Language and Gender

Initially Blanche is compared to a Moth, in the stage directions, a very fragile, delicate beauty. Despite this beauty Moths are also considered an unwanted thing as the eat clothes and such, sort of how Blanche is not wanted in the house. Like a moth she isn’t a typical destructive force like Stanley but she usurps and invades in a more feminine way. The way Moths fly into lights could allude to the way she finds her self seduced, as a moth flying to a light or candle but in this process she is destroyed.

Blanche is often called a canary bird by Stanley, which has the same kind of delicate nature as moth but is specifically a domestic animal that only sings a cage. When Stanley advances on Blanche he calls her Tiger, but in a sarcastic manner to mock any feeling of strength in her and reassert his dominance as a man.

Stanley is also compared to an animal in his description. He is called a richly feathered Bird among hens. Which would make sense, as he is the dominant male in the Play, however “richly feathered” sounds a bit glamorous and ornate. Which seems like more of a description of Blanche and not at all like a description of Stanley. Whilst Stanley is very masculine he tends to get very annoyed when Blanche points out his lack of class or calls him a Pollack, he deflects this with violence or outbursts declaring his pride, he might be masking his more feminine insecurity with masculinity.

In the scene where Blanche first meets Stanley, Stanley asks to make himself Comfortable, when Blanche complains about not looking Fresh. The connotations of comfortable is something that pleases the individual it has nothing to do with appearance, it’s functional rather than aesthetic. Fresh has different connotations while it can please the individual to feel fresh; it has to do more with appearance. Fresh is often used to describe food or flowers, “those tomatoes were freshly picked” or “fresh cut flowers.” When those type of things are fresh they serve their function, (to be eaten or admired) but aesthetics to are equally as important as function in this case. When Fruit is start in to lose its beauty and become bruised it won’t serve its function, it will be tossed out. It becomes understandable why Blanche seems so is so obsessed by beauty and aging it determines her use and purpose as a female.