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The purpose of the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, was to express the struggle of accepting the tragedies of reality and identifying the apparent power balance. Blanche DuBois’ whole life proves to be a lie but her inability to accept reality forces her to live through her dreamlike fantasies. In turn, Stanley Kowalski appears to be the opposite of his sister-in-law which arises the conflict of their many interactions. The overarching theme of acknowledging the real world and recognizing power shifts is present in both play and film. There seems to only be one significant difference between the play and the film that alters the course of the content. An ending in which Stella continues to stay with Stanley and one where she leaves.

Tennessee Williams, an American playwright, constructed the piece in 1947. The play follows the story of Blanche Dubois leaving Mississippi to move in with her sister Stella, and her husband, Stanley. The purpose of the play not only highlights the lack of recognizing reality but also exposes the power dynamic between a man and woman. The play focuses on where powers lie in the household and typically most authority is structured around men. However, when Blanche arrives, the control shifts and readers are able to discover the tension of power in the Kowalski residence. The purpose of the play unveils the pretense of Stanley holding all the power but Blanche’s arrival clearly makes him uneasy. With Blanche around and able to communicate with her sister about the suspicions she has about Stanley, his dominating ways seem to have less and less of an effect, “Stella! [There is a pause] My baby doll’s left me! Stellahhhhh! I want my baby down here. Stella, Stella!” (Williams 59). The uneasiness that the two women feel in the play is represented, Stanley recognizes he doesn’t have the upperhand anymore whenever Blanche is around. Stanley resides in a society where men are depicted as heads of households, and women are seen to have little to no authority. Blanche’s arrival and her provocative tendencies worry Stanley to the point where he notices that he’s losing power in his relationship with his wife and social status.

The scene of Blanche’s rape is more apparent in the film and not as ambiguous as it was in the play. Marlon Brando, an arguably attractive male, was cast to play Stanley in the film version. His charm and gruffness have viewers viewing the climax as nothing more than him being who Stanley encompasses, a domineering male present in a not-so-progressive society. In the clip, Stanley comes onto a trembling Blanche, “... We've had this date with each other from the beginning! [She moans. The bottle top falls. She sinks to her knees. He picks up her inert figure and carries her to the bed. The hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly.]” (Williams 141). Stanley using his height and masculinity to overcome Blanche’s weak mental state shift the power dynamic again, giving Stanley all the control. His blatant rape reveals the levels he is willing to stoop to regain any type of control he had lost over the past couple of scenes.

In the written play, it is noted that both women fail to stand up to the imperious male figure. The ending of the play is somewhat simple. There was no change, Blanche had to leave and Stella decided to stay with her abusive partner. Although highlights the theme of understanding harsh reality and pointing out gender roles, the play never truly receives its denouement. Arguable to claim the unknotting of the plot is Blanche’s rape/ departure, but it is hard to believe that The play suggests that men will have the upper hand in most situations but with Blanche’s stay, readers identify that her booming confidence and flirtatious exterior allow her to gain authority in certain situations.

The film version of A Streetcar Named Desire incorporates Stella’s departure from her toxic relationship allows for not only Stella, but Blanche, to walk away with control. Changing the ending of the play turns the power in a whole new direction. Stella leaving Stanley shifts the dynamic and who has the power at the end of the film. From Stanley regaining power from the rape to his wife holding all the authority in the end almost seems revolutionary, “No, I’m not. I’m not going back in there again. Not this time. Never going back. Never.” (End scene in the film). When Stella leaves her abusive husband with their child, it allows readers to recognize that she has overcome the need to continue being with Stanley. His voice echoes in the back as he continues to cry out for her, hoping she would come back like the many times before. However, this ending isn’t realistic which is why the play version seems to be the “true” ending. Knowing he had taken advantage of Blanche makes Stella leaving him all the more powerful, regardless if she had known what had happened.

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