A Streetcar Named Desire
Essay Preview: A Streetcar Named Desire
Report this essay
Discuss the various ways the confidant or confidante functions in one of the following works.
In the play, A Streetcar named Desire, Tennessee Williams depicts a conflict through his main character, Blanche Dubois. Blanche has a problem in believing that she is in a fantasy world. In this play one of the confidants that she has is Mitch. She not only develops a sexual connection to him but an emotional connection as well.
Throughout the play and in real life one thing that plays a major role in our daily lives is society. Even though many may not realize it, or want to admit it, society is what dictates the way we basically are. Some might call it peer pressure but that is just the way of life. In todays world, the popularity that I feel is mostly affected by society are women. The societal pressures on women to be attractive, successful, and thin are stronger than ever. “In American society it has become very apparent that the perception of how a “real” woman should look and how a “real” woman really looks are two different things.” Women look at media to demonstrate what they should look like. More and more, different perceptions of beauty are being thrown at women saying females need to have certain characteristics in order to be accepted by society. What most women dont truly get is that, trying to reach their dream of looking like a celebrity is a very hard task. Because of the fact that that these “beautiful” women on T.V., in movies, and on magazine covers have people to make them look the way that they do. Its not until hours of makeup and airbrush, plus computerized alterations that a picture will go onto a magazine cover. People are not meant to be perfect. It just doesnt happen. But according to society we have to try at least to be very close, and until we realize the truth nothing will change.
When the play begins Blanche is already considered to be a “fallen women”. The play opens up with Blanche moving to New Orleans to live with her sister, Stella and her husband, Stanley Kowalski. Without any evidence of the reason of Blanches sudden departure the play begins with Blanche criticizing her sister about living in such poor conditions. Blanche and Stella were raised in wealth and are used to high standards of living. As a member of the higher social class, she has been required to live by certain set principles rules and “values”. Due to her social status Blanche has a distorted sense of self and truly cant understand why her sister doesnt feel the same. Her upbringing has demoralized her in a way that she has not been allowed to interact with those of lower social standing. In Belle Reve, where Blanche used to live, Blanche was considered glamorous, intelligent and wealthy. Now she faces the struggle of trying to keep that same type of image now in New Orleans. She faces the problem of being someone she no longer is, which shows a clear interpretation of Blanches world, the importance of appearance versus reality.
Blanche Dubois is also part of the society that doesnt accept real women. In her strong attempt to pursue Mitch, Stanley Kowalskis friend, she pretends to be women that she could never be. She has very low self esteem and tries to attract men by wearing sleazy attire. But to make matters worse she also tries to act as if she is “prim and proper” when it comes to having a relationship with men. Blanche lives for society. Everything she does and says is because she has this persona that she is trying to keep up. “If anything Blanche is too unforgiving of her past and insists on punishing herself too harshly. Feeling too much guilt is as imbalanced in Williams world as feeling too little, both or deliberating extremes.”(Adler 82) In life you have to learn to live with what you have, not everything will go your way. Life is not perfect and you just have to learn to deal with change. Like my favorite artist of all time says “When something is gone, its gone forever.” (Jay – Z, Song Cry)
In Blanches strong attempt to pursue a relationship with Mitch she decides to tell Mitch the truth about her past and who she truly is. She reveals to him that she was married to this younger guy, Allan, who turned out to be homosexual and forced him into committing suicide. After that everything just kept going downhill. Many of her close family members passed away and to make matters worst she lost Belle Reve, the family plantation, the source of their wealth. All of these tragedies lead her into finding comfort in men. She began to have permisquist sex with different men, until she seduced one of her 17 year old high school students that she used to teach. So to make the summary short she basically got thrown out of Laurel and she had no where to go except to her sister Stellas house. But that left a terrible scar embedded in her heart. She wanted so badly to erase the bad reputation that she had gained, that she became crazy. “When reproached by Mitch for deception she replies, simply, “I didnt lie in my heart.” ” (Kernan 19) It was just Blanches way of turning away from the misery of reality.
“I dont want realism. I want magic! [Mitch laughs] Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I dont tell them the truth, I tell them what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it.” (Williams 145)
The main reason for Stanleys strong dislike of Blanche is because from day one of meeting Blanche he could see right through her. He could tell that something wasnt right about her and he was determined to find out what it was. Blanches personality and/ or priorities really show through the evident contrast between her and Stanley Kowalski. The most obvious difference between Stanley and Blanche is the social background. “Blanche comes from an old Southern family and was raised to see herself as socially elite”. Stanley on the other hand, comes from an immigrant family from Poland, who believes in working hard to achieve success. Blanche lives for how things should be and not how they truly are. Stanley is more realistic. “He is a smasher not only to object but of people; he becomes increasingly violent as the play proceeds.” (Adler53) One of the most significant scenes in the play is when he rapes Blanche. He destroys the remainder of her sexual and mental self esteem.
“During the rape, through the transparent back wall of the apartment, the audience sees a streetcar being pursued by a drunk she has rolled; she in turn loses her “sequined bag” to a thief. For having threatened Stanleys