Blanche Dubois False Reality

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The False Reality of Blanche Dubois In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams it exaggerates the contrast between the traditional southern lifestyle and the new industrialized southern lifestyle. Traditionalists like Blanche Dubois are unable to adapt to the changes that have occurred. As a coping method, Blanche lies to those around her to deal with the loss of her youthfulness, her husband and the family home, Belle Reve. During the play Blanche mirrors Belle Reve through the years once a beautiful and respected plantation that slowly became a lost piece of the family. The play begins with Blanche coming into New Orleans to visit her sister Stella and her husband Stanley; She rides two streetcars one named Desire and the …show more content…

The family plantation is another symbol of Blanche’s tendencies to cling onto her illusions. “After all, a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion, but when a thing is important I tell the truth, and this is the truth: I haven't cheated my sister or you or anyone else as I have lived (page 41)”. This is ironic because all Blanche does throughout the play is cheat people by lying to them using her charm and illusion. Once Belle Reve was lost Blanche’s “beautiful dream” of living in luxury and being taken care of was crumbled into dust. In addition to the loss of Belle Reve the loss of her good reputation contributes to Blanche’s insanity. This all starts when her young husband cheats on her with another man. Blanche feels embarrassed and ashamed of him after she witnesses this happening. Then to make matters worse for Blanche he commits suicide which she cannot even think about without hearing polka music and gunshots playing repeatedly in the back of her mind. Another major factor in Blanche’s lost grip on reality is her getting involved with her seventeen year-old student at the high school that she teaches at. Teaching was the only other thing Blanche had to focus on besides for Allan so in away another part of her had died. With no job, no husband, and no place to live Blanche turns to the Flamingo hotel. She becomes a “permanent” resident there and commits very …show more content…

Stanley grows tired of Blanche lying to him and Stella and to get revenge for all the chaos she has caused in their lives he rapes her. He asserts himself to show that men are truly dominant over women; this causes Blanche to lose what is left of her mind. All of her memories of the past torment her in this moment causing her the greatest pain that she has experienced in her life. The fantasy disappears from Blanche when this happens because it brings her back to a reality where there is no happiness just pain and suffering caused by people around her. “ I have always depended on the kindness of strangers (page 142)”. This is an example of tragedy that is seen throughout the play because Blanche considers an act of kindness to be desire. In the end Blanch was not desired and cannot face the reality of being a victim of rape so she retreats into her delusionary world of fantasy and

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