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- The discussion about the stars is also an oblique power struggle over Stella (“stella” means “star”): Stanley rejects Blanche’s interpretation of the constellations.
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Stella Kowalski Character Analysis. Stella is Blanche DuBois ’s younger sister and Stanley Kowalski’s wife. She is the emotional center of the play. Stella is the calm, reasonable foil to Blanche’s frenetic hysteria, and she is the soothing, feminine voice that counteracts Stanley’s violence.
Stella defends her relationship with Stanley as she argues with Blanche. Blanche has just suggested that Stella fell in love with Stanley in uniform but fails to look at the reality of what he truly is: a violent brute.
Stella's sexual drive is centered on attraction to and love for one individual (Stanley), as opposed to Blanche, whose fleeting encounters with soldiers and traveling salesmen suggests she craves sexual attention in general—especially from young men, stand-ins for her lost, young husband.
Stella is the mediating point between Blanche and Stanley. In many ways, we can interpret the conflict between Stanley and Blanche as a territorial battle over who gets Stella’s love and affection.
It is apparent that Stella is a battleground for the DuBois-Kowalski feud. Blanche continually tries to turn Stella away from Stanley, by belittling him every chance she has. She tries to prevent her sister from returning to her husband after Stella had been beaten by Stanley during the card game.
Blanche tries to explain the world around her through mythology, but Stanley cuts through her fantasies and symbols. The discussion about the stars is also an oblique power struggle over Stella (“stella” means “star”): Stanley rejects Blanche’s interpretation of the constellations.
Stella Kowalski (née DuBois) is one of the main characters in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. She is the younger sister of central character Blanche DuBois and wife of Stanley Kowalski.
