According focuses on the loss of moral

According to the Oxford English dictionary, moralityrefers to the principles concerning distinctions between right and wrong orgood and bad behaviour.

1In both ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ the writersexplore the question of ‘what is moral?’ and ‘what is immoral?’ through theconsequences of each character’s actions. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’morality is presented as being a fluid conjunctionbetween moral absolutism and moral relativism, whereas, ‘The Talented MrRipley’ focuses on the loss of moral integrity as a consequence of amoralactions. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ concepts of desire inrespect to moral values are explored in two ways: physical and material desire.The audience are aware of the consequences of ‘desire’ when Williamsforeshadows, “They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and then transferto one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at-Elysian Fields!” Williamssets the motif of the play and foretells the ramifications of longing by usingthe symbolism of a streetcar as a metaphor.

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Williams uses the names ‘Desire’and ‘Cemeteries’ for the streetcars as a way to show the forceful nature ofdesire and how it can only lead to one destination which, subsequently inWilliams belief, is either the death of the heart, mind or soul. Consequently,leading them to ‘Elysian Fields’, which creates a sense of irony because inGreek mythology ‘Elysian Fields’ is a place where virtuous Greek heroes goafter death, which creates a juxtaposition towards the Kowalski’s apartmentthat is described as being the “ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.”: a poem byEdgar Allan Poe called ‘Ulalume,’ which refers to a man visiting his deadlover’s grave2.This further creates connotations between death and desire through theprojection of the Kowalski apartment that symbolises the harshness of reality,as throughout the novel we find that ‘Elysian Fields’ is not a place ofpleasure and fulfilment but rather destruction and deceit. Aspiration within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ ispresented by the idea of the American Dream and the belief of a meritocraticsociety.

The ideals of the New South and the Old South are the main cause ofconflict within the play. Blanche, who is representative of the Old South,flaunts her money to try and maintain the image of being a respectable middle-classwoman. From the beginning, Williams foreshadows Blanche’s rejection from the working-classsubculture that’s apparent within Elysian Fields by describing her as being”incongruous to this setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit with afluffy bodice… looking as if she were arriving at a cocktail party in thegarden district.” Automatically the contrast between the changing values of apost-war New Orleans society and the culture Blanche associates herself with ismade clear by adjectives such as ‘incongruous’ to emphasise the starkdifferences between her alleged wealth and the reality of the place she nowresides. The disassociation of Blanche from the ethos of Elysian Fields isfurther accentuated when Williams states via stage directions, “now she isplacing the rhinestone tiara on her head before the mirror of the dressingtable and murmuring expectedly as if to a group of spectral admirers.” Williamsuses the diamond simulant of a rhinestone as metaphor for Blanche as althoughshe presents herself to be an epitome of abundance and beauty, her intrinsicvalue is cheap, which presents the idea that wealth isan overcompensation of integrity that feeds off of the insecurity of people whochase the concept of the American Dream, which in the end only leads todisillusionment and a lack of moral judgement, especially in Blanche’s case, asshe starts to believe in a dream that isn’t tangible or realistic. Similarly to ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Highsmithuses the concept of the American Dream in ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ to show howmaterialistic value hinders your ability of thinking rationally, and preventsyou from gaining status and wealth by honest means.

Ripley’s sense ofentitlement in regards to money is highlighted when Highsmith states: “lying inhis deckchair, fortified morally by the luxurious surroundings, he tried totake an objective look at his past life. The last four years for the most parthad been a waste.” Here the fervour of which Ripley holds money accountable asa prospect that could bring joy and fulfilment into his life, is exposed.

Hefeels ‘morally fortified’ when surrounded by commodities that can help himadvance in a rigorous and competitive capitalist society, showing his lack ofappreciation for the conventional values of a meritocratic system. As Tomprefers to prioritise self-indulgent methods to attain wealth rather thanconventional ethics, due to his perception of morality revolving around theacquisition of luxury because without it, his life is deemed ‘a waste’, whichalludes to Tom’s dissatisfaction and loathing of his monotonous life, as inorder for him to feel content he has to be in possession of a substantialamount of affluence. Highsmith writes, “Possessions reminded him that heexisted and made him enjoy his existence.” Emotionally, Ripley places themajority of his sentiments onto his material belongings as it brings him asense of purpose, which allows him to build a persona around his belongings byconstructing the ‘successful’ life that the American Dream has always embodiedand advocated for, making him feel worthy and acclaimed, even if he did notachieve it thorough moral means.

