Williams demonstrates the conflict between tradition and progress in Scene Two of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.
In Scene Two, Williams presents the conflict between old and new in various ways. This includes the portrayal of the three characters, Blanche, Stanley, and Stella, as well as the tension created through the structure of the scene and the stage directions. These techniques effectively create an atmosphere of tension and accentuate the contrasting motifs of the characters.
The statement made by Stanley illustrates the clear contrast between the Kowalskis and the Du Bois in the play, highlighting the conflict between the old and new. The Kowalskis represent the new world post World War Two, with Stanley being an immigrant from Poland symbolizing the new values. In Scene One, Stanley is described as having the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird. On the other hand, the Du Bois personify the old values, such as Belle Reve, an upper-class lifestyle, and owning a plantation with daily parties and a luxurious way of living. Blanche, in particular, is portrayed as the antithesis of Stanley’s powerful nature, being delicate like a moth and having a nervous disposition. This anxiety is consistently present throughout the play, demonstrated in Scene Two when she reacts with fear and retreats after a vendor calls out their wares.
The characters introduced in Scene Two can be seen as reflections of Tennessee Williams’ own family. Stanley is modeled after his father, Cornelius Coffin Williams, who was known for his womanizing ways and alcoholism, often treating women disrespectfully. Throughout the play, Stanley’s attitudes mirror those of his father. In contrast, Blanche embodies Williams’ mother, Edwina Dakin, a delicate and caring woman who also hailed from the South and was deeply affected by the loss of their family estate. Blanche’s own departure from Belle Reve can be compared to Edwina’s experiences. These parallels allow the audience to connect with the characters and empathize with Williams, as they serve as symbolic representations of his parents.
Williams establishes a conflict between the old and new in Scene Two through the scene’s structure. The tension rises progressively throughout the tripartite structure until Blanche discovers Stella’s pregnancy. The initial part of the scene involves Stanley and Stella discussing Blanche and Belle Reve. At the start, Stella is portrayed as a “peacekeeper” who tries to keep both Stanley and Blanche satisfied. This evokes sympathy from the audience, as it seems that Stella is the one putting in all the effort. Additionally, tension and unease are built up during Stella’s polysyndetic listing, where she urges Stanley not to mention the baby to Blanche. This creates a sense of deception and amplifies the tension, as some characters are unaware of the presence of a baby. In this same section of Scene Two, Stanley displays a complete disregard for Blanche’s privacy by rummaging through her belongings. This lack of respect for Blanche and her possessions makes the audience feel uncomfortable.
In the second part of Scene Two’s tripartite structure, Blanche and Stanley engage in a combination of flirting and arguing. This section highlights the contrasting themes of old versus new, as Stanley’s primary reason for conversing with Blanche is to inquire about Belle Reve and determine if he can benefit financially. Conversely, Blanche has ulterior motives and exhibits flirtatious and playful behavior, donning provocative attire like her ‘red satin robe’ in an attempt to captivate Stanley. Blanche also displays a sexually charged demeanor, evidenced by her agreement with Stanley’s innuendo of ‘lay…her cards on the table.’ Such actions make the audience feel immensely uncomfortable and awkward, as Blanche is effectively flirting with her sister’s husband, constituting a moral transgression. This section of the scene also portrays Blanche’s sensitive and delicate side to the audience, further emphasized by the presence of love letters from her past lover—’these are love-letters, yellowing with antiquity, all from one boy’—symbolizing the old and the past.
Blanche’s letters demonstrate her past happiness and evoke sympathy from the audience, as she highly values these letters. She even threatens to burn them once Stanley has touched them, as he is portrayed as a morally questionable character, stating “Now that you’ve touched them I’ll burn them.” As Scene Two concludes, Williams reveals Stanley’s control over Blanche and the traditional values with the remark, “I think it’s wonderfully fitting that Belle Reve should finally be this bunch of papers in your big, capable hands.” Blanche’s sarcastic statement emphasizes how Belle Reve and the traditional values have been reduced to mere papers, now under Stanley’s influence and the new values. This discomforts the audience as they are aware that Stanley is only interested in Belle Reve for its financial value, while Blanche genuinely cares for it.
In the final part of Scene Two, Stella returns from the store and Stanley reveals to Blanche that Stella is pregnant. This creates significant tension and caution among the audience, as earlier in the scene Stella had asked Stanley to keep the pregnancy a secret from Blanche. However, the audience also experiences relief as Blanche honestly confesses to flirting with Stanley and admits to treating it as a joke when talking to Stella. Blanche seems to accept the new circumstances, believing that Stanley now has control over Belle Reve, saying “But maybe he’s what we need to mix with our blood now that we’ve lost Belle Reve and have to go on without Belle Reve to protect us…”. Nonetheless, Williams ends Scene Two on an uncertain note as Blanche utters “the blind are – leading the blind”, which leaves the audience with a sense of unease and an impending feeling that something terrible will happen.
Williams uses stage directions to present the conflict between old and new in Scene Two. The actions of Stanley are described using aggressive words like ‘jerk’, ‘kick’, and ‘booming’, which creates unease among the audience. These new values portrayed by Stanley are aggressive, controlling, and violent. On the other hand, Williams highlights the delicate side of Blanche through stage directions, presenting her as embodying the old values and demonstrating how they are wearing her out. This is observed through stage directions such as ‘she now seems faint with exhaustion’, ‘with an exhausted laugh’, ‘touching her forehead’, and ‘she leans back and closes her eyes’. The old values are also depicted as slightly deceitful when Stanley goes through Blanche’s trunk and discovers a ‘fist-full of costume jewellery’. This suggests that Blanche is putting on an act, and her persona is an illusion.
Scene Two of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Williams presents a vivid conflict between old and new values. The audience is made to feel uneasy as Blanche’s desperate laughter is heard, indicating her efforts to conform to the new values. This laughter is contrasted with the bellowing laughter from the flat, seemingly mocking the old values that Blanche represents. The audience sympathizes with Blanche and tension is added to the scene. The tri-partite structure and aggressive stage directions contribute to this tension. Blanche embodies the old values as a Southern Belle and as the representation of Belle Reve. On the other hand, Stanley symbolizes the new values having come from Poland, being strong-willed, money-oriented, but lacking respect for others. The contrast between Blanche and Stanley is emphasized by their representation of Williams’ parents. Ultimately, the quote from Stanley, ‘The Kowalskis and the Du Bois have different notions’, encapsulates the conflict between old and new.
