Voices of Desire & Native America
Nay Hoh Everybody!
We're here for the last time to discuss A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams along with a short story and this week it will be the Voices of Native America by a series of authors. There will be an analysis of realism, naturalism, and regionalism along with the psychoanalytical criticism.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, There has been an undeclared war going on between Blanche and Stanley ever since they first met. The war between them is over Stella, who would be called the MacGuffin in Hollywood parlance. Stanley acts like an animal and Blanche acts like a Southern belle. but they both know each other and what the issue is that is at stake. Blanche wants to turn her sister against Stanley and get her to leave him in spite of the fact that she is pregnant. Although Blanche acts sweet and gentle, she is tough and aggressive. She goes after Mitch, even though she doesn't love him, because he would make a good provider. She despises Stanley but fears him because he can see right through her. They are engaged in a dog-eat-dog battle, and she is destroyed by Stanley because he is stronger and because he has an hold on Stella which Blanche is helpless to overcome with allusions to their past gentility and storybook lifestyle. The viewer naturally cannot help feeling pity for Blanche when she is destroyed, but cannot help respecting Stanley for defending his home and family against a hostile and unscrupulous intruder. The people who built Belle Reve did not get their land and wealth from being refined and cultured; no doubt the early ancestors of Blanche and Stella were not unlike Stanley Kowalski.
In Voices of Native America, there are various stories of Native American tales that describe the massacres and lifestyle that they live. In the beginning of the narration there was the articulation of how they felt about the indigenous past. It spoke of white Americans being fascinated by the Natives and often found inspiration from them despite the discrimination and oppression. Though realism captures the authentic aspects of human life, as it tries to emphasize the reality and morality for people as well as the society. This form of writing makes the readers face reality as it happens in the world in order to make it believable rather than make-believe. All of the most recognizable elements of Realism are present within the story. In its graphic probing of events and in its objective description of the characters' psychological state, the story successfully presents a realistic sensation of the characters' experience without any of the false heroism or romantic plots that characterized other contemporary fiction. There were documents seizing tribal customs and languages that many learned as well as the many stories that the culture told.
Naturalism is often viewed as a type of extreme realism as it highlights that the idea of environment determines and governs human character. Since its factors include the roles of family, social conditions, and atmosphere that shape someone. Major themes of the Naturalists are man against society; violence; the consequences of sex and sex as a commodity; the waste of individual potential because of the conditioning forces of life; and man's struggle with his basic, animalistic instincts. The use of literary techniques that point to naturalism are evident in Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire, particularly in the depiction of the characters and their emotional train-wrecks which lead to their ultimate destruction, or their ultimate fates. The character of Stella, for example, suffers a major weakness that is her sexual dependence to an abusive husband, Stanley. Her ultimate fate was to betray her own sister, deny that Stanley raped her sister, Blanche, and institutionalizing her to a sanatorium. In the end, the only gain she gets is to remain married to Stanley and keep having his children...and receiving the occasional beating. Blanche's own personal hell came as a result of bad choices in the administration of money, in her sexual escapades, in not recognizing that her husband was gay prior to marrying him, in the choice of words she used that prompted his suicide, in her choice of lying about her current situation, and in her choice of not changing as times changed around her. Ultimately, the dysfunctional people around her ended up sending her to a sanatorium after Stanley raped her and her sister Stella pretended as if nothing had happened. Stanley is literally a cruddy character who drinks, abuses women, is untidy, demanding, and chauvinistic. He holds nothing back and he openly hits his wife, verbally abuses her and prefers his gambling and drinking to anything else. His fate was not to change, and remain in the dinginess of his apartment, with a co-dependent wife, and following his usual ways. As that is how naturalism operates in literature, bringing out the crudest and most internal turmoils and their consequences in the destinies of each character.
There is a change in character for Mitch as well, during the climatic encounter between Blanche and Mitch when she starts admitting to her past and to her “many intimacies with strangers” (Williams 146), Mitch is not interested in the fact that she is finally being truthful, but instead judges her for her lies even more. There is tragic irony…in that Mitch’s response to Blanche’s initial tackling of truth encourages Blanche to make further truthful admissions that will only, in Mitch’s eyes, condemn her” (38). All hope is lost for marrying Mitch when he insults her by saying, “You’re not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother” (Williams 150), and then demands his sexual due. Mitch becomes emblematic of every other roguish man Blanche has ever encountered who has only viewed her as a source of pleasure. In essence, he becomes a Stanley Kowalski.
Regionalism refers to texts that concentrate heavily on specific, unique features of a certain region including dialect, customs, tradition, topography, history, and characters. As well as conflict within the community and even stereotypes of the characters. The Voices of Native America certainly illustrated the identity if tribal identity and with their connection to nature and the obstacles they faced. In The Middle Five there seems to be an origin of violence, it goes over the descriptions of others that influence the narrative. Also their surroundings that have guided and are in depth to their spirits, in Iktomi and the Fawn there are depictions of the wooded lands and the colors of the rainbow that made him wish to become a peacock.
