A Streetcar Named Desire: Condeming Those Who Treat Others With Harshness and Cruelty One of the main themes expressed by Tennessee Williams in his play, A Streetcar Named Desire, is to condemn those who display cruelty and harshness in their treatment of others, especially those who are weak and vulnerable. Three characters who demonstrate these insensitive qualities are Blanche, Mitch, and Stanley. Whether the cruelty is deliberate or not, it results in the destruction of others, both physically and mentally. Blanche Dubois, the central victim of mistreatment in the p