“A Streetcar Named Desire” and Other Hollywood
Films: The Effect of Negative Sexual Acts and
Values on Society
Explication of source: (Practice Three Explications)
After Blanche Dubois finds board with the Kowalskis,
she is shocked by Stanley Kowalski’s brush treatment
of her sister. She receives such treatment herself when
the phone rings and she stands up to pick it only to be
violently shoved back down to her seat by Stanley. His
violence towards his wife and her sister thus
exemplifies and ascertains his sexist and chauvinistic
nature.
In another scene, Blanche Dubois, in an attempt to get
to know Stanley Kowalski, whose bullish behavior
interests her enough to want to know his zodiac birth
sign, asks him when he was born. Blanche hazards a
guess that he must be an Aries, because people born
under Aries are “forceful… [and] they dote on noise”
(A Streetcar Named Desire).
At this point Stella answers that her husband was born
on Christmas day, to which Blanche exclaims:
“Capricorn – The Goat!” (A Streetcar Named Desire).
Blanche’s likening of Stanley to a goat is figurative as
well as literal. Like a Billy goat, Stanley is brutish and
his sexual desires are akin to those of a he-goat that
will stop at nothing to have these fulfilled.
Lastly, the final confrontation between Blanche and
Stanley ends up with the rape of Blanche. In this scene,
Stanley’s act encompasses his denigration of women.
By the rape of his wife’s sister, he not only shows
disrespect towards Blanche, but his wife and their
marriage. Stanley’s proclivity for violence leads him
towards rape- the ultimate sexual violence.
Introduction
The relationship between art (film) and society is
symbiotic. The two entities feed off each other in a
dependent state of co-existence, in that, the
occurrences in society form the basis of the plots and
ideas of various films, while films offer entertainment,
inspiration, and sometimes guidance to the viewer. As
much as film producers and directors have the freedom
to create fantasy and fictional stories that go beyond
the element of reality, the most poignant human
occurrences, horrors, actions, sacrifices, and journeys
ever undertaken in the history of man are factual, not
fictional.
The greatest wars ever fought, the best love actions
ever undertaken, the most horrific acts of brutality ever
exercised, and the timeliest acts of providence are all
factual and incidental to the existence of man. The
depths of desperation of soldiers and civilians during
the two World Wars, the acts of brutality during the
Holocaust, and the inspiring words and actions of
diverse leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior,
Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, and Abraham
Lincoln are all actual events that have been
immortalized in art – literature and film.
Therefore, art (film) draws inspiration from the
activities in society. Conversely, the stories and life-
events depicted in films offer entertainment and
inspiration to the viewer. Various characters in films
provide viewers with a human point of reference,
where the viewer draws parallels from the actions and
fate of the character and decides upon a different path
of life or makes adjustments aimed at avoiding a
similar fate that befalls a given film character.
Therefore, film and the society mirror each other.
Unfortunately, such an intertwined relationship
between art and society can have negative effects.
When the behaviors, actions, or values portrayed in a
film are negative, the repercussions for society can be
dangerous, retrogressive or simply non-value adding.
Sex, sexuality, and sexual violence are one of the most
enduring themes in Hollywood -produced movies. As
discussed in the foregoing paragraph, films have the
inherent ability of perpetuating their themes onto
society.
The prevalence of a lax attitude towards sex among
American adolescents, increased sexual violence cases
and a general denigration of women in the American
society can be traced back to Hollywood films’
‘acceptance’ of such sexual attitudes and actions. With
“A Street Car Named Desire” as the primary reference,
how do the sexual innuendoes, sexual violence, and a
general depiction of women as mere sexual beings
(“sex objects”) in American produced films, contribute
to the subtle acceptance of such actions and attitudes in
the wider American society.
A Street Car Named Desire directed by Elia Kazan
Directed by Elia Kazan, A Streetcar Named Desire is a
romantic drama that depicts the romantic and sexual
attitude and relationships of various characters,
particular the lead characters Blanche Dubois and
Stanley Kowalski. Dubois is seemingly a well-refined
beautiful Southern woman who goes to stay with her
sister Stella and Stanley, the husband in New Orleans.