The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud spent much of his life exploring the workings of the unconscious. Freud's work has influenced society in ways which we take for granted. When we speak of Freudian slips or look for hidden causes behind irrational behavior, we are using aspects of Freudian analysis. Many literary critics have also adopted Freud's various theories and methods. In order to define Freudian literary criticism, we will examine how various critics approach Freud's work.
When discussing Blanche's retreat from reality is interesting because it’s difficult to distinguish between when she has lost her grip on reality, when she’s simply imagining a better future for herself, and when she’s immersed in fiction and indulging in romantic fantasies. What start off as harmless flights of fancy soon escalate to a dangerous level. She expresses numerous times that she doesn't wish to be in reality, from her verbal quarrel with Mitch to singing in the bathtub. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley essentially picks up right where Mitch left off (from their argument and the belittlement of Blanche), executing the final blow of Blanche’s physical overpowering. His animalistic brutality is fully exemplified as he “carries her to the bed” (Williams 162). Though Williams does not explicitly describe the graphic rape, we can infer its occurrence.We have seen Stanley’s propensity for violence throughout the entire play, and his desire to exert total control over others is hardly surprising. The rape is the culmination of Blanche’s failed attempt to redefine herself in New Orleans, and is the physical corruption component of the tragic character’s downfall.
In all honesty, the last scene demonstrates some fairly unsettling truths about human beings. Blanche is shown to be tattered emotionally, depending "on the kindness of strangers" and going off to her own doom, taking long strides in the process. The poker game between the guys goes on, and while there is a bit of an outrage, no one says or does anything. Stella recognizes that committing her sister to institutionalization might have been a mistake, but she is cooed back into submission through Stanley, who is the "winner," but if he is the force of victory, humanity's redemption is in trouble. The reality brought out in the last scene reminds the viewer/ reader of the lack of totality or overall redemption within human consciousness. It is Williams' stinging coldness in the last scene that forces the belief that if "life continues," it might do so at the cost of specific individuals. There is an ending, not a good or bad one, but rather a cold one, reflecting what Williams might see as the root of all human interaction.
Works Cited
Berkman, Leonard. “The Tragic Fall of Blanche DuBois.” Modern Critical Interpretations | “Native Voices of the Gilded Age.” NATIVE VOICES, Virginia Education. | “A Streetcar Named Desire.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes. | Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Freudian Psychoanalysis.” Literary Theory and Criticism Notes, 16 Apr. 2016. |
We're here for the last time to discuss A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams along with a short story and this week it will be the Voices of Native America by a series of authors. There will be an analysis of realism, naturalism, and regionalism along with the psychoanalytical criticism.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, There has been an undeclared war going on between Blanche and Stanley ever since they first met. The war between them is over Stella, who would be called the MacGuffin in Hollywood parlance. Stanley acts like an animal and Blanche acts like a Southern belle. but they both know each other and what the issue is that is at stake. Blanche wants to turn her sister against Stanley and get her to leave him in spite of the fact that she is pregnant. Although Blanche acts sweet and gentle, she is tough and aggressive. She goes after Mitch, even though she doesn't love him, because he would make a good provider. She despises Stanley but fears him because he can see right through her. They are engaged in a dog-eat-dog battle, and she is destroyed by Stanley because he is stronger and because he has an hold on Stella which Blanche is helpless to overcome with allusions to their past gentility and storybook lifestyle. The viewer naturally cannot help feeling pity for Blanche when she is destroyed, but cannot help respecting Stanley for defending his home and family against a hostile and unscrupulous intruder. The people who built Belle Reve did not get their land and wealth from being refined and cultured; no doubt the early ancestors of Blanche and Stella were not unlike Stanley Kowalski.
In Voices of Native America, there are various stories of Native American tales that describe the massacres and lifestyle that they live. In the beginning of the narration there was the articulation of how they felt about the indigenous past. It spoke of white Americans being fascinated by the Natives and often found inspiration from them despite the discrimination and oppression. Though realism captures the authentic aspects of human life, as it tries to emphasize the reality and morality for people as well as the society. This form of writing makes the readers face reality as it happens in the world in order to make it believable rather than make-believe. All of the most recognizable elements of Realism are present within the story. In its graphic probing of events and in its objective description of the characters' psychological state, the story successfully presents a realistic sensation of the characters' experience without any of the false heroism or romantic plots that characterized other contemporary fiction. There were documents seizing tribal customs and languages that many learned as well as the many stories that the culture told. Naturalism is often viewed as a type of extreme realism as it highlights that the idea of environment determines and governs human character. Since its factors include the roles of family, social conditions, and atmosphere that shape someone. Major themes of the Naturalists are man against society; violence; the consequences of sex and sex as a commodity; the waste of individual potential because of the conditioning forces of life; and man's struggle with his basic, animalistic instincts. The use of literary techniques that point to naturalism are evident in Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire, particularly in the depiction of the characters and their emotional train-wrecks which lead to their ultimate destruction, or their ultimate fates. The character of Stella, for example, suffers a major weakness that is her sexual dependence to an abusive husband, Stanley. Her ultimate fate was to betray her own sister, deny that Stanley raped her sister, Blanche, and institutionalizing her to a sanatorium. In the end, the only gain she gets is to remain married to Stanley and keep having his children...and receiving the occasional beating. Blanche's own personal hell came as a result of bad choices in the administration of money, in her sexual escapades, in not recognizing that her husband was gay prior to marrying him, in the choice of words she used that prompted his suicide, in her choice of lying about her current situation, and in her choice of not changing as times changed around her. Ultimately, the dysfunctional people around her ended up sending her to a sanatorium after Stanley raped her and her sister Stella pretended as if nothing had happened. Stanley is literally a cruddy character who drinks, abuses women, is untidy, demanding, and chauvinistic. He holds nothing back and he openly hits his wife, verbally abuses her and prefers his gambling and drinking to anything else. His fate was not to change, and remain in the dinginess of his apartment, with a co-dependent wife, and following his usual ways. As that is how naturalism operates in literature, bringing out the crudest and most internal turmoils and their consequences in the destinies of each character.
