A Streetcar Named Desire - Explore How Scene 8 Could Be Interpreted from a Marxist Point of View

The tensions present in scene 8 could be interpreted from a Marxist point of view as a lot of these arise due to the difference in social class. Stella’s comment about Stanley making a ‘pig’ of himself is due to the fact that she has been brought up in a very different environment to what he has meaning she has different views on manners and etiquette. This is shown through the way in which Stanley says Blanche ‘wouldn’t like’ his stories; he understands that they have alternative views on acceptable humour. Stanley’s taste is more ‘indecent’ where as Blanche’s is more refined. This idea of social classes having very different personalities and viewpoints can also be linked to ethnicity. People of ethnic minorities such as the ‘Pollacks’ and ‘Negros’ were seen as a lower class almost undeserving of the level of respect given to others.

Stanley seems to be quite insecure about this advantage that the girls have over him; he likes to be in power and doesn’t like the idea of them being of a higher social standing and looking down on him. This is shown through his response as he tells them he is ‘the king’, although he is of a lower social standing, the fact that he is a male means that his pride won’t let his class drag him down. He is aware that they are of a higher social standing but this no longer matters because he is the ‘king’ and they are living in his house. A Marxist would see this as him rebelling against the upper class by almost reducing and degrading them to less than him. Their class isn’t able to protect them from him; it no longer has an effect on their lives.

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