Marriage: A Sacrifice for Love
In a traditional marriage, the wife is expected to play an expressive role. Her purpose is to
resolve conflicts and to provide affection and moral support for her family. Between Stella
Kowalski from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire and Beatrice Carbone from
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, Stella is a better wife. Stella is very accepting of her
husband, Stanley Kowalski. She stays by Stanley’s side despite his middle-class status and
barbaric behaviors. She has a similar passion as husband, which allows for a strong relationship.
Stella is a better wife because she is accepting of her husband. Choosing to live her life
with Stanley, she gives up the life of wealth and privilege. When Stella's sister, Blanche DuBois,
asks Stella why she did not tell Blanche about her living conditions, Stella responds, while
“carefully, pouring herself a drink”, “Tell you what, Blanche” (Williams 12). Compared to
Blanche’s relentless talking, Stella “carefully” pouring her drink shows that she is very calm.
Their actions illustrate the difference between the elite and middle-class; the middle-class has a
better understanding of reality. Stella's calmness shows that she accepts the reality of her married
life. She does not try to recreate the life of luxury; instead, she allows herself to accommodate
Stanley's standards. Aside, from degrading her status for Stanley, Stella also remains by his side
despite his violent behavior. After Stanley's and Stella's argument, Stella tries to convince
Blanche that "it wasn't anything serious" (Williams 72). Trying to prove her point, she recalls,
"On our wedding night ... He smashed all the light-bulbs with the heel of my slipper! [she
laughs]" (Williams 72). Stella accepts Stanley's animalistic behavior. Her laughter shows that
she enjoys the violence, it brings excitement to her life. Her laughter also shows that she was
accustomed to this behavior from her sophisticated early life.
Another quality of Stella that makes her a better wife is that she shares the same passion
as Stanley. Stella's passion makes her compatible with Stanley, which allows for a strong
relationship. As she shows Blanche a picture of Stanley as a military officer she says, "I can
hardly stand it when he is away for a night..." "When he's away for a week I nearly...
