Foil

Character Role Analysis

Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski

Blanche and Stanley could not be more different. Blanche epitomizes delicate femininity—Stanley is aggressive masculinity distilled down to human form. He bangs around and bellows when he talks; she’s quiet and can’t stand loud noises. Blanche wears white (and of course there’s her name which means "white"); Stanley wears loud, aggressive, boldly-colored bowling shirts.

The extremes of each character further highlight the extremes of the other, and the conflict between these polar opposites begins brewing from the moment they meet and drives the play forward.