Analytical essay on Blanche from Tennessee Williams play 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

To what extent is Blanche a victim of her past?
Written by Rhea

‘A Streetcar named Desire’ written By Tennessee Williams is a 1947 post war modern Tragedy, set in the changing America where immigration is becoming common. Blanche and Stanley’s characters symbolise the division in class. Williams establishes the character of Blanch, an ageing southern belle, through her arrogance and hubris. Her final downfall is instigated due to many reasons, her past being greatly to blame. Losing such a great deal that she loved causes Blanche to reside to illusion and fantasy. Nevertheless, this was not the cause of her final confinement. Blanche could endure Stanley’s ongoing verbal attack and to some extent got enjoyment out of tormenting him; however, when Stanley rapes Blanche she feels desecrated leading to her figurative death.

Blanche is first introduced “on a street in New Orleans” as “daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat.” This moth- like appearance is a symbol of innocence as white represents purity. She yearns for desire and although she has a negative relationship with Stanley, she still cannot keep away, like “a moth to a flame”. Her etiquette and articulate pronunciation reflects her well educated aristocratic background. Miss Dubois, appearance reflects her morals and principles of her old southern upbringing, as she wants to appear untainted although she no longer abides by her prior values. The play commences with stage directions which illustrate the Mise-en-scène, enacted within a street called “Elysian fields”, the area of the French Quarter which ironically signifies paradise. Blanche is living within a world of illusion, chasing after desire which leads her to her downfall as is foreshadowed within this opening. The stage directions allow the audience to visualize the surroundings in which Stanley and Stella live. Blanche’s “expression is one of shocked disbelief” reflecting the meagre appearance of the area in which she is situated. Furthermore, Blanche talks of transferring to “one called the cemeteries” which symbolises Blanche’s cataclysmic future. Blanche Dubois translates as ‘white one from the woods’, suggesting that she is a virtuous woman from Laurel; however, throughout the play we learn that her purity is an act to disguise the truth of her tragic past. The blue piano music is reiterated throughout the play, blue representing melancholy and masculinity and is therefore often played when Stanley illustrates dominance. It is played at the very start when Blanche makes her first entrance reflecting the atmosphere of New Orleans and the jazz culture.


Blanche’s past is an explanation to her psychological trauma. She was left to fend for Belle Reve on her own “I stayed and struggled”; after Belle Reve was lost, Blanche also lost herself. Losing Belle Reve contributes to her lunacy; therefore, she stays in a hotel where her only company is the “kindness of strangers”. This intimate behaviour with unfamiliar individuals is due to her loss of confidence after her husband’s death. She no longer feels of youth and beauty therefore by having these encounters it gives her pleasure and is also a place where she can forget about her past. Her earlier marriage was a tragic disaster; she now feels a constant guilt for her husband’s death, and he was the only man she ever truly loved. This links to her need of constantly bathing, as she feels soaking in a hot bath not only calms her nerves but symbolises her washing away her sins of the responsibility for the death of the “boy” she has only ever truly loved. She blames herself for Allan Grey’s death “I’d failed him in some mysterious way and wasn’t able to give the help he needed but couldn’t speak of!” Blanche describes her love for him like a “blinding light”. Although she will never love anyone so incandescently she needs a companion, a man who is strong and sophisticated to protect her from reality. Since his death she has not been in a light “that’s stronger than-this- kitchen-candle!” as she lives in a world of shadows, which reflects her vanity and is metaphorical of her moral decay. The loss of her husband is a constant distraction within her mentality, the polka music which is repeated throughout is a constant reminder of her husband’s suicide. Her husband’s death contributes largely to Blanche’s insanity; however, after she loses Belle Reve she becomes completely lost within her imaginings.

Blanche believes that “the opposite of death is desire” as she is sexually promiscuous with many men to escape the lonely void created by the death of her young husband: “Intimacies with strangers were all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with”. She is not looking for someone to love but someone to keep her company “a girl alone in the world, has got to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she’ll be lost!” Blanche needs someone to keep her from her own destruction, prevent her world from collapsing. Blanche’s main concern is how she appears to others; her vanity guides her to a problematic situation that destroys her last chance of happiness. Blanche’s fondness of Mitch is obvious as she sees him in the same light as her. Both their pasts curiously correspond, having both loved and lost someone. Blanche’s past keeps her in the dark as she feels worthless. Her vanity is due to her apprehension of losing her attractiveness; thus she never appears in front of Mitch in more than a dim light, representing her need rather than her affection for him. “This adorable little coloured lantern put it over the light bulb! Will you please?” paradoxically Mitch will be the one to tear off the paper lantern in order to “get a better look” at Blanche. The light signifies her hiding from her past; however, when she is forced into the brightness of the light this symbolises the fact that the truth has been confessed. Blanche misleads him into thinking she was a fine, honest, and respectful young woman because she believes “inside, I never lied”; this reflects that although Blanche had many affairs none were of value to her, she felt that it was her body that she conferred not her inner self.