This notion is supported by the works of MaryBalken who claims that Tom Ripley is the “by-product of consumerism at its bestand worst”3,showing that the unintentional outcome from a society that values capitalistideals and materialism through the growth and development of the commercialindustry, paves the way for the potential of the American Dream. Nevertheless,it diverges away from the traditional values of family and hard work and breedsa new form of greed and corruption, which Highsmith clearly portrays in thecharacter of Thomas Ripley. A common theme within ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ isthe moral attitudes surrounding one’s sexuality, especially in reference towomen, as the societal notion of women being sexually active with more than onemale was deemed as immoral and a sign of having a lack of self-respect.Williams refers to Blanche’s attempts of seduction through the stage directionsby stating: “she takes off the blouse and stands in her pink silk brassiere andwhite skirt in the light through the portieres.”  At first this may seem like an innocentmistake on Blanche’s behalf; however, the fact that Williams has previously portrayedBlanche to be an insecure woman with an aversion to any source of light thatmay emphasise her imperfections: the ‘innocent’ act becomes more of apurposeful performance to ‘ensnare’ the attention of on looking men. Challengingthe stereotypical notions of sexuality as she is purposefully deviating againstthe concept of women being passive subjects to the sexual advances of men byactively pursuing her sexual desires for her own personal benefit.

Though, thiscomes at the cost of her moral integrity, as she is perceived by others to bedeceiving and manipulative, as promiscuity within society especially in regardsto women, is an admissible explanation for social condemnation and sexualentitlement from men.Ultimately, the licentiouspath she decides to follow leads to the climax of her desire when she presumptuouslykisses the Young Man. Blanche’s complete loss of composure is shown when shesays, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like a young prince out ofArabian Nights?…Well, you do honey lamb. Come here! Come on over here like Itold you! I want to kiss you- just once -softly and sweetly on your mouth.” Thereference to the ‘Arabian Nights’ creates a semblance of hysteria and falsehoodaround Blanche’s pursuit for desire as she sees the Young Man as completelyfictional and not apart of her reality, which she uses as a defence mechanism torationalise her actions without making her feel as if she is partaking in any illicitbehaviour.

Williams uses the adverbs “softly” and “sweetly” to juxtapose the predatorynature of Blanche’s sexuality as she previously refers to him as ‘honey lamb’, presentinghim to be innocent and pure, and consequently an easy target for Blanche totake advantage of. Blanche does this despite receiving previous condemnationfor taking advantage of a student, which led her to be regarded as “morallyunfit for this position”. Clearly presenting thatBlanche is not ignorant and is aware that morally what she is doing is unethical,though, she continues to pursue a sexual relationship with someone who is notold enough to be consensual to try and redeem some form of her youth and bringstability to her unbalanced life. Which creates a sense of duality, as Blanchedoes not mean to be destructive but is subconsciously trying to find validationin younger men, as they are the embodiment of her own ideals of beauty andyouth. This creation of a flawed and morallygrey character allows Williams to project his views of no man having “amonopoly of right or virtue anymore than any man has a corner of duplicity andevil.

“4Meaning that no person gets to dictate the virtues ofsociety or can independently represent the paragon of morality, as people are neither good nor bad and therefore cannot bejudged on the pretense of moral absolutism, which Williams completelydisregards, as Blanche is often judged for her sexual past without anyconsideration to her reasoning or mental state.  Coinciding with this,sexuality in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ also explores the scope of being ahomosexual man within a society where tolerance around sexual orientation isscarce. The character of Allan Grey (who is the only representation of a gayman living in a 1940s society within Williams play) is described as more of aconcept rather than a character. He is an omnipresent figure in Blanche’s pastwho haunts her for the part she believes she played in his suicide.

