For this blog, I am going to characterize the victimization of both Mitch and Stella. They are both highly passive characters. With Mitch, we see how he is terribly victimized by Blanche. He courts her like a lady for months and basically receives nothing for it. Mitch does not even end up marrying her because he finds out she has been concealing a past of debauchery. He is taken advantage of by Blanche and feels as though he had been cheated out of a relationship. Part of his vulnerability in the situation stems from the fact that Mitch is desperate. He had been pressured into finding someone to marry by his mother. In a sense, he is a momma's boy. If he was not so desperate for a wife, he probably would not have been taken advantage of, but he was easily victimized by Blanche because he was desperate.
In a similar passive sense, Stella is victimized by Stanley. She is not necessarily desperate though, just blinded by her strong love for him. Despite his beatings and constant abuse, she still loves him. At the end of the play, she even chooses to believe him over Blanche with regards to the rape incident. Through our point of view, she is highly victimized by Stanley although she might not recognize it. In this way she contrasts Mitch's victimization because he actually recognizes it and takes action against his fate of marrying her. Stella seems content with her abuse.
The two characters both end up unhappy at the end of the play, but as time goes on they will probably get better. However, their victimization will probably stick with them for their entire life because of the abuse which they endured.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It is definitely true that Mitch is victimized by Blanche and her lies in their relationship and Stella is physically abused and victimized by her husband Stanley. I would not say however that Stella is content with her abuse. It is more of she being unable to escape that abuse because of social norms and restrictions tying her to her marriage. As a woman, probably dependent on Mitch's income, she cannot become independent and apart from him. Plus, she has his baby and loves him in the end. She is not content, but has to deal with it for what is best for her and her baby.
ReplyDeleteTheir victimization will definitely stay with them their entire life. If they ever escape the victimization, it will follow them, just as Blanche's past hurts her in the present and leads her to insanity.