Gender Inequalities

Throughout history, the struggles of gender inequalities have been recorded in literature. They serve as a reflection on society during the written time and often allow the audience to take a glimpse into the era’s ideologies. In the literary works Antigone by Sophocles and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the central theme of gender inequality is a vibrant notion that helps establish each play’s setting and time period. As we critically analyze each work, we will see sporadic instances where the concept of gender helps define a character and mold them into a product of their time.

The setting of a literary work is vital to the success of a piece. One must correctly delve into the environment of the story to build a sensible world. Sophocles’ Antigone takes the audience on a moral journey through the ancient Kingdom of Thebes. In an age when men where mighty and women were weak, gender inequalities proved to be a major influence of social establishment. Creon believes that women are inferior to men. When his own son Haemon attempts to rectify the conflict by siding with Antigone, Creon becomes infuriated. “Your nature is vile, in yielding to a woman” (Sophocles 1149). The statement provides us with insight into the social mentality of Thebes. We can see that under the beliefs of the king, lies a stark lack of reverence for women. By Creon’s moral ordinance, women are deemed unfit to hold superiority over men, especially himself.

We can see similar beliefs in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. Ironically, Stanley refers to himself as a king during a heated argument when Stella demands he help clear the table. “What do you two think you are? A pair of queens?… I am the king around here, so don’t forget it” (Williams 1218). Stanley’s beliefs highlight the social hierarchy experienced by women in both works of literature. However, there is a noticeable difference between the time periods seen in both works. Stella says to Blanche “Mr. Kowalski is too busy making a pig of himself” (Williams 1218) and merely gets yelled at. Antigone is sentenced to death for burying her brother in defiance of Creon’s edict. In the setting of Antigone, we can see a much more strict environment for women who openly defy men. Since Antigone takes place long before A Streetcar Named Desire, we can see an improvement in women’s rights throughout the centuries. Williams’ work encompasses a more tolerant setting. If he were to have created the play in a setting like Antigone, Stella would not have lived to see tomorrow had she called Stanley a pig. This would essentially offset the balance the settings have and incorrectly portray the time periods associated with them.

The inequalities experienced by women have a lasting effect on their characteristics. In Antigone, Ismene plays a major role in helping to establish the theme of gender inequality. Though her sister is defiant by nature, Ismene cowers at the idea of challenging men. She states “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men” (Sophocles 1131). This reveals to the audience that women were aware of the oppression they faced from men. For her understanding and compliance, Ismene is characterized as a fearful, cowardly, and weak woman. In contrast to Ismene, Antigone boasts about her daunting task. She is prideful of her deed even though she acknowledges male dominance in society. Challenging the king will surely have severe consequences as she recognizes in stating “Let me alone and my folly with me, to endure this terror” (Sophocles 1132). Antigone realizes this act of foolishness will surely lead to her demise. A young girl has no place challenging a man in Theban society.

Much like Antigone, Blanche chooses to openly defy men with recognition of their dominance. Blanche has conflicting views on her oppression by men. She believes she has the power to change her own life. After Stella is beat by Stanley, Blanche attempts to persuade Stella to leave with her, stating “I’m going to do something. Get hold of myself and make myself a new life” (Williams 1194). Williams chooses to emphasize the importance of the word “do” by italicizing it. During the time period Williams portrays in the play, women often weren’t capable of “doing” anything without the approval of a man. This classifies Blanche as more of a contemporary female as opposed to the traditional Stella. She is outgoing and daring. She holds beliefs that are beyond the current time period. As such, this causes Blanche to dive deeper into her role as an outcast of society. However, Blanche’s dependence on men is reflected later on in the play. The only way Blanche feels she can return to normalcy in society is by remarrying. Her newfound romance with Mitch proves promising and she marvels at the idea of her fantasy coming true. “Just think! If it happens! I can leave here and not be anyone’s problem” (Williams 1203). Blanche is a product of her time and though she may be able to survive financially, she will not be able to socially.

In both literary works, we can see just how much the concept of gender inequality has rooted itself within them. It truly enhances the depth of the story. From setting to characterization, the central theme of gender inequality has vastly altered and instilled concrete notions of what it is to be a woman in a mans world. It is an important theme utilized in order to establish the integrity of the piece. Without it, both works would be lacking a vital influence in the creation of their environments.