Streetcar Named Desire One of the true classic of our times, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” by Tennessee Williams, tells the story of a fading Southern belle, Blanche DuBois and her struggles during the South’s post-war changes and throughout the play. Williams uses Blanche as a way to critique Southern “progress” by using her as a symbol for a dark, fundamental existence. The other character is Stanley Kowalski, who is portrayed as someone who lives in the present, tells the truth, and someone who is very rude and crude as a person. Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski have contrasting characteristics and personalities as person and symbolically. When Blanche first met Stanley they immediately developed a strong conflict and resentment towards each other. Blanche is viewed as someone who lies, lives in the past, and someone who is to be very promiscuous, contrary to how Stanley is depicted. These are some of the underlying characteristics that primarily define Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski as how they are portrayed and presented throughout the play. Firstly, the southern belle, Blanche Dubois is typified as someone who prefers to lie to arouse her own pleasure or sensation for existence, which makes her someone who has questionable characteristics as a person. Blanche begins this first when she says, “The Hotel Flamingo is not the sort of establishment I would dare to be seen in.” This statement she has made is a myth as she was seen to have relationship with many men and was kicked out of that hotel because of it. Another lie would be telling Mitch that she was Stella’s younger sister instead of older sister as Blanche wanted to feel wanted by Mitch. Stanley on the other hand is someone who prefers to tell the truth and reality of others. An example would be telling Blanche, “Some people rarely touch it, but it touches them.” This is a reference to Blanche lying about her obsessions with alcohol as she is very engrossed with it but she lies about suggesting she only takes one drink. Another instance would be Stanley telling Stella Blanche calling him “common” when she is dirty, low, and cheap as well. An additional view of Blanche is someone who lives in the past and believes it to be a present as in her mind and the fantasy she lives in is the only thing that exists in the present. Blanche suggested this when she said, “I received a telegram from an old admirer of mine,” when in fact she had no admirer and was trying to cling to a past that was never there. Another instance was suggesting that she never tells the truth and is very defiant of the truth and resents it, preferring to live in the fantasy world. Stanley instead, is someone who lives in the present and is someone who lives in the world of realism and not the past. He shows this when she tells Blanche, “Nobody’s going to get up, so don’t be worried,” from the poker table as Blanche thought the men would get up to respect the women. Another instance would be Stanley telling Blanche, that Stella was going to have a baby and Blanche had a baffled look and that’s why he was interested in “Belle Reve” and the luxuries it had. Lastly Blanche is viewed as someone who is very promiscuous and wanting love. Blanche shows signs of these when she calls a boy bringing a telegram, “Young, Young, man! Has anyone ever told you that you look like a young Prince out of the Arabian Nights?” After she says that she kissed the boy at the lip showing how she is promiscuous and wants attention. Another time would be telling Mitch to marry her and trying to woo him in to marrying her. Stanley on the other hand is very crude and rude towards people. An