Illustration of a man and a woman embracing

A Streetcar Named Desire

by Tennessee Williams

Start Free Trial

Student Question

Who is blamed by Blanche for the loss of Belle Reve?

Quick answer:

Blanche blames Stella for the loss of Belle Reve.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Blanche blames Stella for the loss of Belle Reve. While she does not appear to believe Stella's presence would have stopped the unfortunate course of events, she does think Stella abandoned her in her time of greatest need. Stella left Belle Reve years ago, making a new life for herself in New Orleans and then marrying Stanley Kowalski. Blanche remained at Belle Reve and had to deal with multiple deaths in the family, nursing terminally ill relatives and arranging for their funerals. While Stella did appear for the funerals, Blanche criticizes her for this, too, because she did not have to go through the pain of actually watching their loved ones struggle and then die.

Blanche sees herself as a martyr. When it comes to Belle Reve, she claims that she "fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it!" These emotions have made her bitter towards her sister, leading to passive-aggressive comments and backhanded compliments during their reunion (for example, Blanche calls Stella pudgy, not realizing her sister is several months pregnant). Blanche feels she is the only one who fought for their old way of life despite the odds against her. This trend to clinging to the past is a steadfast part of Blanche's character in contrast to the more modern-minded Stella, who ultimately sides with her husband and the new South he represents.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial