Have you ever heard the phrase, Love is Blind? When you’re in love, you tend not to see the bad side of someone. The major point, which was apparent in this book, was Blanche Caldwell Barrow’s true and undying love for her husband, Buck Barrow. There was certainly nothing intriguing or appealing about Buck, but to Blanche, he was her everything! Blanche was a victim of circumstance- drawn into a world of hatred and revenge of the law. Clyde was certainly the master-mind and ring leader of their life on the run. He had a personal vendetta with the law, stemming from his time in prison. Although the Barrow gang was guilty of capital offenses, the young, love-struck Blanche was guilty by association. It was a tragic story of being on …show more content…
the run, a young girl’s tragic experience, purely for the sake of following and honoring a vow, she made to her husband and God.
Blanche was guilty of loving a man so much that it clouded her judgment. Blanche’s memoir went unpublished for 65 years, until Phillips edited the brief journal to a book. Her memoir, although very detailed about the pain and suffering she experienced during her short life with the outlaws, needed John Neal Phillip’s insight. Phillips did a great job describing the current events and what led to the many events that Blanche was engaged with. Phillips enveloped Blanche’s gripping memoir with over 400 footnotes, and pages of annotations to supplement and correct Blanche’s story. He shared the historical context, and described the political and economic landscape at that time. He also shared profiles of the Barrow gang victims, included maps, photos and sketches that helped tie her story together. At times, Blanche tried to justify her involvement and downplay her role, but contradicted herself on several instances. The reality is that the memoir is filled with her ‘undying’ love for Buck and her innocence. But, Blanche’s points do not hold up when examined against the objective record. I plan to outline some of …show more content…
these contradictions. Once Buck got out of prison, Blanche started to make plans on how they would live in peace and harmony. That “dream” was shattered when Clyde convinced Buck to come Missouri. Even though Blanche pleaded with Buck not to go, he was adamant about going, with or without her. Blanche agreed to go, because Buck would “eventually” get Clyde to surrender to the police. Years later, she was contradicted by W.D. Jones, who said that Clyde would never surrender and this was a known fact from the beginning. While every other page included an expression of Blanche’s love for Buck, months after his death, she was already involved with a romantic interest while in prison. At one point, Blanche described what she wore when Buck was shot. She mentioned using her skirt for bandages and that everything was covered in blood. However, a photo of her capture, showed her wearing pants instead of a skirt and no blood was visible on her. Blanche mentioned that she and Buck were speaking openly of suicide (never happened) just prior to the gun fight that left Buck severely wounded and Blanche blinded in one eye. Also, according to Blanche, once they were found, Buck commented that he might as well kill one or two people before he died. This contradicts Blanche’s earlier description of Buck, as being someone who ‘loved life and didn’t want to take it away from another.” In her writings, the term ‘us’ becomes solely Blanche and Buck and ‘them’ is everyone else, including the Barrow gang.
Despite her myopic state of mind, she provides a glimpse of the different personalities of one of the most intriguing outlaws in history. It seemed like she “tolerated” everyone that touched Buck’s life. Buck was older than Blanche and wanted to make sure she was always cared for. He pleaded with his mother to watch over her while he was in prison. Despite that request, Blanche felt like she was on her own (she didn’t tell Buck, because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings) and worked at a beauty salon to make ends meet. She felt that Buck’s family was jealous of their relationship and the love he had for her. She also didn’t get along with Bonnie. A tremendous amount of tension existed between Blanche and Bonnie. Blanche admitted that after Bonnie was nearly burned to death in an automobile accident, Clyde had to drive to Dallas to pick up her mother, but came back with Bonnie’s sister, Billie Jean Parker, instead. Apparently, Blanche refused to help take care of Bonnie, even when they all thought she may die? And, Bonnie casually left that part out her memoir? She was however, compelled to mention a budding love affair that occurred between W.D Jones and Billie Jean. Blanche hated Clyde. As far as she was concerned, he took away her dream of a ‘normal’ life. Buck Barrrow was overwhelmed and dominated by his younger brother, Clyde and Blanche
was continually trying to get Buck away from the life of running and hiding. According to Blanche, all decisions were made by Clyde, where they went, how long they stayed, when and where they ate, which car they stole (even though a tiny coupe was not practical for a party of 5) etc. This added a lot of tension between the brothers. Did Clyde do everything he could to save his brother during Buck’s final gunfight? So, what was Blanche’s purpose in writing her memoir? Blanche wrote her memoir while in prison. Although, sentenced to 10 years, she served 6 years (1933-1939) and had many supporters, including the sheriff and his wife. Blanche wanted to convince readers, perhaps, her father, more likely herself, that Buck was such an innocent victim of circumstances. She wanted the public, specifically, young women to hear her story. A young naïve woman that followed her heart, blinded by love and ultimately realized what she did was wrong. She wanted to help young girls understand the circumstances that drew the daughter of an Oklahoma farmer into the netherworld of Bonnie and Clyde. Phillips also agreed with her purpose of writing the memoir, (published in 2004) but, also added she was working to build her case for parole. And the memoir, would aid in an early release. Phillip’s lengthy conclusion shared Blanche’s brief experience in prison and life after prison. Blanche did indeed fulfill her dream- she went on to live a life away from crime. She remarried, took care of her father, and rekindled a friendship with Ester Weiser, which would ultimately develop into a stronger relationship than what she had with her mother. My Life with Bonnie and Clyde was a tragic story of a misguided woman trapped in a web of crimes. Blanche Barrow should be considered as “Bonnie and Clyde’s last victim”. She had a second chance and grabbed the opportunity to live a ‘normal’ life!
