Women in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Miller

Women in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman The part of Stella and Linda are both archetypal female figures in that they follow the typical fictional role of the submissive wife and mother. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella DuBois (renamed Mrs. Stanley Kowalski) supports and forgives her husband, defending him against any criticism. Likewise, in Death of a Salesman, Linda - the only female character with any import - is a meek, timid figure around her husband. This weakness is underscored by the sentence structure and diction that each character uses when in conflict with their husband. As both Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller are men, it can be seen that their female characters tend to be what men would desire in women, without giving a too-accurate portrayal of an actual person. Stella and Linda are both symbols of the deferential wife and mother, not convincing portraits of women. Stella and Linda are both thought of only in relation to the other characters. They exist to support their husbands and defend them from other characters. Both Stella and Linda attempt to blind themselves to their husbands' flaws, and apologize to other characters for their husbands' actions. When Stanley gets drunk, smashes the radio and window, and hits Stella, Stella must apologize to Blanche for Stanley's behavior: "He's half-drunk!"; "He didn't know what he was doing... He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of himself." All that Stella can do is make excuses for his behavior, not blaming him for anything: "People have got to tolerate each others' habits, I guess." It is in this scene (4) that the audience truly sees Stella... ...laces, especially in scene 3: "All of you - please go home! If any one of you have one spark of decency in you-"; "You lay your hands on me and I'll-". This is realistic for some women who are submissive to their husbands, more so than perhaps the characters' actions, but the portrayal of the women characters as weak and wavering spouses is not realistic when it is the only female element. There are no strong female characters in either A Streetcar Named Desire of Death of a Salesman. Stella and Linda are dutiful wives, inferior to their husbands, who forgive and support them in spite of abuse. This is shown by their change in sentence structure and diction. Perhaps some males desire unconditional support and surrender from their wives, but to portray all females as weak women at the every beck and call of their husbands is unrealistic and inaccurate.