How Does Tennessee Williams Criticize The Old South

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Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire is a short story about a sister coming to visit her sister who moved away after their father died. Problems arise when one of the sisters start acting and commenting on the lifestyle of the other. Both sisters grew up in the Old South but one holds on to the customs of the old ways and the other adapts to the ways of the New South. Tennessee uses each character to symbolize the Old and New South, plus certain aspects of each. While Tennessee Williams seeming idolizes the Old South and criticizes the flaws in the New South, he ultimately exposes illusions and deceptions of the Old South. Williams utilizes the character Stanley to represent the bad side of New South and compared to Blanche Stanley seems unrefined and barbaric. This makes it seem like Williams favors…show more content…
Stanley’s actions throughout the story are barbaric and greedy, and seem to reflect those of William’s father who was a violent alcoholic. Williams even describes him in way that seems barbaric, “Animal joy in his being implicit in all his movements and attitudes.” Stanley’s actions are even barbaric, when he discovers that Blanche has lost the plantation Stanley is only concerned about the money he thinks he is entitled to. Stanley even resorts to violence on one occasion and Williams implies that another act happened. First occasion is at the guy’s poker night when Stanley hits Stella after she attempts to tell Stanley’s friends to go home. Stanley was drunk and might have seen this as Stella insulting his honor by telling
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