Harshness and Cruelty in Streetcar Named Desire

One of the main themes expressed by Tennessee Williams in his play, A Streetcar
Named Desire, is to condemn those who display cruelty and harshness in their
treatment of others, especially those who are weak and vulnerable. Three
characters who demonstrate these insensitive qualities are Blanche, Mitch, and
Stanley. Whether the cruelty is deliberate or not, it results in the
destruction of others, both physically and mentally.

Blanche Dubois, the central victim of mistreatment in the play, was herself,
dealing out her share of insensitivities during her younger days. When Blanche
was 16, she had a very handsome lover named Allan Gray. She was very much in
love with him and decided to marry him. But by total surprise one night,
Blanche found her lover in bed with another man. She tried to pretend that
nothing had happened. However, she was unable to hold what she saw inside, and
told Allan "I saw, I know, you disgust me…"( p.96). To Allan, Blanche seemed to
be a...