Analysis Of Blanche: A Character Named Blanche

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Blanche: A Character Warped By Her Grievances Blanche’s presence in the narrative exists to illuminate her path to purgatory through a series of conflicts, insecurities, and failed romantic interactions. Her history is plagued with the past; and she seldom forgets it nor lets those around her forget their alleged responsibility to comfort her. “I never was hard enough or self-sufficient enough. When people are soft - soft people have got to shimmer and glow - they’ve got to put on soft colors, the colors of butterfly wings, and put a - paper lantern over the light…It isn’t enough to be soft. You’ve got to be soft and attractive. And I - I’m fading now! I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick.” - Blanche (92) Blanche’s downfall She is frequently debilitated by her need to calm down; which is a highly frequent event. Added to her nerves; she is incapable of calming them without the help of another or of an alcoholic beverage. This is likely because of her fear of the unpredictable future. When she first arrives in New Orleans to visit her sister Stella and Stanley, she remarks to Stella, “I want to be near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because - as you might have noticed - I’m - not very well,” - Blanche [Her voice drops and her look is frightened] (Williams 17). She needs Stella to provide her with attention so that she can be relieved of her grievances. Perhaps Stella, being her younger sister, is an outlet for Blanche to live quasi-vicariously through her. Stella is a married, mother-to-be, with a life in a big city. Blanche’s life is in ruins and Stella provides the opportunity to witness the life she had She proclaims “I want to deceive him enough to make him - want me …” (Williams 95) to Stella, thus exposing her seduction plan. Blanche has found her perfect man in Mitch, he is kind, hard-working, and easily deceived. She has essentially put on an act for him so that she can lure him into proposing to her for the purpose of recreating her failed romantic past. She doesn’t love him; she loves the idea of him. Kolin notes that, “as Mary stores in her heart great things to be done by her son, Blanche does the same with the eternal truths which she has found make all relationships meaningful and which unbelievers like Stanley can only sneer at or be threatened by.” (Kolin 85) Blanche is merely hopeful for the chance to redeem her past grievances, and thinks she can do so by following her warped view of a passionate relationship. Perhaps these “eternal truths” about relationships that Blanche feels she has discovered is the very fact that sometimes manipulation is needed. Stanley could concur to

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