Malfi/Streetcar essay plans Flashcards
Tragic protagonists - assassination of character topic sentence
Both Blanche and the Duchess experience an assassination of character as their reputations, along with the opinions of others, contribute to their downfall.
Destruction of female protagonists point
Both Williams and Webster present the destruction of their female protagonists. For Blanche, this is the deterioration of the facade that she can no longer maintain as her sanity spirals and crumbles. For the Duchess, it is the loss of her power and will to live.
Destruction of female protagonists HOWEVER point
However, the Duchess is presented as the stronger female character in that she is permitted by Webster to have a more dignified death, whereas Williams unveils the broken, vulnerable and helpless Blanche that has long existed beneath the facade,
Sibling relationships - imbalance of power Streetcar point
Perhaps overcompensating for her inability to grasp control over any other aspects of her life, Blanche is domineering and controlling towards Stella.
Sibling relationships - imbalance of power Malfi point
Although the Duchess has superior social status and should theoretically wield more power, she is subjected to an oppressive relationship with her brothers, who seek to subdue her and prevent her from marrying in order to retain their own power.
Eventually the relationships deteriorate and the playwrights show siblings that betray and inflict harm upon one another - Streetcar point
Blanche’s increasing mental instability and dependence forces Stella to adopt a role in which she takes more responsibility for her sister’s wellbeing. However, Stella ultimately chooses to care for her husband instead, abandoning Blanche to a mental institution.
Eventually the relationships deteriorate and the playwrights show siblings that betray and inflict harm upon one another - Malfi point
The betrayal that the Duchess suffers at the hands of her brothers, particularly Ferdinand, seems more personal, vindictive and brutal.
