A Level English Literature WJEC

A Streetcar Named Desire: Character Profiles

• Blanche: A neurotic, delusional former school teacher who is haunted by her past and relies on the kindness of strangers for her survival.
• Stanley: A brutish and crude working-class man, whose animalistic nature and suspicion lead to a confrontation with Blanche.
• Stella: Stanley's wife and Blanche's younger sister, who is torn between loyalty to her husband and compassion for her sister.
• Mitch: A potential love interest for Blanche, that represents an escape from her past, but becomes disillusioned when faced with her reality.
• Eunice: Upstairs neighbour to Stella and Stanley, she represents the enduring, pragmatic face of womanhood who tolerates her husband's flaws for the sake of family stability.
• Allan Grey: Blanche's dead husband, whose premature death after confessing his homosexuality precipitates Blanche’s mental breakdown.
• Shep Huntleigh: An unseen character who symbolises Blanche's aspirations for a better life, but eventually his lack of existence indicates Blanche's detachment from reality.
• Steve: Stanley's poker buddy, represents the stereotypical macho man of the era with similar violent and misogynistic tendencies but less charisma.
• Pablo: Another of Stanley's poker buddies whose presence amplifies the themes of masculinity and male-dominance in the play.
• Other Characters: Complement the main characters, adding depth to the storyline and contributing to establishing the social setting and its atmosphere.