Reality and Illusion in A StreetCar Named Desire

A detailed Summary of Reality and Illusion in A StreetCar Named Desire

Every human being has a vision of a perfect life. If they did not it would be somewhat immortal. So does Blanche the main character of A Streetcar Named Desire. The only difference is Blanche has sunken to the greatest depths of her illusion and isn't willing to except the reality of her life. Blanche is so lost and involved in living her life as an illusion that she is hurting everyone who cares about her; she accomplishes this by fabricating her past. In Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanches unwillingness to accept reality contributes to her breakdown. One is lead to believe this for the following reasons, her unwillingness to accept the reality of her downfall in social ranking, her unwillingness to accept the reality of her physical decline, and her unwillingness to accept the reality of her promiscuous relationships.

First of all, Blanche's unwillingness to accept reality is seen through her inability to accept her decline in social status, which contributes to her mental breakdown. Her inability to accept her decline in social status is seen when Blanche goes to Elysian Fields to stay at her sister Stella's house. The following quotation shows the audience of Blanches unwillingness to ac

Finally, her unwillingness to accept the reality of her promiscuous relationships leads to her breakdown. Blanche does this by fabricating the reality of her intimate relationships to those close to her. This is clearly seen when Stella questions Blanche the reason for leaving her job at the school; Blanche replies by saying, "I was so exhausted by all I'd been through my-nerves broke. ... Mr. Graves the high school superintendent suggested I take a leave of absence." This shows that Blanche is so far away from reality that she does not feel the importance of informing her sister about her life. Blanche does not realize how serious lying to Stella actually is. It is because of Blanche's dishonesty to Stella that she looses trust in her. In the end, it is because of Blanche's dishonesty that Stella is reluctant to believe Stanley raped her, which sends Blanche to the asylum. Blanche not only lies to Stella but she also duplicities to Mitch the only person that she has a chance of establishing a permanent relationship with. This is seen when Blanche says, "I don't want realism. I want magic!"(Williams 117) and "I don't tell truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And if that is sinful let me be damned for it!"(Williams 117) These quotations depict Blanche's obsession of not considering the relevance of reality, but also how far fetched she is from the "real world". It is because of this dishonesty, she has lost Mitch, who was her last chance of turning her dark life into brightness. The result of Blanche's deception is clearly visi

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Approximate Word count = 1041
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels