Stella, the southern gentlewoman, is the sister of Blanche who is about
     five years older than Stella is. Stella comes from the plantation of Belle Reve.("
     Beautiful Dream" in English) She grew up there and has raised well-educated
     and gracefully." Stella is ironically named for a star" (From the book of
     Tennessee Williams-P.50) We suppose that star may represent the Night. The
     intercourse always happens at night! Therefore, we suppose that Stella may desire  to seek sensual pleasure from the meaning of the name.

 Why does Stella choose Stanley whose background is totally different
     from hers? Stella holds passionate live to Stanley and also she thinks that
     Stanley can provide her with steady life and fulfill her sexual desire and give her
     sensual pleasure. Stella has given up her aristocratic upbringing to lead her life
     into the common society, and she enjoys the life very much. Stella is fully content
     with her marriage to Stanley in a New Orleans slum, the Elysian Field, though
     where she lives is lower class and more complicate than Belle Reve. From scene
     one we know that Blanche constantly criticizes the environment Stella lives and
     the life she has, Stella still feel that the place is very nice, nothing bad:

                                  Stella: Tell you what, Blanche?
                                 Blanche: Why, that you had to live in these conditions!
                                 Stella: Aren't you being a little intense about it? It's not that bad
                                             at all! New Orleans isn't like others. (P.20)

               By the way, we can get to another conclusion that Stella is easier to be
     used to new environment than Blanche.

               Stella can endure what Stanley does, drinking, ruffling Blanche's rich
     clothes, and throwing the radio out of the window, breaking plates when he is
     insulted and even if after Stella is hit by Stanley, she still comes back to Stanley's
     arm for his admitting his fault. That’s because Stella knows that if she leaves
     Stanley, she couldn't survive. Stella depends on Stanley very much in every
     aspect including sex. In ordinary life Stella can not bear the feeling of separation,
     Stella mentioned that 1.When Stanley goes out for bowling, Stella wants to
     follow him. (P14) 2.When Stanley's away for a week I nearly go wild! (P25) 3.
     When Stanley comes back I cry on his lap like a baby. (P25) 4. Stella will ask
     money from Stanley. (P32) Besides, we know that Stella is satisfied with Stanley
     because she has contentment on sensual relation. Stella said that can hardly
     stand it when Stanley is away for a night--. (P25) Their sexual life is wonderful so
     that Stella will gives in Stanley's violence.  "Stella and Stanley make love under
     colored lights." (From the book of Tennessee William-P.49) Scene One, Stanley
     said "Hey, there! Stella, Baby!Catch!Meat!" The response of Stella is that she
     cries out in protest but manages to catch it. We can see that Stella's marriage is
     built on sexuality.

 Although Stella loves Blanche and their sisterhood is very nice but as for
     Stella, she holds kind of hostility toward Blanche. "Blanche is so patronizing,
     demanding and superior toward Stella....make Stella so useless, old fashioned
     and helpless...everything that Stanley has got her out." (From the book of
     Tennessee Williams: Rebellious Puritan(P138) Therefore, we think that Stella
     may lose her confidence on everything so this is another reason for Stella to
     cling to Stanley. In other words, Stella may fear that Blanche's appearance will
     destroy what she has at present.

             On the other hand, Stella still respects her sister well, because when Stanley
     reveals her something about Blanche's sordid life in the past and then Stella
     doesn't believe them. She will try to protect Blanche and hope that Stanley stops
     on talking her sister and that Stanley can have a nice relation with Blanche. At
     scene ten, Stanley takes the chance that Stella give a birth in the hospital to
     rape Blanche. At scene eleven, Blanche tells Stella that Stanley has raped her.
     Stella prefers to believe that it is not real, despite she knows the truth. Stella tells
     Eunice that she couldn't believe Blanche's story and she goes on living with
     Stanley. (P133) At last, Stella has no choice to send Blanche to a mental
     hospital. Stella feels sorrowful, because " Stella sobs with inhuman abandon.
     There is something luxurious in her complete surrender to crying now that her
     sister is gone." In spite of loving Blanche, Stella has to face the pressure of the
     reality. If she leaves Stanley with the view of the rape, she may lose the father of
     the child and dependency of her life, so Stella has to force herself to keep the
     relation with Stanley.

 Stella's role in this play is the key figure. She is the representative of a
     decayed aristocracy and she is a middleman in the struggle between Blanche
     and Stanley. Stella is the person who will want to mitigate the tense atmosphere
     between Stanley and Blanche. Scene eight, the first six conversations, we can
     see Stella's efforts. Stella is pulled between Stanley and Blanche. From this play,
     we can see that she is in the passive position. She always responds what
     Blanche says, and she shows a little opinion about what she thinks. Stella's
     desire is to have no change in her life after Blanche leaving, and hope that her
     life as the same as before, of course, including the sexuality.