There is a change in character for Mitch as well, during the climatic encounter between Blanche and Mitch when she starts admitting to her past and to her “many intimacies with strangers” (Williams 146), Mitch is not interested in the fact that she is finally being truthful, but instead judges her for her lies even more. There is tragic irony…in that Mitch’s response to Blanche’s initial tackling of truth encourages Blanche to make further truthful admissions that will only, in Mitch’s eyes, condemn her” (38). All hope is lost for marrying Mitch when he insults her by saying, “You’re not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother” (Williams 150), and then demands his sexual due. Mitch becomes emblematic of every other roguish man Blanche has ever encountered who has only viewed her as a source of pleasure. In essence, he becomes a Stanley Kowalski.
Regionalism refers to texts that concentrate heavily on specific, unique features of a certain region including dialect, customs, tradition, topography, history, and characters. As well as conflict within the community and even stereotypes of the characters. The Voices of Native America certainly illustrated the identity if tribal identity and with their connection to nature and the obstacles they faced. In The Middle Five there seems to be an origin of violence, it goes over the descriptions of others that influence the narrative. Also their surroundings that have guided and are in depth to their spirits, in Iktomi and the Fawn there are depictions of the wooded lands and the colors of the rainbow that made him wish to become a peacock.
When discussing Blanche's retreat from reality is interesting because it’s difficult to distinguish between when she has lost her grip on reality, when she’s simply imagining a better future for herself, and when she’s immersed in fiction and indulging in romantic fantasies. What start off as harmless flights of fancy soon escalate to a dangerous level. She expresses numerous times that she doesn't wish to be in reality, from her verbal quarrel with Mitch to singing in the bathtub. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley essentially picks up right where Mitch left off (from their argument and the belittlement of Blanche), executing the final blow of Blanche’s physical overpowering. His animalistic brutality is fully exemplified as he “carries her to the bed” (Williams 162). Though Williams does not explicitly describe the graphic rape, we can infer its occurrence.We have seen Stanley’s propensity for violence throughout the entire play, and his desire to exert total control over others is hardly surprising. The rape is the culmination of Blanche’s failed attempt to redefine herself in New Orleans, and is the physical corruption component of the tragic character’s downfall.
In all honesty, the last scene demonstrates some fairly unsettling truths about human beings. Blanche is shown to be tattered emotionally, depending "on the kindness of strangers" and going off to her own doom, taking long strides in the process. The poker game between the guys goes on, and while there is a bit of an outrage, no one says or does anything. Stella recognizes that committing her sister to institutionalization might have been a mistake, but she is cooed back into submission through Stanley, who is the "winner," but if he is the force of victory, humanity's redemption is in trouble. The reality brought out in the last scene reminds the viewer/ reader of the lack of totality or overall redemption within human consciousness. It is Williams' stinging coldness in the last scene that forces the belief that if "life continues," it might do so at the cost of specific individuals. There is an ending, not a good or bad one, but rather a cold one, reflecting what Williams might see as the root of all human interaction.
♥
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
All love, Aya
Works Cited
Berkman, Leonard. “The Tragic Fall of Blanche DuBois.” Modern Critical Interpretations | “Native Voices of the Gilded Age.” NATIVE VOICES, Virginia Education. | “A Streetcar Named Desire.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes. | Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Freudian Psychoanalysis.” Literary Theory and Criticism Notes, 16 Apr. 2016. |
I agree with your claim that the last scene has shown some disturbing truths about human beings. Despite the fact that Blanche's departure from the house is very upsetting, the card game goes on. This shows that nature of this group is to ignore suffering if it doesn't fit in with their routine. In addition, the control that Stanley has over Stella is overwhelming. Blanche told Stella what Stanley did to her, yet Stella didn't listen because it didn't fit in with her narrative that Stanley is a good person. A huge thing about human nature is that people don't want to accept things that challenge their routines. Instead, they prefer to ignore it until the disturbance goes away.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your claim. In it you mentioned the relationship between Blanche and Stanley, and also the regionalism in Voices of Native America. The regionalism in the short stories is important to portray the culture of Native Americans during the time. This is useful for the purpose of the stories. In A Streetcar Named Desire there is naturalism. The play uses animal characteristics to describe characters and also to express the idea of fate.
ReplyDelete