result of his dissatisfaction with his job, and thus life, has been transformed into a ‘vermin.

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Masculinity and femininity are entirely constructed by society.

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Masculinity and femininity are entirely constructed by society.

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Masculinity and femininity are entirely constructed by society.

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The ideology of masculinity and femininity had come from the past as it was known that men had to do all the hard labor work and that women should stay at home and be the care takers. This concept has been around for decades and can be seen through all cultures. Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviours, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society. In ASND, the division between masculinity and femininity is clear through Stanley and Stella, as they both conformed to the natural order of power. A streetcar named Desire was set during the twentieth century as the break of modernism occurred. It was set right after world war two where men had just come back into society to retain their power and dominance; at this time women had just recently joined the work force to support their family as the men where in war. In society masculinity was perceived to be the ideal strong, ego oriented, successful man. Stanley had all the traits needed to be considered masculine as he is known to be short tempered, egotistic and successful in both career and army. Stella on the other hand was the perfect representation of femininity at the time as she was submissive, took care of Stanley and did not work.

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{Alex} Masculinity and feminity are entirely constructed by society.

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{Alex} Masculinity and feminity are entirely constructed by society.

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Society in the past and this present day has always constructed Masculinity and feminity. Certain actions shown and feelings expressed can classify individuals as being masculine or feminine. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’s’ society heavily constructs masculinity and feminity. During Stanley’s poker night with his friends Blanche asks if she could join in, “Poker is so fascinating. Could I kibitz?” and Stanley replied with “You could not. Why don't you women go up and sit with Eunice?” During these times, poker was seen as only as men’s game and evidently Stanley was shocked as well as stern with his reply. Other scenarios had shown societies construction of masculinity and feminity, ie: Mitchell showing his softer side by expressing his feelings for his Mother. Masculinity and feminity was evidently constructed by society in the past and even worse, to this present day.

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Our individual understanding of reality cannot be trusted.

First off all, what is reality? In dictionary terms, reality is the state in which things exists the way they do, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. Although, reality is often perceived as something to be factual, in a world that constantly undergoes paradigm shifts as society begins to question societal norms held for eons. The very essence of reality cannot be trusted. Gregor Samsa, in the Novella “The metamorphosis” is the perfect example of a man fulfilling his duty by financially aiding his household in the capitalist Prague at his time. That very fact of Gregor Samsa being the exemplar example, is the reality most people of that time period aspire to become. However, at the same time, clouded by people’s desire to fit in to society, the idea of a man being the breadwinner of a household only becomes ideal whereas, in reality, individuals such as Gregor only becomes a tool to be utilized and exhausted out by capitalism and once deemed useless, becomes ostracized. A similar situation in which reality cannot be trusted by our individual understanding is Blanche in the Street car named desire. Upon upholding standards of old, Blanche’s reality was greatly affected by the constantly changing society thus leading her to her inevitable demise. Individualistic understanding of reality becomes clouded and often confused by an individuals embraced deepest desires which only becomes realized once their "reality" is shattered by an external force.

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Society Is at Its Roots Chaotic & Disordered

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Society Is at Its Roots Chaotic & Disordered

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Society only operates properly because of the law. Without the law it would fall apart and we can justify that based on the necessity for a military and a police force. Society is in general is lawless and cruel which is evident in the way that Blanche was dealt with due to her inability to fit in with society and Gregor who rebels in response to societal expectations.

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"Masculinity and femininity are entirely constructed by society"

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"Masculinity and femininity are entirely constructed by society"

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Throughout the course of history, society has constructed patriarchal ideals of what is considered to be 'masculine' and 'feminine'. In 'A Streetcar Named Desire', Williams utilizes characterization in order to illustrate the pressures and norms of submission, set forth by society, towards women. They were expected to remain 'virtuous' and 'pure' in their relationships; if they did not succumb to these norms then they were criticized by society. This is seen through the characterization of Blanche in her desperate attempt for marriage and security, running away from her past. She immediately lies to Mitch in an attempt to convince him that she has "old fashioned ideals". The choice of diction highlights the patriarchal nature of society. The adjectives "old fashioned" connote tradition and lack of modernity. It emphasizes the way in which society had been built on expectations such as "old fashioned ideals". Furthermore, the adjective "old" enforces the way in which individuals were living in the past through constructed ideas of "femininity" such as conservatism. This lead to pressure on many women such as Blanche to throw a facade in order to succumb to these norms. Such expectations set forth by society provoke sympathy from the audience as Blanche is, arguably and ultimately, depicted as a victim of the societal pressures. Similarly, Kafka utilizes the characterization of Gregor in order to illustrate the strain faced by proletariat men in a growing capitalist society. As the son, Gregor is expected to be the sole financial provider for his family upon the collapse of his father's business and his “complete hopelessness”. The choice of diction evokes sympathy from the reader due to Gregor's transformation from a child to a disenchanted adult who is responsible for four family members, including himself. As an archetype of the male working class, this instigated a work ethic of “special intensity” and catalyzed his career as a “traveling salesman”. The imagery reiterates the extensive strain placed on proletariat men to be the sole bread-winners, regardless of the extent of sacrifice required. When Gregor is financially crippled the “special warmth was no longer present”. The kinesthetic imagery in the circumstantial change in their relationship represents the constructed expectations set forth by society; the men were valued only as much as their financial productivity allowed them to be.

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'Our individual understanding of reality cannot be trusted'

Appearance vs reality are major themes and driving elements in both 'the metamorphosis' and 'A street car named desire'.  Characters are constantly battling between appearances and the underlying truth beneath them. The theme is evident through character's such as Blanche Dubois, who is constantly battle with her illusions. Blanche's individual understanding of herself , is quite contradictory to other's interpretations of her,  Blanche is capable of cruelty and malice, elements that she, even with her apparent skills of self reflection, might not be able to recognise in her own actions.

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"Society at its roots is chaotic and disordered" 

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"Society at its roots is chaotic and disordered" 

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Society is always portrayed differently through different manners of texts, and ASND and Metamorphosis are no different

A Streetcar named Desire is primarily a conflict between the old and the new America, a clash of ideals and values, accurately portrayed through the constant bickering and fighting between Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois inside  Stanley's claustrophobically tiny apartment set in the heart of New Orleans. As Blanche portrays the "Old" world, it can therefore be argued that she, as she herself is a very chaotic and unpredictable character, represented by her dependency of alcohol, she characterizes a society that is marginalized and misunderstood, yet is also deeply chaotic and refuses to conform. The howling and shadows right before the rape scene also show a society that is uncontrolled and unable to establish any order.

However, the Metamorphosis directly contradicts the statement that 'society is chaotic and disordered" by alluding to a hierarchal society in pre-war Prague in which every single person is supposed to financially support themselves and their families. The idea behind this is that society is forcibly ordered and conforming, as any form of deviation or resistance leads to marginalization, as was represented by the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa, how his transformation from human to bug led to his marginalization and exclusion from society, aka  the rest of the Samsa family, as he simply didn't fit, he wasn't 'in line with the unrealistic and obtrusive expectations of capitalism. Stanley in ASND also embodies an orderly,  patriarchal society, the physical embodiment of the "new" America, and similar to Metamorphosis, anyone who refuses or is unable to comply is rendered powerless, shown through Stanley's rape of Blanche. ASND shows a society commandeered by an "alpha male" such as Stanley, with a hierarchical order underneath represented by Mitch and the rest of Stanley's friends. Through Stanley's raw character and masculinity, there is an unwritten but evident order in American society, in which men were masters of the house and anyone who would try to oppose this, aka Blanche are brutally subdued in order to preserve that order.