A Streetcar Named Desire: Condeming Those Who Treat Others With Harshness and
             One of the main themes expressed by Tennessee Williams in his play, A Streetcar
             Named Desire, is to condemn those who display cruelty and harshness in their
             treatment of others, especially those who are weak and vulnerable. Three
             characters who demonstrate these insensitive qualities are Blanche, Mitch, and
             Stanley. Whether the cruelty is deliberate or not, it results in the
             destruction of others, both physically and mentally.
             Blanche Dubois, the central victim of mistreatment in the play, was herself,
             dealing out her share of insensitivities during her younger days. When Blanche
             was 16, she had a very handsome lover named Allan Gray. She was very much in
             love with him and decided to marry him. But by total surprise one night,
             Blanche found her lover in bed with another man. She tried to pretend that
             nothing had happened. However, she was unable to hold what she saw inside, and
             told Allan "I saw, I know, you disgust me..."( p.96). To Allan, Blanche seemed to
             be a person who accepted him for who he was in a society where homosexuals are
             discriminated against. What Blanche said completely devastated Allan and he
             found no reason to continue living. Although Blanche had no intentions of
             hurting Allan, enough damage was done to prompt Allan to shoot himself, his mind
             The harsh treatment dealt by Mitch to Blanche near the end of the play is
             strikingly similar to Blanche's treatment of Allan Gray. Mitch is a friend of
             Stanley's whom Blanche falls for during her visit to New Orleans. The
             relationship between Blanche and Mitch had been developing steadily. Both
             characters felt the need to settle down in life and both saw the image of
             marriage at the outcome of their relationship. It did seem as though the image
             would become reality, until Stan interfered. Stan filled Mitch's mind with
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