Streetcar Named Desire Illusion Vs Reality Essay
“Tragic characters are “efficient” only in courting, suffering and encompassing their own destruction.” was once said by Gassner. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Gassner's definition is valid and accurate for one of Tennessee William’s main characters in the play, Blanche Dubois, sister of Stella Kowalski. Blanche Dubois is a character who at the end leads herself to her own downfall, along with the influence of her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski, who perpetuates her demise. By Tennessee Williams creating a complex web of conflicting emotions, it creates tension between these characters (Blanche and Stanley). Blanche draws in our attentions with her sincere and delicate personality, which it turns out later in the play to be an illusionistic …show more content…
This is seen when William states in his previous prior to scene eleven, "[Blanche has been drinking fairly steadily since Mitch left.She dragged her wardrobe trunk into the center of the bedroom...As the drinking and packing went on, a mood of hysterical exhilaration came into...Now she placing the rhinestone tiara on her head before the mirror of the dressing-table and murmuring excitedly as if to a group of spectral admirers.]( Page 151) also "[Tremblingly she lifts the hand mirror for a closer inspection.She catches her breath and slams the mirror face down with such violence that the glass cracks.](page 151). In this scene, Blanche has been drinking to escape from reality.She dresses up in posh attire, but in her fantasy, the only audience is herself and when she looks at herself even she can see the false reality she created for herself and smashes the mirror, signifying the failure of her fantasy world.Another instance of seeing the theme of illusion versus reality is when Blanche says, " I don't want realism. I want magic."This is basically a battle cry from Blanche that whether the magic is real or not doesn't matter, all that matters is that Blanche always has an option for fantasy and that she can conjure up hope or something kinder than the actual real
Self Preservation In Night By Elie Wiesel
1480 Words | 6 PagesBlanche is projecting the self-image of a person who believes that they are above others. She acts as though she is of a royal family and demands the respect of everyone around her. She loses her family's home to the government and blames it on her sister who left in order to search for her own lifestyle. From the beginning of her visit, Blanche gets an off feeling about Stanley. When she arrives, he starts to stare at her with a sense of caution then soon begins inspecting the paperwork that she brought with her in order to validate her story.
A Streetcar Named Desire Conflict Essay
783 Words | 4 PagesHowever the main conflict is Blanche’s inability to accept reality or her inability to let go of her past. Blanche sees herself above her sister’s life and carries a sense of entitlement that no longer fits her environment like it did in her past. Underneath, Blanche is a liar and Stanley is not. Stanley and Stella are able to able to admit what they are while Blanche is constantly trying to hide who she is. She is unable to come to her desire and sees herself superior to the people around her.
Insecurity In A Streetcar Named Desire
1085 Words | 5 PagesIt is what is haunting Blanche’s life, it is what has made her mentally unstable. Throughout the play, she has been hiding her past from people so she looks like
Deception In A Streetcar Named Desire Essay
1065 Words | 5 PagesBlanche’s final, deluded happiness suggests that, to some extent, fantasy is a vital force in every individual’s experience, despite reality’s inevitable triumph. This refers to her reality of how Mitch had came over to apologize to her, and she tells Stanley that she turned him down. This lie backfired, since Stanley knew exactly where Mitch was at this time. As well as Stanley saw through Blanches delusion of how she has received a wire, from Shep Huntleigh, inviting her to go with him down to the Caribbean cruise, in which Stanley later shuts down as
Compare Fahrenheit 451 And A Streetcar Named Desire
835 Words | 4 PagesAlthough the protagonists of “Fahrenheit 451” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” live in two drastically different societies, both are not satisfied with their current way of living and desire a change and improvement in their life. In “A Streetcar Named Desire”, the title of the play itself signifies Blanche’s desire to escape from the reality of her life, as she is haunted by her past and is currently living a life of insecurity, due to the loss of Belle Reve. Ironically, the streetcar named Desire did not bring her to what she truly wanted, an end of all her problems, and she in fact lost her sanity. The reason for Blanche’s tragic ending is due to the avoidance of her problems, shown metaphorically in the form of a flimsy paper lantern on top of a lamp.
Blanche's Destruction In A Streetcar Named Desire
778 Words | 4 PagesIn Scene 10, she deviously claims that she has just received a telegram from the millionaire, Steph Huntleigh, to explain why she is dressed up. At first, Stanley plays along, but once Blanche musters up the audacity to say that Mitch returned to their apartment seeking repentance, Stanley draws the line. He calls her out for her fictitious tales of her past, and states, “We’ve had this date from the start,” just before he maliciously rapes Blanche. Their natures root in primal, animalistic instincts, Stanley like a dirty hog, open and free concerning his sexuality, Blanche like a fox, sly and deceitful. Despite her incessant attempts to destroy her past, Blanche is unable to stop their sexual connection as she has had so many other men.
