After two world wars, the balance of power between the sexes in America had completely changed. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is a harsh but powerful play that exposes the reality of the struggle between the sexes. Williams illustrates society's changing attitudes toward masculinity and femininity through his eloquent use of dramatic devices such as characterization, dialogue, setting, symbolism, and foreshadowing. Stanley, the protagonist, is a symbol of society's view of the stereotypical male. He is muscular, energetic and dominant. Stanley's dominance becomes so overwhelming that he demands absolute control. This view of the male as a large animal is revealed in the opening of the play where Stanley is described as “bestial.” His power and control throughout the play is foreshadowed in the instructions to the opening scene. [… She shouts in protest… Her husband and his companion have already started back around the corner.] Stanley does not take note of his wife's concern, but continues on his way. his original journey, asserting his own destiny, without any thought of the effect he may have on those around him. This blood test at all costs for those around him is announced in the first scene, with the packet of food that he imposes on his wife. It is through such actions that Stanley asserts his power, a symbol of male domination in patriarchal society. He also wins middle of paper......by playing, Tennessee Williams poses a question to society, whether or not these portrayals are accurate. Works cited and consultedBloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. London, Felicia Hardison. “A tram that has been running for fifty years”. The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams. Ed. Matthieu C. Roudane. New York: Cambridge UP, 1997. 45-66. Nelson, Benjamin. Tennessee Williams: The man and his work. New York: Ivan Obolensky, 1961. Williams, Tennessee. "Tennessee Williams interviews herself." Where I Live: Selected Essays by Tennessee Williams. Ed. Christine Day and Bob Woods. New York: new directions, 1978. 88-92.