Blanches journey is very representative of her downfall in life. She is told to "Take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at Elysian Fields". Later in the story we find out that this has been Blanche's journey for the last few years of her life and that she really is arriving at Elysian Fields.

We find out that Blanch was married earlier in life, but to a homosexual. The young man commits suicide, apparently form the pressure of Blanche's taunts and Blanche is left without a partner for the rest of her life. However, Blanche is not willing to simply be without. She admits later in the story that, "after the death of Allen, intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with".(679) Blanche apparen

To live in the flesh and there by the waters of Lethe

A young man comes to the door collecting money for the paper and Blanche is immediately attracted to him. She calls him back three times when he tries to leave and finally kisses him on the mouth before telling him to leave. Her act of telling the boy to go almost shows that she doing better, that maybe she is moving beyond her past weaknesses and is ready to move on with her life. However, she will not get the chance.

Stanley is not satisfied with Blanche's story about Belle Reve and her leaving Laurel. He hears some rumors about the Hotel Flamingo and confronts Blanche about them. Blanche adamantly denies that she has ever been to the hotel but Stanley says he will have a friend check in Laurel for him. Very nervous and on edge, Blanche is extremely paranoid about any "unkind gossip" about her past. She then confesses to Stella: "I haven't been so awfully good the last year or so, since Belle Reve started to slip through my fingers". She is morbid about the unpleasant realities of life, the new threat to shatter her hopes of a fresh start, her lost fortune, and her advancing age:

tly has spent the time before coming to New Orleans as a very promiscuous woman and even as a prostitute. This is her ride on Desire.

This is the place Blanche has come to start her new life and she does a very good job of filling the role. Throughout the play she drinks more and more to drown the sorrows of her past.

I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people.

Blanche is constantly taking a bath to the great irritation of Stanley. Apparently she is trying to cleanse and purify herself of the things she has done se she can start her new life. When Blanche comes out of the bathroom after her first bath Stanley is waiting for her like she is his prey. He has been through her trunk and has thrown her belongings about the room. He begins questioning her about her expensive clothes and jewelry and asks Stella where her expensive things are. Blanche describes Stanley's attitude: "You're simple, straightforward, and honest. A little bit on the, uh, primitive side, I should think." Stanley is interested in knowing the details of Belle Reve because under the Napoleonic Code any money that belongs to Stella also belongs to him. In this scene, when Stanley is prodding her for the truth about the estate we have the first statement from Blanche where she admits she is not always honest: "I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is fifty percent illusion".(644)

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mitch Mitch, Belle Reve, Cemeteries Blanche, Fields Blanch, Stanley Apparently, Blanche Mitch, Stanley Stella, Elysian Fields, Napoleonic Code, Laurel Stanley, elysian fields, belle reve, throughout play, blanche's journey, blanche tells, life blanche, streetcar named desire, learned truth, tells stella, blanche comes, play blanche, life blanche comes, throughout play blanche,
Approximate Word count = 1826
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)