How Does Blanche React To Stella's Apartment?
618 Words | 3 PagesBut don’t look at me..” and “Open your pretty mouth and talk while I look around for some liquor”. 6) Identify two examples of Blanche’s deception in this scene. What does this reveal about her character? One example is that Blanche try to seem alright
A Streetcar Named Desire Past And Present Analysis
1547 Words | 7 PagesBlanche is an old southern Belle who expects the man to be a gentleman and in her level of class, scene 10 “A cultivated woman, a woman of intelligence and breeding, can enrich a man’s life” (Williams, 1947) this is how Blanche intertwines the past and present as past women were only there to be seen, look after the house and provide children and present Blanche could be seen to be past her prime. Blanche is representing the past as she is still dress in grand dress white moth Ironically Blanche appears in the first scene dressed in white, “the symbol of
Illusion Vs Reality In A Streetcar Named Desire
608 Words | 3 PagesAnd if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!” Blanches magic is seen through her illusions and delusions. In Blanches world Mitch doesn’t fit however she has reached a point of intimacy by being honest about her first husband and the guilt she endures as she begins to share the painful moment of her life with him. Stanley’s intrusion ruins her plans of marriage with Mitch and yet again she had to retreat in the world of her delusions. Stanley who represents realism in this novel and play pops Blanche’s illusion bubble through seeing the realism in scene ten
A Streetcar Named Desire Appearance Vs Reality Analysis
452 Words | 2 PagesThis shows how someone can think they are doing a good job how hiding their true self, but actually, everyone can see through their persona. Blanche tries her best to make sure her appearances are well kept; she is completely oblivious to the fact that she has severe mental and emotional problems, due to the fact that her husband took his own life.
Stereotypes In A Streetcar Named Desire
1245 Words | 5 PagesQuote and Explain, In contrast, Stella has both a husband and a child, she has something to work for, leading her to be accepted into society. Although Stella exemplifies these common traits, she falls under the same category as her sister, Blanche. While being depicted as less in comparison to the opposite sex. The intense description of the stage directions in scene three, depicts Stella as the prey and Stanley as the predator as he vigorously abused
A Streetcar Named Desire Literary Analysis
1697 Words | 7 PagesStanley continues to impose his reality onto Blanche, which causes her more anxiety relying more and more on herself to create more of an illusion by creating an admirer for herself, saying that she ended it with Mitch because she does not deserve “deliberate cruelty”, and crating this alter ego for herself as being pure. While Stella is in the hospital, he and Blanche are left alone for the night as she continues bragging about her admiration coming from Sheep Hunt Leigh and how she just got a wire from him. Stanley catches her in her life, finally tearing apart Blanche's illusions. Although Stanley has been a threat to her through his suspicion and empowering masculinity over her, the last scene is where he finally takes final control over her, or symbolically where reality has a final triumph over her illusions. While catching her in the midst of her lies she reveals to Blanche that “[he’s] been on to [Blanche] from the start!”
Character Analysis: A Streetcar Named Desire
1038 Words | 5 Pages“[She springs up and crosses to it, and removes a whiskey bottle. She pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down. She carefully replaces the bottle and washes out the tumbler at the sink]”(1.71) Blanche tries to separate herself from reality when she drinks, trying to forget and escape her troubled past. Being in a new environment is unsettling.
Gender Stereotypes In Streetcar Named Desire
966 Words | 4 PagesIn A streetcar named Desire, Stella is associated to this stereotypic role, she is an innocent woman and housewife who takes care of her husband by loving him in an outrageous way. Even if Stanley is hitting her, she still loves him. Whereas Blanche acts like a seductress, at first sight she seems to be pure by wearing a “daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice” (Williams 3). In reality the authors gives a false impression of her in order to affirm that stereotypes or first impression are not always true. Indeed, after several scenes Blanche uses her power of seduction in order to manipulate men and reach her objectives.
Theme Of Sexuality In Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire
1534 Words | 7 PagesBlanche’s knowledge that she must attract men with her physical body is shown when she tries to get Mitch 's attention by undressing in the light so that he can see the outline of her body “Blanche moves back into the streak of light. She raises her arms and stretches, as she moves indolently back to the chair” (88). However, her sexual encounters quickly gained her a reputation that prevented many
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