She states that her reason for moving to her sister’s
house is that her own farm/plantation had been lost due
to the “sexual sins” of her ancestors. Dubois is shocked
by the relatively free expression of sexual intimacy and
romance both in the Kowalski home and the city of
New Orleans. She pretends to harbor no such attitudes
towards love and sex; however, she seems perturbed by
her sister’s almost masochistic sexual relationship with
her husband.
Stanley Kowalski is the prototypical macho man, and
he physically and emotionally abuses his wife.
However, Stella remains sexually attracted to him and
tolerates his chauvinistic and sexist acts and attitude.
Stella finds such ‘macho’ attitudes in men ‘attractive’.
Dubois’ beauty causes tensions with Stanley, who is
used to having his way with women.
An element of sexual attraction exists between Stanley
and Dubois. Dubois drowns her frustrations with life
and her pretentions of sexual indifference in alcohol.
When Stanley discovers that, despite all her
pretentions, Dubois was sacked from her teaching job
back in Mississippi for having an affair with a 17-year
old student, he confronts her (Kazan).
The confrontation ends with Stanley raping Dubois,
who later suffers a nervous breakdown. Stanley then
commits Dubois to a mental institution in an attempt to
conceal his crime. His crime, however, becomes
known, and the film ends with his wife vowing to leave
him.
Sex in A Streetcar Named Desire
Sexual activities are portrayed in an easy fashion in the
film. Stanley Kowalski and his wife engage in intimacy
acts right in front of their visitor (Blanche Dubois),
who is shocked by this attitude that her sister and her
husband have towards sexual intimacy. Stanley
Kowalski’s heavily sexist attitude towards his wife and
her sister overrides all engagements he has with the
two women.
Blanche Dubois’ visit to the Kowalski home upsets
many of the previous balances in he Kowalski home,
but most importantly, the sexual attention that Stanley
reserved for his wife now had to be inadvertently
shared with her beautiful sister.
All the principal characters in the film are portrayed as
having an element of sexual “naughtiness” in them.
The act and image of sex permeates the engagement of
the leading characters even when they are pursuing
matters unrelated to sex. The Kowalskis seem to enjoy
an almost animalistic sexual relationship, and where
Stanley dominates and Stella is a passive recipient of
his testosterone charged sexual advances.
Blanche, on the other hand, despite her pretensions of
sexual purity and loathing of sexual activities, engaged
in an affair with a 17-year old student. There exists
sexual attraction between Stanley and Blanche despite
the fact that they are both headstrong and are
antagonistic towards each other.
The urban setting of the City of New Orleans, further
contributes towards the promotion of a lax attitude
towards sex and sexual activities. Blanche Dubois
arrives in the city in a streetcar aptly named “Desire” –
the name of the route that the Streetcar follows to the
Kowalski home. Therefore, desire – sexual desire –
dominates the film at different levels of thematic
delivery.
The residents of the City of New Orleans (seen through
the activities of the neighbors to the Kowalskis and
Stanley’s workmates) are similarly portrayed having
liberal sexual attitudes. Contrasted with the ‘backward’
and conservative State of Mississippi from where
Blanche arrives, the City of New Orleans serves as a
cultural front for liberal sexual attitudes.
Gender Based Violence, Sexual Violence in A
Streetcar Named Desire
Stanley Kowalski’s relationships with the women
around him, including his wife Stella, are based on
masculine attitudes accompanied by violence. The
violence, which Stanley perpetuates on the women,
varies in intensity. It involves the subtle violence
expressed in the sexual relationship he has with his
wife, to the outright physical violence exhibited
through his physical shoving of women (for instance
Blanche) when they act in a manner that he objects.
