Men in A Streetcar Named Desire and All New People

            In "A Streetcar Named Desire," the men are seen as cruel and bitter through their harsh use of force to achieve what they want. Whereas in "All New People," the men are perceived as the victims of society rather than its actual driving force. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley fulfils the duty of carrying the traditional patriarchal role of the breadwinner in the society of the 1950's era. He is represented as masculine through the use of his dominance in the household, control over Stella and being the prime influence in his social group of friends, as they see him as someone they want to be. However, this is contrasted in the modern day text of All New People, as Charlie conforms to the image of the 'new man' by emphasising the different types of masculine forms in society and how they are widely accepted. He expresses this through the use of showing emotion and being more considerate of other people's feelings, while being aware of his own.
             Tennessee Williams makes it prominent that in 1950's post war America, men and women each had specific gender roles that they had to attain and carry out. Stanley's physical sovereignty is embedded throughout the play due to way he behaves and his innermost desire to control everyone around him. "Well, you can hear me and I said to hush up!"1 "[yelling]: Sit down!"2 Stanley demonstrates his supremacy in the household through his aggressive tone when speaking to others, due to being the only way he can govern them as a way of illustrating his masculine assets. Society encourages his authority as men were expected to be the head of the house and carry the financial burden of the family3, further emphasising Stanley's bravado as he shows his superiority by being the breadwinner in the house. [Stanley carries a bowling jacket and a red stained package from a butcher's.4 However, Charlie's character in Zach Braff's All New People can be compared and contrasted to Stanley's pre-eminence in A Streetcar Named Desire as he shows less authority and more respect towards women, rather than trying to order them by using his patriarchal power.