Within ‘A streetcar named desire’ there is a claim for power that is expressed by the more dominant characters Blanche and Stanley. Their thirst for power over each other is vividly displayed through the use of manipulation and violent tendencies. In scene two Blanche and Stanley are alone together as Stella is outside running errands for Blanche. Blanche ‘closes the drapes’ as she starts to change in the presence of Stanley. It can be interpreted that the drapes act as one of many, hypothetical barriers that Blanche has placed between her and Stanley of which represents the idea of reality and fantasy. It can be argued that when Blanche is alone she can live her illusion of glamour and luxury of which Stanley is trying to ruin by meddling within her past. The fantasy that Blanche has created in her mind is her escape from the truth. Blanche’s fantasy can be disturbed by Stanley’s interference into her past emphasising the idea that closing off the drapes is Blanche trying to hide from her past by isolating herself to only live in her thoughts which is where her illusion and fantasy is at its strongest. Blanche is demonstrating her power and control over Stanley by refusing to bow down to his incompetetant nature and letting him exploit her. Blanche has distanced herself from the trouble that Stanley can cause to her new life with Stella.

However, it can also be argued that the control Blanche has over herself can be mistaken for fear of reality. Stanley’s aggressive and pretentious nature and interest in Blanche’s past is intimidating for Blanche, Stanely is seen as a threat to Blanche as he has the ability to uncover Blanche’s reality that she has been so desperately trying to conceal from not only Stella and Stanley but herself as well. It can be interpreted that Blanche closes the drapes to protect herself from the past out of fear of being forced to live in the reality. 

The fight for power and control is continued as Blanche allows Stanley entry through the drapes to help Blanche with ‘some buttons’. It can be argued that Blanche is in control of the situation as she gives Stanley her permission ‘you may enter’. The formal language used against Stanley reveals that Blanche’s upbringing of a wealthy southern belle causes her to view Stanley as socially inferior, resulting in her behaviour towards him to be predominant. Blanche flaunts her social superiority by belittling Stanley’s intelligence by speaking to him in short, quick sentences. These short sentences have connotations of orders and instructions referring to the idea that Blanche is treating Stanley as a school boy or a servant to emphasise her dominance over him. 

However this claim of power isn’t truly dominated by Blanche, as Stanely ‘crosses through the drapes with a smouldering look’ the authority can be argued of being crossed over to Stanley. The ‘Smouldering look’ that Stanley gives to Blanche reveals Stanley’s more deceiving side. In an act to get Blanche to reveal her past Stanley plays upon Blanche’s sexual desires of an unmarried woman. A woman’s sexual activity only existed in a marital status in the 1940s, Stanley feasts on the fact that Blanche is not sexually active because she is not married by giving her a flirtatious look. The ‘Smouldering look’ has connotations of sexual teasing and sexual desires which Stanley is manipulating to get Blanche to let down her guard and barriers she has placed between her and her past. Stanley tries to exploit Blanche’s sexual desires in order to gain information about Belle Reve and the money that he and Stella are owed from the property. Deception is a long running theme during the playwright, Blanche uses it as an emotional purpose to protect her from the pain of the past, whereas Stanley uses it for a financial purpose. Blanche’s arrogance towards Stanley is matched by Stanley’s, thought to be, manipulative behaviour to get what he wants. Blanche feels as though she is the superior and that Stanley cannot compare to her which shows ignorance towards Stanley’s ability. Blanche’s ignorance also represents her impotentness and lack of control and power over Stanley.