Stanley represents the sexist theme in the film that
portrays the man as physically stronger (and thus
superior) to the woman. Both Stella and Blanche are at
the receiving end of physical aggression perpetuated by
Stanley who feels superior to the women around him.
The gender-based violence in the films is also
emotional. Stanley demeans and degrades his wife on
various occasions through speaking words specifically
aimed at belittling her stature as a wife and woman. He
calls her a hen when he feels her guest-hosting abilities
are a little low: “Hey you two hens cut out that
cackling’ in there!”(A Streetcar named Desire) in an
effort to harm her self-esteem as a woman.
He believes that, Blanche is a prostitute because she
owns expensive clothing and jewels, which he believes
a teacher’s pay would not enable her to afford.
Stanley’s condescending attitudes towards his wife and
her sister stems from his belief that, as the man and
head of the house, he is intellectually, physically, and
economically better off than they are.
Rape in A Streetcar Named Desire
The condescending attitude that drives Stanley’s
aggression especially towards women makes him view
them as an inferior sex. As such, he expects to have his
way with women at all costs. In his masculine and
sexist world, women are supposed to acquiesce to the
demands of the men that make them. Stanley
constantly hints to Blanche that he is sexually attracted
to her.
Although Blanche also fraternizes, she is acutely aware
that, it would be the ultimate show disrespect towards
her sister if she gave in to her bodily desires. Blanche
thus exercises restraint. However, Stanley does not
portray such a level of caution in seeking to fulfill his
sexual desires. He pursues Blanche, and finally
confronts her with the truth of the sex scandal that
forced her out of her teaching job.
In a way, Stanley uses the incident of Blanche’s
relationship with her student to justify his sexual
aggression towards her. Stanley then rapes Blanche,
showing his ultimate contempt, disrespect, and
condescension not only towards Blanche whom he
rapes, but towards Stella his wife too.
The Effect of Sexual Violence Scenes and Rape
Scenes in Films on Perceptions of Such Acts in the
Minds of Viewers
As stated earlier, the themes expressed in films have an
almost direct influence on the lives of the viewers.
According to the survey I did, 70% of 38 people agree
with the statement that, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
promotes a lax sexual attitude amongst its viewers, and
condones sexism and sexual violence against women.
The large majority of the viewers surveyed thus concur
with the stated link between the connection of film and
society.
They feel that the themes expressed in the film “A
Streetcar Named Desire”, to a certain extent, promote
sexism, and condone sexual violence within society.
Worth noting is the fact that, a majority of the viewers
surveyed (80%) stated that they do have film actors as
role models and whose beliefs and actions (even on
film) sometimes influence them.
The survey, thus, effectively establishes the link
between film and society. As a theoretical analysis in
this paper will show, exposure to films that promote
certain themes inclines viewers towards adopting the
behaviors and beliefs expressed in the film.
Several elements come into focus insofar as the
portrayal of sexual violence in films as is the case in A
Streetcar Named Desire. The power (“star power”) and
influence of the lead characters and the roles of the
play have an impact on the perceptions the audience.
Famous film stars who play certain roles have a much
bigger influence on their viewing fan base.
Second, scenes from movies, especially, sexual
violence scenes shape individual perceptions and
values. Thirdly, the depiction of sexual violence and
rape perpetuates such trends in the American society.
The Role and Influence of Film Stars
Films stars, in and of themselves, have a massive fan
base, and dedicated followers. Film stars who play
heroic roles such as superman, reviled yet admirable
roles such as Dracula, and powerful roles such as
presidents tend to have their influence go beyond the
scope of the given films. The film stars in such roles
acquire a status as powerful as their roles in the film,
and soon become the role models of a substantial
number of impressionable teens and youths.
Such a trend means that, directors of films sometimes
select films stars for specified film roles due to their
already established ability to increase audience
numbers once the film is produced. In the film, A
Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando as Stanley
Kowalski plays one of the lead character roles, and
Vivien Leigh plays the other leading character role as
Blanche Dubois.
Both actors, even as far back as1951 when the film was
produced, were crowd pullers in their own right.
