Stanley wouldn’t consider himself a victim of anything. Thus, he is not a victim, for though we may have different values and expectations, really only an individual can judge themselves a victim, everyone else is just judging. This is what Stella tried to explain to Blanche. Stanley could be characterized as an archetypal Man. He is ‘manly’ in every way that one would classify a ‘man: he is strong, slightly stupid, assertive, stubborn and ignorant, but not all together unaware of it. Like many of the poor, rather than complain, which shows he wants more, he remains stagnant. One could say he is a victim of a culture that praised masculinity, but he would call those people effeminate. Though at the beginning of the story one can sympathize with him, he slowly shows that he is possibly the missing-link, a human who doesn’t utilize what makes him human: compassion and understanding. As soon as he hits Stella we get an understanding of the true Stan. To make up for the lack of control he has in his life, he domineers those around him and doesn’t like those who are subjugated to his will.
To put it simply, he is not a victim but a victimizer.
Stella is a victim of a masculine praising culture. She does not question Stan’s assertiveness or her absolute reliance upon him. She only argues, as long as she can, when Stan strikes her and is forced to come back and accept an apology in the hopes that he indeed means it.
The worst aspect of her plight is that she doesn’t even really how much her life has degenerated. She believes that her husband will take care of her and is blinded to the fact that her lifestyle is almost cemented. She doesn’t appear to be educated, which is another effect of the culture so she will forever have to rely on Stan.
She and Blanche present opposite sides of the overall victimization of women in early culture. The saddest thing is that neither ‘wins’ at the end of the play.
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