Main Characters
Blanche DuBois is the play's tragic protagonist - a former English teacher from Mississippi who's lost her job and arrived at her sister's cramped flat. She's constantly anxious, lives in a world of illusions, and desperately tries to maintain her fading Southern belle image.
Stanley Kowalski represents raw, animalistic masculinity and working-class America. He's Stella's husband who sees right through Blanche's lies and isn't afraid to destroy her fantasies. Stanley's violent nature and magnetic personality make him both terrifying and compelling.
Stella Kowalski is caught between two worlds - her sister's refined past and her husband's brutal present. As Blanche's younger sister, she provides emotional stability but ultimately chooses Stanley's passionate love over family loyalty. Her character shows how desire can override reason.
Mitch (Harold Mitchell) offers Blanche hope for marriage and respectability. Unlike Stanley's crude mates, he's gentle and mannered, making him perfect for Blanche's romantic fantasies. Their relationship becomes central to Blanche's final hopes for salvation.
Key Tip: Focus on how each main character represents different aspects of American society - old South aristocracy (Blanche), new working class (Stanley), and those caught between (Stella and Mitch).