Williams writes,”There was something different about the boy, a nervousness, a softness andtenderness which wasn’t like a man’s, although he wasn’t the least biteffeminate-looking-still-that thing was there…” Williams uses adjectives suchas ‘softness’ and ‘tenderness’ to show the emasculation of men who come out ashomosexual as they are perceived to be less manly and therefore possess more’feminine’ qualities. As a homosexual himself Williams portrays Allan Grey inan objective and critical manner that sheds light on the treatment ofhomosexuals in a society where conformity dominated societies behaviour andactions. He uses evasive and derogatory language when he says, “still-thatthing was there” to demonstrate the lack of understanding Blanche has of her husband’ssexuality and how she tries to act in a covert manner by not explicitlyvocalising his sexual orientation, showing that the general consensus regardinghomosexuality within a 1940s society was not something that was accepted oracknowledged. Williams exposes the “destructive power of society on thesensitive non-conformist individual.

” 5When the suicide of Allan is introduced he writes, “Allan! Allan! The Grey Boy!He’d stuck the revolver into his mouth, and fired…It was because-on the dancefloor-unable to stop myself- I’d suddenly said- I know! I know! You disgustme.” Blanche’s discriminatory reaction towards Allan’s homosexuality ultimatelyled him to his suicide, enforcing the idea that the socially constructed normsand values of a society can be detrimental to people’s own ideals andprinciples. Comparably, in Highsmith’s ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’,homosexuality is presented in a more covert and concealed manner, compared to’A Streetcar Named Desire’, where Allan Grey’s sexuality is explicit and openlyexpressed.

Highsmith highlights Tom’s probable homosexuality through thecharacter of Marge who is consistently demonised by Tom throughout the novelbecause of her attraction to Dickie, Highsmith writes, “Dickie had formed acloser bond with him in twenty-four hours, just because he was another man,than she could ever have with Dickie, whether he loved her or not, and hedidn’t.” The use of an indirect discourse allows for an omniscient butunreliable narrator, creating a sense of unease and exaggeration over Dickie’ssupposed unrequited love for Marge. Allowing the reader to be privy to anuninterrupted stream of Tom’s consciousness, which allows him to portray therelationship between Marge and Dickie to be a case of unrequited love when inreality it’s just a projection of Tom’s hatred and jealousy towards Marge as hesees her as an inconvenient competitor that has come between his relationshipwith Dickie. Highsmith emphasises this further when Tom imitates Dickie bydressing up in his clothing, she writes, “Tom turned suddenly and makes a grabin the air as if he were seizing Marge’s throat. He shook her, twisted her,while she sank lower and lower.” Highsmith uses a semantic field of violencewhen describing the imaginative murder of Marge; she uses the terms ‘seizing’and ‘twisted’ to accentuate Tom’s loss of control and his disturbed state ofmind when it comes to Dickie’s and Marge’s relationship.

Representing thefragility of Tom’s sexuality, as he struggles to openly admit his sexualattraction towards Dickie so he tries to invalidate Marge’s feelings bydemoralising her femininity to quell his insecurity of being a homosexual man.The ethics regarding the morality of violence ispresented clearly in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through the depiction of StanleyKowalski who uses his dominant and predatory nature to intimidate and denounceBlanche’s femininity. Throughout the play, Stanley and Blanche have contendedwith the conflicting ideals of the Old South and the New South, which representedthe standards of the 1940s society that Williams believed, was changing from anaristocracy to a world where equality between the rich and poor were becomingreduced and a new form of class was being established. William exemplifies thisconflict during the final showdown between Blanche and Stanley.

Williamswrites, “He takes another step. She smashes a bottle on the table and faceshim, clutching the broken top.” The metaphor of the broken bottle signifies thebreaking point of Blanche’s stability and implies that after Stanley’s maliciousand fervent attempts throughout the play to punish Blanche for her previousescapades, his final assertion of male dominance is enough to break the finaltethers of her foundations, leaving her nothingbut a broken bottle top to grasp onto for protection, thus representing theextinction of the Old South, which has succumbed to the brutal and forcefulrise of the New South. Williams presents this final execution through the sexualassault of Blanche at the hands of Stanley. Williams has Stanley state,”Tiger-tiger! Drop the bottle top! Drop it! We’ve had this date with each otherfrom the beginning!” By using animalistic imagery to describe Blanche creates asense of irony, as tigers within the wild are the king of all beasts and top ofthe food chain. However, here the tiger is presented to be the cornered animalthat becomes the defenceless victim of a callous act. Creating furthercorrelation between the death of the Old South due to the fact that the ‘Kingof all beasts’ has to succumb to the power and dominance of a differentpredator, which subsequently ends up being the New South. Presenting theconcept of a decaying modern society as a consequence of different ethicalbeliefs contending against each other.