Vivien Leigh, particularly, after having played the
timeless lead role in the epic film, Gone with the Wind,
had a solid fan base of male and female admirers.
The influence of film stars stems from their ability to
project the prevalent contemporary values and norms.
According to Fischoff et al, audiences admire
characters for projecting values such as strength,
power, or intelligence (402). It follows that most film
stars are usually admired for having played roles that
portray characteristics such as these.
Similarly, the attributes, which are projected in most
cultures, are the same ones transferred to films and
espoused by film stars. The fact that the most eminent
film stars of the past century played roles in the film, A
Streetcar Named Desire, which depicted sexual
violence, is thus bound to have an impact on the
American society.
The mere fact that, the film stars, Marlon Brando and
Vivien Leigh, had roles in this film makes the ability of
the film to project its negative values of sexual
permissiveness, sexual violence, and rape to go higher.
Sexual Violence Scenes and their Effect on Shaping
Individual Perceptions and Values
The kinds of values that an individual is constantly
exposed to are likely to be the values that the
individual will perpetuate. The ability of film to
influence the society through the values expressed in
the film has been discussed in the introduction.
The values that are expressed in many films produced
in Hollywood thus do not only reflect American
values, but also influence American values. To the
extent, the popularity of films and their ability to
express and export American popular culture to the
world makes films a vital tool in the shaping of
perceptions and values of Americans.
Therefore, the values that are expressed in Hollywood
films are likely the values that will be adopted by the
general American audiences. Films have been a
monumental part of the American popular culture, and
the values expressed therein are a vital indicator of the
values and perceptions of a large number of American
citizens. The symbiotic relationship alluded to earlier
between art (films) and society aptly describes the
imprint of values that Hollywood films have on
American society.
Bufkin and Escholz analyzed fifty of the most popular
movies in the United States in the year 1996. With
special focus on sexual violence and rape scenes in
these films, Bufkin and Escholz were able to discern
that sexual violence and rape scenes were common in
these films (1318). The fact that, most of the fifty most
popular films within a specified year in the American
film industry contained sexual violence scenes indicate
that, such values (negative values of sexual violence)
were easily imparted into the minds of the Americans.
The continuous exposure to films containing such
scenes inoculates the viewer from perceiving such
scenes with the revulsion they deserve, and slowly the
viewers begin to see such scenes as an expression of
common acts within American homes. Noteworthy is
the fact that the film A Streetcar Named Desire is
ranked as one of the 100 best films of all time in
American film making history.
The values that the film perpetuates are similar to the
negative values that are present in the study by Bufkin
and Escholz – sexual violence. The correlation
between the values expressed in popular films, and
their acceptance within the wider American society,
thus, indicates that, such films have a powerful
influence in shaping the values of the Americans.
Scenes Depicting Sexual Violence and their Effect of
Extending Such Violence onto Society
The role of art in the form of film in influencing and
inspiring society is understood. Many films are the
repository of influence and inspiration in many homes.
Ultimately, the scenes, as opposed to the characters, in
this instance act as the source of influence. According
to Apanovitch et al, sexual violence scenes from
movies shape individual perceptions and values (147).
Whenever viewers sit down to watch a film, they
submit all their senses and perceptions towards the
film. When an audience watches a comedy film, the
laughter elicited brings out happy feelings in the
members of the audience. Conversely, when an
audience watches an emotive or sad film, similar
feelings of sadness engulf members of the audience
well beyond the duration of the film.
When members of the public watch a film, which
depicts sexual violence, they are thus likely to have
their perceptions on the same influenced. In the film, A
Streetcar Named Desire, largely, the violent and
sexually suggestive nature that Stanley Kowalski
engages with Blanche Dubois is tolerated, and viewed
as typical of masculine men. Both Stanley and Blanche
engage in flirtatious exchanges of glances that express
the sexual desire of both characters towards each other.