In the legendary period of American history known as the Old West, the law of the whole nation had yet to tame that frontier which was spottily settled. This resulted in lawlessness seen in the personage of those known as outlaws and lawbreakers whose notorious reputations often exceeded their very person to mythical proportions. Belle Starr was one such outlaw. From her association with outlaws such as Jesse James and the Younger brothers, she reached a level of fantastic infamy that today leaves the facts of her life not always distinguishable from the fiction. Belle's life is an odyssey of many marriage's and affairs with felons, petty criminals, and unsavory characters. Belle Starr’s legacy will live on forever reminding us of the past events that still connect with current societies events.
In her book, Limerick describes the “idea of innocence” that permeated the American West (36). According to the author, the underlying motive for every action was pure (even when it really was not). According to Western American folklore, early settlers did intend to victimize Indians and trespass on their land, but instead came to America to pursue new opportunities and improve their lives (Limerick 36). The same ideological theory may be applied to the motivations of the sensationalized outlaws from the time. For example, in her book Limerick details the life of John Wesley Hardin, an outlaw, who began his violent life of crime at the age of fifteen (36). According to the story, Hardin shot and killed a black man (Limerick 36). However, idolized as the son of a preacher, Hardin hid his crimes behind the veils of “bravery” and “honor” (Limerick 36). He claimed that he actually shot the man --...
Blanche is Eugene's aunt and Kate's sister. When Blanche's husband David died, she found she could not support her family. Kate and Jack agreed to take her and her two daughters, Nora and Laurie, in and support them. We see that Blanche has many problems of being independent. Her daughters, Nora and Laurie, have their own share of problems.
WEB DuBois's Influence on Literature and People. In his work The Souls of Black Folk, web DuBois had described the life and problems that blacks in America are not easy. DuBois had a very different plan in the struggle for black equality and the struggle for the abolishment of racism than other people that wanted a "separate black" nation" and others that just wanted the blacks to stay submissive. DuBois only wanted blacks to work hard to become active parts of American society.
Thesis statement: The relationship Holden and Blanche have between family and people in society leads them to an inner turmoil, which eventually results in their psychological breakdowns.
This statement also emphasises much of Blanche’s own views on sorrow and explains how it has affected her life since she has made the comment from personal experience. To conclude, Tennessee Williams’ dramatic use of death and dying is an overarching theme in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ from which everything about Blanche’s character has formed from. Without the death of Allan, Blanche would not have resorted to prostitution and the brief affairs with strangers, also the deaths of her family have driven Blanche to Stella’s where she is “not wanted” and “ashamed to be”. Therefore these dramatic deaths have lead to the past which comes back to haunt
Firstly, the reader may initially feel Blanche is completely responsible or at least somewhat to blame, for what becomes of her. She is very deceitful and behaves in this way throughout the play, particularly to Mitch, saying, ‘Stella is my precious little sister’ and continuously attempting to deceive Stanley, saying she ‘received a telegram from an old admirer of mine’. These are just two examples of Blanches’ trickery and lying ways. In some ways though, the reader will sense that Blanche rather than knowingly being deceitful, actually begins to believe what she says is true, and that she lives in her own dream reality, telling people ‘what ought to be the truth’ probably due to the unforgiving nature of her true life. This will make the reader begin to pity Blanche and consider whether these lies and deceits are just what she uses to comfort and protect herself. Blanche has many romantic delusions which have been plaguing her mind since the death of her husband. Though his death was not entirely her fault, her flirtatious manner is a major contributor to her downfall. She came to New Orleans as she was fired from...
was lobotomised in his absence and later institutionalised leading. many critics to believe that the character of Blanche may have arisen. from events in his own life. Blanche's tragic past involving both the death of her "young" husband and her consequent promiscuity with. The "young men" created an overwhelming amount of emotion for Blanche.
