Themes: Reality vs. Fantasy
Throughout the play, Blanche fantasizes about a life that will never be. Blanche presents herself as she wishes she was—a young, chaste Southern belle—rather than an aging sexual deviant. When Mitch accuses her of lying, she says:
I don’t want realism. I want magic!... I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth.
Blanch is far more concerned with the fantasies in her head that the reality of the world around her. Her preoccupation with fantasy is also seen in her growing obsession with her former boyfriend, Shep Huntleigh. Early in the play, she is convinced that he will help her and Stella escape from Stanley, although there is no indication that he is engaged in Blanche’s life in any way. As the play progresses, she convinces herself that he is going to come to take her away and travel the world with her, despite the fact that he is married. By the end of the play, her certainty of Shep’s forthcoming arrival marks her insanity. Her inability to separate fantasy and reality also means that Stella does not believe her when she accuses Stanley of rape. In the end, it is this inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality that is Blanche’s undoing.
A related dimension of Blanche’s struggle with reality is her preoccupation with the past. Just as she indulges in fantasies about her future, she holds onto a lost past that she can never recover. As Blanche begins to approach middle age, she laments her dwindling youth and her lost opportunities. And so she reaches for images of happier times. Her memories of Shep Huntleigh, for example, grip her, and she tries to transform them into new possibilities for the future. However, Blanche’s memories are but fodder for fantasy, and so her grasp on reality is only weakened by such reminiscences.
Expert Q&A
In A Streetcar Named Desire, what does Blanche mean by, "I don't want realism, I want magic"?
In "A Streetcar Named Desire," Blanche's statement, "I don't want realism, I want magic," reflects her desire to escape the harsh realities of her life, including her husband's suicide, her own poverty, and her fading youth. She seeks to create a softer, more romanticized world through illusions and dreams, as reality offers her little hope or protection.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, what truth does Blanche reveal to Stanley about illusion?
In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche reveals to Stanley that "a woman's charm is fifty percent illusion," indicating her belief that women should maintain an air of mystery and not fully expose their faults. This statement reflects Blanche's reliance on fantasy and delusion to cope with her traumatic past and present herself as an idealized Southern Belle, rather than facing harsh realities.
How is deception presented in A Streetcar Named Desire?
In A Streetcar Named Desire, appearances are deceiving in Blanche, for what she pretends to be (a well-off schoolteacher on a leave of absence) is not at all what she is. Appearances are also quite different from reality in Stella and Stanley's marriage. By the end of the play, Blanche can no longer tell the difference between appearances and reality.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, what does the polka music repetition and contradiction in Blanche’s head symbolize?
The recurring polka music in Blanche's head symbolizes her deteriorating mental state and the trauma of her past, particularly her young husband's suicide. It represents her only true romance, now tainted with tragedy, and foreshadows her grim future as she spirals into madness. The music's varying forms and intensities reflect her inner turmoil, serving as a constant reminder of her suffering and the bleakness of both her past and future.
What does the searchlight symbolize in A Streetcar Named Desire?
Blanche: "I’d suddenly said--“I saw! I know! You disgust me” And then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since has there been any light that’s stronger than this - kitchen - candle…"
In A Streetcar Named Desire, the searchlight symbolizes truth and reality, which Blanche fears. She avoids strong light to hide her true age and the harsh realities of her past, including her failed marriage to a homosexual man. The searchlight represents the moment of revelation and loss for Blanche, after which she prefers the gentler, concealing light of a candle.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, what does Blanche mean by "turn the trick"? What is the significance of the "paper lantern"?
Given what know about the end of the play, Blanche is referring to prostitution when she says she doesn't know how much longer she can "turn a trick" for. Turning a trick means finding a client willing to pay for sex. The paper lantern refers to the way Blanche puts softly colored paper over lamps in the apartment to obscure the light so that she can looks younger. In a double, symbolic meaning, it also refers to how she has been obscuring the truth about how she earns a living.
Does Blanche lie about her age in A Streetcar Named Desire?
In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche lies about her age. This is a response to the harsh stereotyping of women over thirty in her society. It is also a reflection of Blanche's tendency to live in a dreamworld of her own making.
Is Blanche insane at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, or what defines her sanity?
Blanche is not accurately described as "insane" at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire. She suffers from severe PTSD, worsened by Stanley's assault and earlier traumas, leading to a disconnection from reality. This mental illness, rather than "insanity," more precisely explains her behavior. Blanche's experience reflects themes in Tennessee Williams's works, highlighting characters marginalized by societal expectations.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, who is the real Blanche: innocent and charming or degenerate and promiscuous?
Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" is depicted as more degenerate and promiscuous than innocent and charming. Her actions, such as flirting with a young boy and lying about her past, reveal a manipulative nature. Blanche's history of deceit and libertine behavior, including losing her job for an affair with a student, suggests a lack of innocence. Her interactions disrupt her sister's life, portraying her as a complex and troubled character rather than charming.
What "two worlds" are juxtaposed in the opening of Scene I in A Streetcar Named Desire?
The opening of Scene I juxtaposes the two worlds of Blanche's "Old South" and the modern, industrial New Orleans where Stanley and Stella live. Blanche's genteel past, represented by her former life on the Belle Reve plantation, contrasts sharply with the working-class, cramped environment of her sister's neighborhood. This dissonance highlights Blanche's awkwardness and discomfort as she navigates a world that is unfamiliar and unsettling to her.
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