When I read this at high school I admit I used to identify with Stanley Kowalski - the penny didn't drop he raped Blanche at the end, and if he hit Stella well he said sorry didn't he, and he was trying to figure out why Blanche was lying. I'm not proud of that fact, just being honest.
As time goes on you can see that wife beating Stanley isn't exactly admirable, though Blanche like Williams is still attracted to him. They are a great mismatched couple, Stanley and Blanche, with Mitch and Stella providing counter balance.
Re reading it, it's so wonderfully theatrical - the noise and bustle of the neughbourhood, the sounds of the poker game, the monologues, the memory. It's beautifully structured and has good old fashioned story telling at its core, with basic mysteries: why is Blanche here? What is her secret?
It's been much mocked and sent up but the work still has basic power. And it's rich because both Blanche and Stanley are right and wrong.
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