A Streetcar Named Desire Essay

Back to life, back to reality

Reality verses Illusion. That is the struggle Blanche had throughout the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Blanche had always longed for the perfect relationship which ended up leading her to try to create a perfect fantasy with many different men. Throughout the play Blanche tried to gain attention from her sister Stella’s husband Stanley. When Stanley did not give into her petty games, Stella’s world suddenly came crashing down and her self-esteem was shot down every more. This leads Blanche to deal with life’s harsh reality by creating illusions and fabrications that even she starts to believe in order to escape from reality.

In the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams it is learned that Blanche had been married to a young man named Allan who meant the world to her. One night she had walked in on her husband with another man and later told him that he “disgusted” (Williams, 115) her and after that he ended up committing suicide. Shortly after that her younger sister Stella had left Belle Reeve to move to New Orleans and eventually ended up getting married. When Stella was in New Orleans Stella states “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!” (Williams, 20). Blanche was left to deal with everyone she loved dying off one by one all alone, and she ended up not knowing how to cope with any of the situations she was faced with.

Blanche’s unhealthy coping mechanisms are brought to light when Blanche reunites with her sister in New Orleans. In scene one when Stella pours Blanche and herself drinks, Stella tries to find a chaser but Blanche insists that they do not need a chaser and states, “your sister has not turned into a drunkard” (Williams, 12). Blanche insists she is not a drunk, but if someone can drink Whiskey without a chaser they clearly drink often and they are a hard drinker. Blanche’s ability to fabricate the truth has led her to convince herself that she is not a drunk because drinking is a coping method that allows her to escape from reality.

In Act One Blanche’s patronizing ways are also brought to light. Blanche has Stella pay her a compliment about her looks and then says to Stella, “you’ve put on some weight, yes, you’re just as plump as a little partridge! And it’s so becoming to you!” (Williams, 14). Blanche blatantly puts down Stella to make herself feel superior and to boost her self-esteem. In Blanche’s perfect fantasy people would bow down to her and compliment her and desire her but she soon gets hit with reality when Stella’s husband Stanley picks her apart more and more each day.

When Blanche first meets Stanley she immediately starts to flirt with him and tries to get him to notice her. In scene two Blanche gets dressed then asks Stanley how she looks,