A Streetcar Named Desire Character Analysis

First performed in 1947, A Streetcar Named Desire, is considered to be one of Tennessee Williams’ greatest works. Detailing the weeks in which thirty-year-old Blanche DuBois stays with her sister, Stella, and Stella’s husband, Stanley, the play tells a story of unrequited love, the dangers of dreams, and the inevitable reality of life. Through each act, Blanche becomes increasingly unstable and this downfall culminates in a complete nervous breakdown. This breakdown is not caused by a single event, but rather, a long history of triggers. Prior to arriving in Elysian Fields, Blanche has survived the death of her husband and her subsequent sexually promiscuous lifestyle. She goes to Stella hoping for a new beginning, but is instead confronted by all of her past mistakes. Blanche’s road to her nervous breakdown and the asylum was created by her inability to process the tragedies of her life without resorting to illusions. At the tender age of sixteen, Blanche fell in love with a young man named Allan Gray. She was drawn to his sensitive soul, which matched her own, but ignored signs that indicated he was not the man she wanted him to be. In reality, Allan’s sexual orientation was not compatible with Blanche’s, and they could never have the relationship she wanted. After catching him in an intimate position with another man, she was forced to acknowledge the reality of their situation. In a state of extreme anger and confusion, Blanche confronted Allan, and the confrontation