Streetcar Named Desire Argumentative

“All conflicts in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil”. This is absolutely true. When broken down, all literary conflicts are between good and evil. In literature there is no in between. There is good and there is evil, two sides all characters must choose between. These ideas of light and dark and good and evil can be seen thought these two books. The play, A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams centers on the character Blanche Dubois, whose life tailspins into guilt and depression after the passing of her late husband. Similar themes can be seen in the second novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The main character Melinda Sorino goes through similar emotional problems after what happens with an older boy. In the play A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Blanche moves to New Orleans after all the tragic events regarding Bell Reeve and the death of her family members. When she gets there she is greeted by her sister Stella and goes back to Stella’s apartment where she meets her sister’s husband Stanley. Blanche who represents the good side of the story throughout her stay; she is constantly fighting with Stanley who represents the evil side of the story.

In the end, unfortunately evil wins out over good in the case of Stanley and Blanche. Blanche finally goes crazy after all the traumatic event that have happened to her. She ends up going to a mental institution and Stella goes back to Stanley despite all that has happened. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has similar character development in that Melinda also experiencing similar tragic events. After going to a party and getting drunk with her friend Rachael she meets an older boy named Andy Evans. After she meets him Andy brings her to the woods where he sexually assaulted her. This is when she begins to spiral downwards into depression and becomes a social pariah; withdrawing from life and becoming almost in entirely mute. It isn’t until after she tells Rachael about what he did that she begins to get better, until Andy confronted her in her hideout. Melinda is forced to defend herself from being abused by Andy again and only after that does she feel like she’s over what happened to her and that she is able to talk about it. In the case of Melinda, good triumphs over evil when she defends herself against Andy and she conquers the fear that once loom over her.

In both of these books there is conflict between good and evil, Blanche and Stanley as well as Melinda and Andy. Whither evil conquers or good triumphs, when it comes down to it all conflict in literature is always between these clashing sides.