Vlasopolos, Anca. “Victimization in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.” Theatre Journal, 38.3 (Oct.    1986):    322-338. Johns Hopkins Press. University of Pennsylvania Library, Philadelphia. 7 April 2008. <http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/6965/2>.

This article is a fascinating look at Williams’ play from a feminist perspective. Anca Vlasopolos, an English professor, traces Blanche’s character throughout the novel and reveals the multiple facets of its inherently sexist nature. Though Blanche may be perceived as the heroine of Williams’ story, Vlasopolos argues that Blanche represents the female as the cliched “perfect victim,” and it is this fact that makes Williams’ work a “problem,” or regressive, piece of writing. To readers, Blanche appears to be the epitome of a “Southern belle”—her language is prim and flowery, her outfits are glamorous, her face is full of makeup, her education is extensive—yet she is also the prey of an undeniable patriarchy that persists in an era of “progress.” Vlasopolos claims that the allusions of Williams’ writing, which are also evident in Kazan’s direction of the Streetcar film, reveal this discrimination.
She believes that Blanche is disadvantaged in every way: though beautiful, she is, more importantly, homeless, unwanted, alone, physically weak, and incapable of upholding her responsibilities. Even when she seeks to control the littler things, such as lighting, decor, and costume, she fails. Blanche only appears to be an authority figure when arguing over the ownership of her family estate, Belle Reve, yet even in this sense she proves incompetent, as she is the one who mismanaged the land. Thus, while Blance’s descent into mental illness may be viewed as a happy ending, as this break from reality ultimately frees her from the chains of the Kowalski household, Vlasopolos believes that she is merely a caricature of a gender-determined exclusion from society. Aside from obvious chauvinism, Vlasopolos manages to reveal sexist subtleties such as Stanley and Blanche’s uncanny similarities and the representation of Blanche as an allegory for characters such as the Grim Reaper, the goddess Daphne, and other legends. In this way, Vlasopolos’ analysis of Streetcar reaches depths that no reader can discern the first time they read Williams’ play. The beauty of Williams’ work lies in the layers of his prose, and it is these intricacies that Kazan emulates in his 1951 film. Her criticisms may be controversial, but it is these critiques that made Streetcar one of the most contentious works of the mid-twentieth century.