“I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!” (Williams, 2009, p. 738). Illusion vs. reality has been a major running theme in all the plays we have read in class. By interpretation, the idea of illusion is a way to build an alternate fantasy world for oneself where he/she can escape from reality. From all the characters analyzed in class, Blanche from A Streetcar Named Desire would definitely be the one character who is so steadfast on illusion that she lets it shape her life as she believes it is her only way towards a happier life. As seen in the above quote, Blanche chooses to dwell in illusion, for it is her primary defense against the troubles in her life. Illusion has had a freeing enchantment that protects her from the tragedies she has had to endure. However, Blanche is not the only character with this fixation on illusion. In this paper, I will be analyzing other characters like Nora from A Doll’s House, Eliza from Pygmalion and Mrs. Hale from Trifles, who just like Blanche have also succumbed to the world of illusion as opposed to reality. The first character that we will look at is Nora. In the Doll’s House we are introduced to Nora who is happily married to Torvald. She responds affectionately to Torvald’s patronizing and teasing and doesn’t seem to object to her doll-like treatment. However we come to learn that Nora isn’t just the silly girl or childish woman Torvald calls her. Although Nora is well off financially, her issue lies with the way she is treated. The society at that time deems that Torvald is the dominant marriage partner, and as h... ... middle of paper ... ...Blanche, Mrs. Hale felt the need to misinterpret things to the men, she didn’t tell the truth, hid the bird and stood by her beliefs what ought to be the truth which was Mrs. Wright should not be punished for killing her husband. He has caused her so much grief; it was only natural that the stillness caused her to kill her husband. With the above two characters- Nora and Eliza, they used illusion for more personal benefits but with the case of Mrs. Hale she used illusion to support and withholds information from the men to protect Mrs. Wright. All in all, the three plays depict various forms of illusion, each having a significant impact and/or consequence over each character and those around them. Nora decides to leave Torvald when faced with the reality, Eliza leaves Higgins to rediscover herself and Mrs. Hale manipulates the evidence to help protect her friend.
It is certainly true that the characters of ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘Ethan Frome’, and ‘Howl and Other Poems’ turn to illusions in order to escape from the harsh realities of their lives. Becoming increasingly impuissant at coping in the process. The question is whether it is the act of turning to illusions for comfort, that is ultimately responsible for their inability to cope and ultimate downfalls; or if the characters themselves bear ultimate responsibility and are merely hiding behind their immersion in fantasy in attempt to remove any culpability for their actions, of lack thereof, from themselves.
The downfall, denial, and need to change of the two women are all quite evident in these two plays. First the troubles of Blanche and Amanda need to be recognized. Blanche has apparently had practice hiding her drinking problem. When she arrives at Stella’s home, she sneaks a shot of whiskey (Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, Scene1. Page 18. Lines 12-17). When she is later offered a drink, she acts as though she has no idea where the alcohol is kept (Williams, A.S.N.D. 1.19.12-15). Amanda cannot accept the fact that no gentlemen callers are coming for Laura, her daughter, thus making that reality more difficult for Laura to accept (Williams, The Glass Menagerie, 1.28.1-5). Neither Blanche nor Amanda allows herself to recognize her problems and work them out. They both deny the existence of these problems, thereby enabling their difficulties to become larger and even more complicated. When Stella offers Blanche a second drink, Blanche states, "One's m...
Illusion can be defined as a distortion of the senses, of reality, and the perception of a dream like world that consumes us. James Baldwin author of the short story “Sonny’s Blues” uses the unique creativity of illusion to therefore draw in his readers. He uses several literary elements including characterization, plot, and setting to express his elaborate use of illusion in this story. Likewise Nathaniel Hawthorne author of the most controversial short story “The Birthmark” also uses illusion to draw attention to an almost magical setting of mystery and morality. Both of these authors use this theme in their works brilliantly, but in contrasting styles, which on the contrary makes their works masterpieces in distorting the beauty and truth in the world.
In “A Dollhouse,” Nora is stuck in a marriage with a rich man who has no respect for her. Nora’s husband Torvald, does not think his
Regardless of the way that Williams' hero in a Streetcar Named Desire is the sentimental Blanche Du Bois, the play is a work of social legitimacy. Blanche discloses to Mitch that she lies since she declines to acknowledge the hand destiny has given her. Lying herself and to others allows her to make life appear as it should be rather than as it is by all accounts. Stanley, a pragmatic man ardently grounded in the physical world, hates Blanche's produces and does all that he can to unwind them. The adversarial relationship amongst Blanche and Stanley is a battle amongst appearances and reality. It moves the play's plot and makes a larger strain. Finally, Blanche's endeavors to change her own and Stella's habitations—to revive her life and to spare Stella from an existence with Stanley—fizzle.
