The Real Blanche DuBois
Uploaded by maxwell313 on Mar 11, 2000
The moment Blanche DuBois, Tennessee William’s central character in A Streetcar Named Desire, enters the small New Orleans apartment that Stanley and Stella Kowalski share, one can sense exactly what Blanche is, or at least what she chooses to be. In appearance, she is a glamorous, ladylike aristocrat, who is perhaps slightly nervous. She parades about the house as if she is a regal figure, wearing elegant gowns and delicate jewelry. However, this is merely a façade. Although Blanche was once a kind, normal, sweet girl, her very being has deteriorated. Now, all that’s left is what she struggles desperately to maintain on the outside.
It is obvious, even as Blanche desperately attempts to imitate a respectable lady, that there is something terribly wrong with her. She even admits it in Scene One:
"I want to be near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because – as you must have noticed – I’m – not very well (page 23) . . ."
Although Stella Kowalski, Blanche’s sister, is not entirely informed of Blanche’s past, she does not think much of Blanche’s above statement. After all, Stella reasons, Blanche always complains of such things; it’s nothing to worry about. In any case, Blanche is doing all right besides her comment; she appears to be very happy, not to mention gorgeous. Then she meets Stanley, Stella’s husband. Stanley, in all his straightforwardness and honesty, seems to pose a strong threat towards Blanche. Blanche DuBois, as the reader soon discovers, has created a sort of glass cube around herself, for protection, and people such as Stanley threaten to shatter that glass cube by learning her secrets.
When Blanche has been staying with the Kowalskis for several weeks, she meets Mitch, a friend of Stanley’s. In Mitch Blanche sees everything she has hoped for, everything she thinks will bring her back to a normal life. When Blanche was a girl, she wanted the things all young girls want: love, a husband, and a family. Then her young husband committed suicide.
"Then somebody caught my arm. "Don’t go any closer! Come back! You don’t want to see!" See? See what! Then I heard voices say – Allan! Allan! The Grey boy! He’d stuck the revolver into his mouth and fired – so that the back of his head had been – blown away (page 96)."
After that, Blanche began her descent into madness. After realizing that she...