Stanley is a drunk, stubborn, violent misogynist and a symbol of brute power because he can shape the world around him. Tennessee Williams describes how “animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes” (24). He is often boisterous, and his word is the final word. His personality is vividly colored, like his clothing, and he enjoys playing poker with his friends and going bowling.
His contempt for Blanche is evident from the beginning of the play, most likely because she is outspoken. He sees this as a challenge and a threat to him. Stanley throws the radio out the window when Blanche turns it on twice against his will. Early in the play, he speculates that Blanche has conned him out of money and believes he should be owed something for Belle Reve. This sends him on a wild goose chase where he slanders Blanche’s life in Laurel. Stanley bestows this information with both Stella and Mitch, with whom Blanche is romantically interested. While Stella is going into labor in the hospital, Stanley starts an argument with Blanche and ends up raping her.
Blanche calls Stanley the “executioner” (111) as he retains control over the other characters. Instead of cleaning his dishes up, he throws them on the floor, shouting: “I am the king around here, so don’t forget it” (131). This proves that Stanley is hyper-aware of the authority that he holds. Nevertheless, Stanley’s character loses his power twice throughout the play. Once on poker night when Stella leaves him and the second time at the end of the play when he clings to Stella as she cries uncontrollably. Stanley’s loss of power in these moments insinuates his capacity for complex human emotion, which he continually rejects.
Unfortunately, Stanley’s brute power does seem to win at the end of the play. Blanche gets shipped out to Elysian Fields, fulfilling the prophecy that Stanley would be Blanche’s “executioner” (111).