Illusion and Magic in Blanche DuBois’s Character
Throughout Tennessee William’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, there is a prominent and continuous theme of realism and magic. In particular this theme manifests itself deeply in one specific main character, Blanche DuBois. In the play, Blanche finds herself in a consistent struggle with reality; she has immense difficulty accepting her true life, her reality. Because of
Blanche’s role in the tragic suicide of her first love and husband, she becomes entirely overwhelmed and wrecked by guilt. Blanche acknowledges and claims the responsibility in her husband’s suicide as she reveals to Mitch, her momentary boyfriend, her knowledge of her husband’s affair with another grown man. Blanche unveils …show more content…
Blanche is bathing herself in the Kowalski tub while simultaneously in the other room Stanley and Stella are bickering. Stanley is revealing the truths to Stella of Blanche’s past that he has learned from a reliable source. Stanley openly sees through her illusion and her mask, but needless to say Stella is reluctant to believe him for Blanche is her sister, her family. Stanley’s character represents the harsh light of reality. Stanley is the reality that is cracking her mask, trying to break her down from denial to reveal her secrets. While he is conveying the truth to
Stella in this scene, Blanche is heard singing a song ironically telling of the magic and makebelieve she is exercising. She is singing the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” by Ella Fitzgerald.
This song contains lyrics such as “It’s a Barnum and Bailey world, Just as phony as it can be-But it wouldn’t be make-believe If you believed in me!” (Williams 99). These lyrics explicitly clarify that indeed Blanche is purposely lying about her past. The upbeat lyrics and tone of the song justify and reveal how harmless Blanche feels her pretending is. She feels life would be …show more content…
The idea is not only daunting and testing for Stella but also, even more importantly,
Stella and Stanley’s future child. The play leaves a sense of ambiguity and foreshadowing of the role of illusion in the Kowalski’s future.
In Tennessee William’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, there is a common, continuing theme of reality versus illusion. Reality inevitably provokes and thrusts the characters, in particular Blanche and Stella, into a world of magic and illusion for protection. Blanche’s illusions act as a mask and as armor against the cruelty of the truths of her past, her reality. She uses both magic and illusion as defense mechanisms to keep herself motivated and happy so she can both mentally and physically manage to live out the remainder of her life after the traumatic suicide. The only effective manner in which Blanche can deal with her past is by completely avoiding it. She twists and contorts the past into something entirely new, innovative, and different. Stanley as seen prior does not allow Blanche to continue living in a dream. He functions and represents the harsh unsympathetic reality of life that in due course leads to her spiral into mental breakdown, a breakdown characterized into three stages. Williams leaves
Throughout Tennessee William’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, there is a prominent and continuous theme of realism and magic. In particular this theme manifests itself deeply in one specific main character, Blanche DuBois. In the play, Blanche finds herself in a consistent struggle with reality; she has immense difficulty accepting her true life, her reality. Because of
Blanche’s role in the tragic suicide of her first love and husband, she becomes entirely overwhelmed and wrecked by guilt. Blanche acknowledges and claims the responsibility in her husband’s suicide as she reveals to Mitch, her momentary boyfriend, her knowledge of her husband’s affair with another grown man. Blanche unveils …show more content…
Blanche is bathing herself in the Kowalski tub while simultaneously in the other room Stanley and Stella are bickering. Stanley is revealing the truths to Stella of Blanche’s past that he has learned from a reliable source. Stanley openly sees through her illusion and her mask, but needless to say Stella is reluctant to believe him for Blanche is her sister, her family. Stanley’s character represents the harsh light of reality. Stanley is the reality that is cracking her mask, trying to break her down from denial to reveal her secrets. While he is conveying the truth to
Stella in this scene, Blanche is heard singing a song ironically telling of the magic and makebelieve she is exercising. She is singing the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” by Ella Fitzgerald.
This song contains lyrics such as “It’s a Barnum and Bailey world, Just as phony as it can be-But it wouldn’t be make-believe If you believed in me!” (Williams 99). These lyrics explicitly clarify that indeed Blanche is purposely lying about her past. The upbeat lyrics and tone of the song justify and reveal how harmless Blanche feels her pretending is. She feels life would be …show more content…
The idea is not only daunting and testing for Stella but also, even more importantly,
Stella and Stanley’s future child. The play leaves a sense of ambiguity and foreshadowing of the role of illusion in the Kowalski’s future.
In Tennessee William’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, there is a common, continuing theme of reality versus illusion. Reality inevitably provokes and thrusts the characters, in particular Blanche and Stella, into a world of magic and illusion for protection. Blanche’s illusions act as a mask and as armor against the cruelty of the truths of her past, her reality. She uses both magic and illusion as defense mechanisms to keep herself motivated and happy so she can both mentally and physically manage to live out the remainder of her life after the traumatic suicide. The only effective manner in which Blanche can deal with her past is by completely avoiding it. She twists and contorts the past into something entirely new, innovative, and different. Stanley as seen prior does not allow Blanche to continue living in a dream. He functions and represents the harsh unsympathetic reality of life that in due course leads to her spiral into mental breakdown, a breakdown characterized into three stages. Williams leaves