In contrast to ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Highsmithpresents violence within ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ as a form of escapism for thecharacter of Tom Ripley. His violent tendencies are introduced when he speaksof his relationship with his Aunt Dottie and how he imagined “flinging her tothe ground and throttling her, and finally tearing that big brooch off herdress and stabbing her a million times in the throat.” Violent verbs are usedto emphasise the calculated and pre-meditated vehemence Tom wishes to inflicton his Aunt. Presenting Tom’s lack of ethical principles, as he believes thathe will gain some form of solace by being apart of his Aunt’s demise. Highsmithalso uses the imagined death of Aunt Dottie to foreshadow the later death ofDickie Greenleaf.

Displaying the idea that Ripley finds a thrillingsatisfaction from stealing something of importance from a defenceless deadwoman by removing her ‘big brooch off her dress’ so he can use it as acommemorative trophy that he can later manipulate to ensure he lives a moresecure and content life. Although, there had been palpable tension betweenDickie and Tom, there was nothing to suggest that Tom loathed Dickie enough forhim to willingly murder him. Consequently showing the impulsivity of Tom, andhis disposition towards using murder as a solution for his problems.  Tom’s irrationality when it comes to themurder of Dickie stems from his anxiety and hopelessness that he had failed inhis operation of bringing Dickie back home. For example, Highsmith writes, “Hehated Dickie, because however he looked at what happened, his failing had notbeen his own fault, not due to anything he had done, but due to Dickie’sinhuman stubbornness,” Highsmith here alludes to the idea that in order for Tomto feel righteous in his actions, he has to compulsively lie to himself-whichhe often does to others-in order to feel as if his actions are justifiable andin his own mind reasonable.

According to John Gray “Human needs and impulsesare tangled and conflicted. Moved by their passions, people often destroy thegood in others and at the same time sabotage their own good,”6which relates to the character of Tom Ripley as he often demonises the peoplehe cares about, especially Dickie Greenleaf, in an act of frailty to try andauthenticate his money-oriented aspirations. By doing so, the remnants of hisgood nature are destroyed because of his self-isolation and destructiveattitude. This would account for the callous cruelty Tom releases on Dickiewhen Highsmith states, “Tom stood up and brought the oar down again, sharply,all his strength released like the snap of a rubber band.” Highsmith uses thesimile of a ‘rubber band’ to show the initial tension and pent up tautness Tomfeels before the imminent death of Dickie, compared to the composed aftermath,which allows him to revel in the perverse comfort and enjoyment the death ofhis ‘best friend’ gives him. Bestowing a clear lack of integrity and veracitywithin Ripley’s character as morality to him is a subjective social constructthat he follows only when he does not have something to gain. Similarly, withTom’s fantasy of Killing his Aunt Dottie, Tom “stopped and yanked at Dickie’sgreen ring. He pocketed it.

” Symbolising Tom’s obsession over being able totake something personal and make it his own, as it gives him a form of powerover his victims even after their death, which gives him the validation herequires to accurately perform the part of Dickie Greenleaf excruciatinglywell.  Inconclusion, ‘morality’ in both ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘The Talented MrRipley’ is presented as being a social construct within society that dominatesthe values and beliefs of those who reside in it. A key concept regradingmorality that both writers present is the notion that each individual is avictim of their own morality. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Williams presentsthis by using the metaphor of streetcars to present the freedom of choice andhow different decisions lead to different outcomes, which consequently, impactyour life in either a positive or negative way. Contrastingly, Highsmithpresents morality as being the driving force of each individual’s actions,which happens to have the gravity to create an immoral man amoral.

Showing thatmorality is the basis of which all societies are founded upon.1 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/morality2 Ulalume, Edgar Allan Poe3Antonia Mackay: Patricia Highsmith’s ‘Authentic’American and the Performative Subject in ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’- http://www.baas.ac.uk/usso/highsmithauthenticamerican/ 4Tennessee Williams: The WorldI Live In, page 1105Tennessee Williams and Desire, Steve King http://www.todayinliterature.com/stories.asp?Event_Date=12/3/1947 6John Gray: A Point of View: Tom Ripleyand the meaning of evil http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22551083 

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