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Similarities Between The World's Wife And A Streetcar Named Desire

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Compare and contrast the ways in which Duffy and Williams present relationships relationships between men and women in ‘The World’s Wife’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ The relationships that occur between men and women in ‘The World’s Wife’ and a ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ have both similarities and differences in such that some of the women presented are subjected to subservient positions and some overcome these demeaning roles whereas others continue to be shown as staying in the portrayal of the inferior women. The men, on the other hand, are mostly presented as using their sexuality to attract women, or use them. Many relationships are founded on sex and little romantic feelings are involved. Relationships in both ‘The World’s Wife …show more content…

In ‘Thetis’, Duffy shows how women in relationships often change themselves in order to please themselves or their man. Thetis changes to ‘a suitable shape’ in which she is a ‘size 8’. The word ‘suitable’ may suggest that she is changing to a shape in which suits her and is right for her. However, it possibly indicates that women change the way they look to attract men. Indeed a ‘size 8’ which is a smaller size is deemed to be more attractive and so in a relationship this might suggest the women must have a ‘suitable’ body so she can still engage the man’s attention with her body. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Williams shows Blanche as acting different for different men. Her relationship with Mitch shows her as being an innocent lady as she tells him to ‘unhand’ her but she ‘rolls her eyes’ at his expense, in secret. This shows a rather deceiving nature as it shows, possibly, that women must be shy and lady-like in order to gain the security that is needed from men like Mitch. In contrast, Blanche’s relationship with Stanley is filled with sexual frustration. Indeed, from the first instance that she meets Stanley she ‘draw{s] involuntarily from his stare’. This could suggest her fear of him and his evident domineering presence in the room. However, her nervousness might also imply that she is attracted to him and she cannot control her desire which makes her apprehensive and unsure as to how to approach him. In addition, Stanley mocks Blanche for the extensive use of his bathroom for ‘soaking in a hot tub’. this could show that she does this so often he knows exactly what to say. Williams might also be reflecting on how the bathroom is Stanley’s bathroom and thus Stanley’s sense of possession is challenged by Blanche in such that she uses his bathroom, she drinks his alcohol and she flirts with him but will never be his and so this angers Stanley to the point of complete

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