Reality versus illusion is one of, if not the major theme of the play. It also has the most relevance to the way in which Blanche, Stanley and Stella are living in their own fantasy world. Perhaps the reason Blanche chose illusion rather than reality is because of her somewhat troubled past. When Blanche was 16 she married Alan who was 17. The impression we get of Alan is that of an attractive, gentle and kind young man. However, he had a somewhat feminine quality about him. Blanche soon finds out that he is involved in a homosexual relationship by catching him in the act. Blanche expresses her disgust and soon after Alan commits suicide by shooting himself. Already traumatized, the situation grew quickly worse when Blanche looses Belle Reve, the family estate. This proves only to worsen Blanche’s mental state to an all new low. This coupled with other events led Blanche to living with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley. Perhaps the events which had occurred led her to the edge of insanity which she was resting on during her time living with Stanley and Stella. It was easier for her to create her own fantasy world rather than to face up to reality.
the world of her past and the world of her present, unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with her present. The final result at the end of the play is the deterioration of her mind and character and her self-destruction. Blanche dwells in illusion; fantasy is her primary means of self-defence against her weaknesses and shortcomings. The story begins with Blanche going to New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley. Straight away, we are introduced to Blanche?s illusions and the battle between the illusions and the characters begins.
When reading A Doll’s House, the author tries to pursue the message that a true happy marriage is a marriage of equal parts between both people. In the beginning Torvald and Nora have a happy, typical, marriage that anybody in that time would have. There are many examples that show that towards the end of the play, a happy and equal marriage is something that Nora and Torvald don’t have. Once Norra leaves Torvald, there are many good and bad consequences that have the possibility of happening. There are many good and bad things that happen between their marriage, but in the end, the couple doesn’t know how to act as equals.
Thus, Williams has Blanche state, “I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it! – Don’t turn the light on” (Williams 145). Blanche only relies on her own fantasy because she fears reality. By the same token, a subtle clue to her fear of reality is her fear of the light. As can be seen, Blanche feared reality because she feared the truth; thus, her fantasies had led her down a path of lies, manipulation, and
A common saying in our society is “It’s not about the destination, but the journey,” but for many, it’s only about the destination. Commonly, that destination tends to be happiness, content of one’s mind and joy. With this in mind, can we live in a constant state of happiness? Is it possible to achieve happiness without compromising certain aspect of our lives? In the modern play, A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams, Blanche Dubois is a schoolteacher from Belle Reve, who moves to New Orleans to live with her sister, Stella Kowalski, and brutish brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. After suffering traumatic events and a troublesome reputation, Blanche is on the pursuit of happiness. Being one of insecurity, she commonly covers herself in illusions to compose a
Another prime example of illusion is Gatsby’s parties. The guests themselves create a huge illusion, making it look like everyone loves Gatsby and that he is very popular. Many, however, don’t even know who’s house they are in. They just are there to get drunk and have a good time without a care in the world. The reality of this is that no one cared about him. Nick and his father were the only ones to show up to his funeral, while hundreds of people showed up to his parties.
The inferior role of Nora is extremely important to her character. Nora is oppressed by a variety of "tyrannical social conventions." Ibsen in his "A Doll's House" depicts the role of women as subordinate in order to emphasize their role in society. Nora is oppressed by the manipulation from Torvald. Torvald has a very typical relationship with society. He is a smug bank manager. With his job arrive many responsibilities. He often treats his wife as if she is one of these responsibilities. Torvald is very authoritative and puts his appearance, both social and physical, ahead of his wife that he supposedly loves. Torvald is a man that is worried about his reputation, and cares little about his wife's feelings.
In the dramatic play, “A Doll House”, Torvald comes across as an over controllable and degrading husband towards his wife, Nora. He becomes more overbearing throughout the play, thus treating his wife more as a child than a woman. Interactions between Torvald and his wife are displayed more as a father talking to his child. In his head, Torvald believes that he is better than the rest and his mentality is easily displayed through his actions towards not only Nora, but others as well. Torvald is depicted as a moralistic being who has a mindset that a husband must hold the most power within a marriage.
In the case of `A Doll's House', the marriage of Nora and Torvald is clearly representative of the struggle between individualism and the expectations of society. At the beginning of the play Nora is almost completely immersed in the roles that are set out for her by society - that of a dutiful wife and mother. In her dialogue with Mrs Linde, Nora illustrates how a woman was valued according to how well she fulfilled those two roles. Her sympathy is evident ...
This passage on the surface seems extremely strange and peculiar but in a way the passage symbolizes three key identities seen in three of the main female characters in the play, Mrs. Millamant, Mrs. Fainall, and Lady Wishfort. These three women take on the three positions that Lady Wishfort addresses in the passage above, sitting, walking, and laying. These positions strongly correlate to the type of identities and roles that each of the aforementioned women occupy in the play. The identities of not only these women but in most if not all of the other characters in the play seem to have some element of disguise or dishonesty about them which generates the question of what truly is “identity” in the play. Lady Wishfort’s identity is one of the more intriguing ones to analyze because of the unique and different ways in which she is connected to the other characters in the pla...