National 5 English Literature SQA

A Streetcar Named Desire: Character Profiles

Blanche DuBois:

• Blanche DuBois is the protagonist in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.
• She is a former Southern belle and high school English teacher from Mississippi, with a gentle and refined exterior.
• Obsessed with maintaining her appearance of purity and class despite her age and questionable past.
• As the play progresses, we witness Blanche's mental stability gradually decline.
• Her illusions of grandeur and denial of reality highlight her fantasy world versus the harsh reality.
• Has a strained relationship with her sister Stella, due to her disapproval of Stella's husband Stanley.

Stanley Kowalski:

• Stanley Kowalski is the husband of Stella, Blanche's sister.
• He represents a stereotypical working-class male who is brutish, dominating, and primal.
• Stanley has a deep-seated dislike of Blanche, fuelled by her haughty attitude, disdain for his social status, and the dubious circumstances surrounding the loss of the family plantation, Belle Reve.
• His sexual aggression is a key motif, highlighting themes of gender dominance, power, and masculinity.
• His interference in Blanche's life leads to her tragic downfall.

Stella Kowalski:

• Stella Kowalski, Blanche's younger sister, stands as a contrast between Blanche's pretentious refinement and Stanley's crude reality.
• Her character shows a sharp split loyalty between her sister and her husband.
• Despite Stanley's abuses, she often submits to Stanley's sexual and emotional dominance, which manifests as Stockholm syndrome.
• Her pregnancy and subsequent motherhood shift her loyalty towards Stanley, as she progressively isolates Blanche.
• Like Stanley, she chooses to believe in crude realities than Blanche's illusions.

Harold "Mitch" Mitchell:

• Mitch is Stanley's army friend, works with him, and is a member of his poker night crew.
• Initially presents himself as a gentleman with a sensitive nature, in stark contrast to Stanley.
• Develops a romantic relationship with Blanche until Stanley tells him about her past.
• His abandonment of Blanche marks a turning point, leading to her mental and emotional collapse.

As you study these characters, consider their motivations, relationships, and the wider implications each has on the narrative's themes such as class struggle, reality versus fantasy, gender conflict, and the destructive nature of desire.