Blanche’s immoral and illogical decisions all stem from her husband's suicide. When a tragedy happens in someone’s life, it shows the person’s true colors. Blanche’s true self was an alcoholic and sex addict, which is displayed when “She rushes about frantically, hiding the bottle in a closet, crouching at the mirror and dabbing her face with cologne and powder” (Williams 122). Although Blanche is an alcoholic, she tries to hide it from others. She is aware of her true self and tries to hide it within illusions. Blanche pretends to be proper and young with her fancy clothes and makeup but is only masking her true, broken self.
Blanche, in particular, is much more of an anachronism than Stella, who has, for the most part, adapted to the environment of Stanley Kowalski. Finally, both Stella and Blanche are or have been married. It is in their respective marriages that we can begin to trace the profound differences between these two sisters. Where Blanche's marriage, to a man whom she dearly loved (Miller 43), proved catastrophic to her, Stella's marriage seems to be fulfilling her as a woman. Blanche's marriage to a young homosexual, and the subsequent tragedy that resulted from her discovery of her husband's degeneracy and her inability to help him, has been responsible for much of the perversity in her life.
Blanche could not accept her past and overcome it. She was passionately in love with Alan; but after discovering that he was gay, she could not stomach the news. When she revealed how disgusted she was, it prompted Alan to commit suicide. She could never quite overcome the guilt and put it behind her. Blanche often encountered flashbacks about him. She could hear the gun shot and polka music in her head. After Alan’s death, she was plagued by the deaths of her relatives. Stella moved away and did not have to deal with the agony Blanche faced each day. Blanche was the one who stuck it out with her family at Belle Reve where she had to watch as each of her remaining family members passed away. “I took the blows in my face and my body! All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, Mother! Margaret, that dreadful way! You just came home in time for the funerals, Stella. And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths—not always” (Scene 1, page 1546). Blanche lost Belle Reve because of all the funeral expenses. Belle Reve had been in her family for generations, and it slipped through her fingers while she watched helplessly. Blanche’s anguish caused her loneliness. The loneliness fueled her abundance of sexual encounters. Her rendezvous just added to her problems and dirtied her rep...
...es and thinks that her hopes will not be destroyed. Thirdly, Blanche thinks that strangers are the ones who will rescue her; instead they want her for sex. Fourthly, Blanche believes that the ones who love her are trying to imprison her and make her work like a maid imprisoned by them. Fifthly, Blanche’s superiority in social status was an obscure in her way of having a good social life. Last but not least, Blanche symbolizes the road she chose in life- desire and fantasy- which led her to her final downfall.
One cant imagine how it must feel to lose the ones they love and hold dear, but to stay afterwards and mourn the loss of the many is unbearable. Blanche has had a streak of horrible luck. Her husband killing himself after she exposed her knowledge about his homosexuality, her advances on young men that led to her exile and finally her alcoholism that drew her life to pieces contemplated this sorrow that we could not help but feel for Blanche throughout the drama. Blanche’s desire to escape from this situation is fulfilled when she is taken away to the insane asylum. There she will have peace when in the real world she only faces pain.
One character that has been plagued by betrayal, throughout her entire existence, is Blanche. Blanche’s husband, Allen, first betrays her. She catches him with another man and then shortly after he commits suicide. Being one of the influences behind his death, Blanche began to carry the guilt around with her. Their young love blinds them and hides all the obstacles they had to face. After catching him, she felt like she had lost part of herself, and after he shot himself, she felt like she
During scene one, the audience is introduced to Blanche as Stella's sister, who is going to stay with her for a while. Blanch tries her best to act normal and hide her emotion from her sister, but breaks down at the end of scene one explaining to Stella how their old home, the Belle Reve, was "lost." It is inferred that the home had to be sold to cover the massive funeral expenses due to the many deaths of members of the Dubois family. As Blanche whines to her sister, "All of those deaths! The parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way!" (21). The audience sees this poor aging woman, who has lost so many close to her, and now her home where she grew up. How could anyone look at her, and not feel the pain and suffering that she has to deal with by herself? Williams wants the audience to see what this woman has been through and why she is acting the way she is. Blanche's first love was also taken from her. It seems that everyone she loves is dead except for her sister. Death plays a crucial role in Blanche's depression and other mental irregularities. While these circumstances are probably enough for the audience to feel sympathy for Blanche, Williams takes it a step further when we see Blanche's...