How is Blanche presented in scenes 1-3 of "A Streetcar Named Desire"?
In the first three scenes of "A Streetcar Named Desire," Blanche DuBois is presented as the typical southern belle in opposition to the modern world. We see her frailty contrasted with New Orleans' rough, vibrant French quarter and the way in which the modern world appears to confuse her. The affection she displays for her sister seems both genuine and warm. However, we also see a darker side to her personality - she seems to be a compulsive liar and her alcoholism indicates that the new world is already beginning to infringe on her old fashioned values and morals, perhaps foreshadowing later discoveries about her sexual history and indicating her lack of self control. …show more content…
This is displayed to full effect when Stella attempts to question Blanche on the subject of the loss of Belle Reve. She reminds her that "I took the blows to my face and body," suggesting she endured greater pain than Stella did and further tells her "you didn't dream, but I saw," clearly implying that her suffering has been beyond anything Stella can imagine. While we are told in scene three that "all but Stella and I [Blanche]" are now dead in the DuBois family, and thus Blanche will indeed have dealt with many deaths and been through hardships, but the statement nevertheless seems hyperbolic, designed to make Stella feel as much sympathy for her as possible. Further, she then implies that Stella is as much responsible for the loss as she, when she asks her accusingly "where were you?" When in reality Belle Reve was Blanche's responsibility. Yet Stella falls for her act, as we can see when she tells Stanley not to question her on the subject as "she's been through such an ordeal." Here we see Blanche demonstrate a mastery of manipulation, able to make others take responsibility even for the greatest of her
In the first three scenes of "A Streetcar Named Desire," Blanche DuBois is presented as the typical southern belle in opposition to the modern world. We see her frailty contrasted with New Orleans' rough, vibrant French quarter and the way in which the modern world appears to confuse her. The affection she displays for her sister seems both genuine and warm. However, we also see a darker side to her personality - she seems to be a compulsive liar and her alcoholism indicates that the new world is already beginning to infringe on her old fashioned values and morals, perhaps foreshadowing later discoveries about her sexual history and indicating her lack of self control. …show more content…
This is displayed to full effect when Stella attempts to question Blanche on the subject of the loss of Belle Reve. She reminds her that "I took the blows to my face and body," suggesting she endured greater pain than Stella did and further tells her "you didn't dream, but I saw," clearly implying that her suffering has been beyond anything Stella can imagine. While we are told in scene three that "all but Stella and I [Blanche]" are now dead in the DuBois family, and thus Blanche will indeed have dealt with many deaths and been through hardships, but the statement nevertheless seems hyperbolic, designed to make Stella feel as much sympathy for her as possible. Further, she then implies that Stella is as much responsible for the loss as she, when she asks her accusingly "where were you?" When in reality Belle Reve was Blanche's responsibility. Yet Stella falls for her act, as we can see when she tells Stanley not to question her on the subject as "she's been through such an ordeal." Here we see Blanche demonstrate a mastery of manipulation, able to make others take responsibility even for the greatest of her