In the end when Stanley rapes Dubois, the viewer is
almost left feeling helpless on whom to get angry at
between Stanley and Dubois. Indeed, although Dubois
is the unfortunate victim of rape, her previous flirtation
with a man whom she knew exceedingly well to be
violent both physically and emotionally was less than
an act of sobriety.
To a certain degree, the viewer sympathizes with her
and then scolds her naivety; an oscillation of feelings
elicited by her rape at the hands of Stanley. Such
feelings amongst viewers, coupled with the inability of
some viewers to distinguish fiction from fact, leads to
an increase in sexual violence cases in the society.
Apanovitch et al, in their study of the influence of
sexual violence scenes in the movie on society,
concluded that such scenes have a tendency to
extrapolate themselves onto society.
The study examined the influence of sexual violence
and gang rape scenes on male and female members of
society, and found that, the sexes react differently
(Apanovitch et al.148). While women viewed such
scenes with fear, trepidation, and even revulsion, the
sympathies of the men were only temporary, with a
majority slowly developing an acceptance of such
sexual violence acts.
Exposure to Sexual Violence Scenes and rape:
Children, Teens, and Youth as Vulnerable Groups
Despite the best efforts of concerned federal film
censorship boards, X-rated films are still within the
grasp and viewership of children and teens in
American homes. Although standard movie theatres do
not allow children and teens to view X-rated movies,
these young minds are still exposed to such movies at
home.
When an elder person in the home rents such movies,
once they are finished viewing the children and teens
in the house can easily access the movie. These X-
rated movies, such as A Streetcar Named Desire can
have a particularly negative influence on the lives of
unguided children and teens. Many impressionable
youths also fall in this category despite being of a more
advanced age.
Children and teens are constantly learning about sexual
matters from the mass media. Television and film also
come in handy for eager and curious teens desirous of
learning more about their sexual nature. Because films
are a popular form of entertainment, they are
particularly significant as a source of values and
perceptions concerning sexual issues. According to
Brown, movies are one of the most significant
initiators of sexual desire (45).
The tendency of viewers to learn not only the values
and perceptions of characters and film scenes, but also
to imitate these values and actions therein makes films
a powerful learning tool. Jowett, Jarvie, and Fuller also
aver that films have an impact on the educational
trends of children (27). Continuous exposure – whether
legally or not – to X-rated films has the effect of
shaping the perceptions of these young minds for an
unusually long tome to come.
Various elements come into play on the matter of teens
and youth, and their tendency to imitate the actions of
characters in the film. Firstly, to these young minds
most of the film stars are their heroes and role models.
The young thus easily imitate the behavior of their role
models and many times aspire to the standards they set
in the films.
The film A Streetcar Named Desire has one of the
most famous and best-loved film stars in Marlon
Brando, who plays the character of Stanley Kowalski.
The fact that, Marlon Brando, in this film, denigrates
women and is sexually violent towards them, easily
leads his dedicated teen fan base towards imitating his
actions and acquiring his perceptions towards women.
A Streetcar Named Desire glorifies the archetypical
‘macho’ and masculine male and his sexist attitudes in
the character of Stanley Kowalski. The teens viewing
such a film, out of admiration and desire to imitate
their role model, can easily acquire such habits and
attitudes to dangerous consequences for the
contemporary and future American societies.
Secondly, the simple fact that children, teens, and
youth are young, inclines them towards blindly
imitating values and activities that they view in films.
Their minds are tabula rasa that will easily take up the
values and perceptions that they come across, and
being none the wiser, lead them towards imitating the
actions of a sexual nature that they view in films.
Because a film, such as A Streetcar Named Desire,
glorifies male physical and emotional abuse of women,
its impact on viewing teens can be particularly
disastrous. The teens may believe and perceive such
behavior as not only normal, but also favorable.
Thirdly, because many children and teens watch these
movies without adult supervision, they are not able to
have the benefit of an adult’s advice concerning the
sexual issues exposed in the film.
