In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, one of the main characters had the misconception that she was living in a world different than that of reality and this contributed to the central theme that hiding one's true self can hurt everyone involved. Blanche DuBois was introduced as the refined sister of Stella Kowalski, whom she appeared to be visiting for a short time. These two women came from a Southern aristocratic background but each became involved in a different lifestyle when she entered adulthood. Stella married a "common" man and moved to New Orleans, while Blanche juggled two lives, one as a schoolteacher and the other as a promiscuous single woman. Bearing stories of her privileged lifestyle and dismissing any convictions that Stella or Stanley may have about her past, Blanche arrived in the French Quarter trying to convince herself that she was actually telling the truth, while she really suffered from disillusionment.
lay, Blanche was portrayed as a beautiful, young woman from a rich background. She wore expensive garments and flaunted her array of
fur pieces even while in the Kowalski home. Calling him "common" and "Polack", Stella immediately created an enemy of Stella's husband, Stanley. It became apparent that Blanche was hiding something from her sister when she spoke of losing their home estate, Belle Reve, and did not offer an explanation. Her job as a teacher was also a topic that was discussed, but Blanche offered only that she was taking a break. The
illusion of having a high-class lifestyle marked the beginning of Blanche's alternating self-discovery and denial of reality.
In reality, Blanche DuBois came to New Orleans because she had nowhere to live and no place to work. After kissing one of her students, she was fired from her teaching job and at the same time she lost Belle Reve, the family estate. Too ashamed to admit her wrongdoings, Blanche executed an performance that
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