They thus proceed from the viewing of sofas and seats,
with perceptions of the sexual matters, in the films that
are heavily biased, and based on the fictional and
unrealistic actions of film actors that have no place in
the real human society. Such perceptions and
imitations of the actions of film actors and sexual
scenes in films have a negative influence on the sexual
activities of adolescents and youth.
Adolescent Sexual behavior in Relation To
Exposure to X-rated Movies
As the age group that is most curious about sexuality
and sexual matters, X-rated films provide a vital source
of quenching this curiosity for adolescents. As stated in
the foregoing paragraphs, adolescents are particularly
susceptible to imitation of the action and activities seen
in films. They thus easily copy the sexual values, acts,
and beliefs espoused in X-rated films such as A
Streetcar Named Desire.
Adolescents’ relative inability to distinguish fiction
from reality is especially worrisome when it comes to
imitation of sexual acts viewed in films. According to
Wingood et al, there is a direct relationship between
adolescent viewing of X-rated films and subsequent
risky sexual engagements by these adolescents. Teens
and youth who are continuously and constantly
exposed to X-rated movies are more likely to engage in
unsafe sex, sexual acts with multiple partners, and are
conventionally unconcerned about matters such as
virginity and sexual chastity (1116).
Having established a direct relationship between
adolescent exposure to X-rated movies and imitation of
the sexual acts in such films, which result in risky
sexual behaviors, the concerned authorities; parents,
censorship boards, and even teachers should attempt to
minimize and eliminate exposure to such films.
Censorship of X-Rated Films as a Possible Solution
It is indeed a contradiction in terms to speak of the
censorship of X-rated films. By their sheer nature and
identification, “X-rated” films have been inherently
censored so that viewer discretion is advised. Persons
under the age of 18 are not supposed to watch such
films.
However, the truth is that American popular culture
has idolized the Hollywood film industry to the extent
where these film ratings are applied in the minimum of
instances, both in theatres and American homes
(Brown 17).
However, to insist on circumspection from adults who
in viewing such films expose not only themselves, but
also the young minds around them to negative sexual
values, is not to insist too much. Therefore, censorship,
as viewed in this section, is censorship of not only the
X-rated films within our homes, but blocking
(censoring) the young minds around the home from
exposure to such films.
At a higher level, the federal and state censorship
boards should have a mechanism of regulating the
number of X-rated films that are approved for public
viewing. This is because as discussed earlier, whether
the viewing public is a mature audience or not, the
proliferation of X-rated films that depict sexual acts of
violence and rape has the effect of extending the same
on American society.
The sticking issue is not so much the maturity of the
audience viewing the films sometimes, but the fact that
the continuous exposure to such films vicariously
extends the negative sexual depictions to the minds and
ultimate actions of the members of American society.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the making of films is a veritable ideology-
spreading act. Films are made to spread a certain
message, and convey given ideas on the minds of the
viewers (Powers, Rothman, and Rothman 38). This is
especially true of Hollywood films, which industry is a
gigantic ideology that shapes the cultural perceptions
of Americans (Maltby 28).
Sadly, many movies spread ideologies that are not
necessarily beneficial to the American public. As
discussed in this paper, most Hollywood films over-
glorify sexual violence and a macho male attitude that
denigrates women (Eschholz and Bufkin 656). Such
negative values, when adopted by the larger society,
can have disastrous consequences.
These include the prevalence of sexual violence in
society, the tendency to engage in risky sexual
behavior as expressed in these films, and the general
denigration of women in society.
Therefore, X-rated Hollywood films, which depict
sexual violence in which women are shown in passive
roles, in relation to men, have a direct impact of
making such negative values permissible in society.
Adolescents and youth are especially susceptible to
believing and actualizing the negative sexual values
and attitudes expressed in these films.
Censorship, caution, and circumspection, while
viewing such films, will thus go a long way in ensuring
that, the American public does no permit such
tendencies and acts among its members, because their
effects on society, as discussed in this paper, can be
disastrous and irreversible.
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