Scene ten is Stanley and Blanche’s final confrontation where Blanche is raped by a man she views as an “animal”. This makes Blanche feel tainted, a character who is normally “dressed in an old faded gown and has a rhinestone tiara on her head” in a fictional world. However, Stanley is rejoicing due to the birth of his child and is aggravated by Blanche who has been “swilling down his liquor”. She appears as an easy prey for him to catch, and to verify his dominance over her. He also considers the fact that she has had many men so she is already impure. Stanley is a man of power and control and when he brutally rapes Blanche she is forced into reality where she cannot survive. Some may say that Blanche did feel some desire for Stanley as was a strong man in contrast to her past husband and therefore he could protect her. In the past she has had many acquaintances; however, she always gave consent, as they were a way for her to escape from her past tragedies. In contrast now she feels violated by the antagonist, a vulgar and primitive man. This leads Blanche to her psychological downfall.

Some may perceive Blanche DuBois to resemble similar qualities to that of the protagonist of ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare. Blanche and Hamlet are both suffering from a loss which leads them to “turbulent....lunacy”; both characters throughout the plays are haunted by their past. In ‘A Streetcar named Desire’ music is used to disturb Blanche and to depict that she is looking back in retrospect at the horrifying tragedy she suffered. Hamlet, similar to Blanche, is troubled by his father’s ghost reminding Hamlet of his death. Hamlet accuses his mother of betrayal towards his father, out of an act of lust and not love she involves herself in an “incestuous” relationship. Blanche also feels Stella has betrayed her through her associating herself with a man who “acts like an animal, has animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!” conflicting with the gentlemen they associated with in Belle Reve. Blanche is a modern tragic heroine and therefore does not come to a literal death in contrast with that of the downfall of Shakespearean Tragic heroes and heroines.

In conclusion, Blanche is a character that encounters many catastrophic situations; her tragic past is melancholy and makes the reader feel sympathetic towards her. In addition, she is a victim of her past which haunts her throughout the play by means of music and her imagination, contributing to her breakdown. However, it is the character of Stanley who leads to her final defeat, he stands for everything she is against and rapes her against her will. Although she doesn’t always tell the truth, she means no harm. She is a person that survives on her fantasies and imagination as it keeps away her tragic past. Although Blanche is a tragic heroine she does not literally come to her death; however, her illusions are destroyed and with it her mind.    

Trailer analysis

How does the representations of the lead protagonists represent the target audience? 
How important are the representations to the success of the movie? 

I have explored the representations of the protagonists in the Trailer, Twilight by Bill Condon and how the movie success corresponds to the representations depicted. The 2011 trailer is to be shown in cinema's on November 18th targeting a teenage/adult female audience. The Protagonists within the trailer (Edward Cullen and Bella Swan) appear to be a young couple in love and to be married. This attracts a young female audience as it reflects the fairytale marriage that many young girls dream of (for example to be swept away by their 'Prince charming'). This ideological representation has been suggested by many Disney movies and films throughout the past. In addition the trailer portrays sex as an obstacle which all teens face in life thus the audience can empathise with the protagonists and relate it to their own situations. Furthermore Pregnancy is a key signifier within the trailer, it reflects the battle of pregnancy and conflicts that can arise from a situation. Within the 21st century teen pregnancy has become far more common among youths with rising percentages in the UK and America, as a result this movie targets a more westernised audience. The conflict between the werewolves and the vampires within the trailer depict a battle which reflects the everyday society we live. Civil war in Libya, riots in London and disputes among societies, communities, gangs and even families. These representations create a personal movie in which the audience can relate to, as a result this attracts more viewers and creates a more successful movie. The genre of the movie is paranormal romance, romantic films receive the second highest gross income and adventure with the highest within the film industry, as a result many people are attracted to this genre of film. People have high expectations from this movie as it is a saga and also a novel therefore it attracts both film and book lovers.

Many teenage films seek to answer the all important question, “who am I?”

In all films characters go through an arc of development, often in high school dramas characters go through a clear rites of passage to discover their identity. Teen movies often illustrate the transformation from youth to adolescent. There is often a foremost issue in which the character has to resolve to gain respect and maturity. This includes obstacles such as: peer/ parent relationships, sex, love and their search for their own identity. “Who am I?” This is a question that characters have to ask themselves before they can amend their childish ways. Some films have a more obvious arc of development than others; some may argue that a number of films have no means of passage, that a character does not depict any signs of development or seek for individuality. However in my opinion there is always a change, even if the characters themselves do not go through a physical change in appearance/ personality, they always acknowledge their own identity but if they choose to change for the better or not is what we have to take into consideration. I am going to be discussing the social context in which youth transform into far more established characters in the films: The breakfast club, St Trinian’s, Juno, and Mean girls. All movies are high school dramas however where produced in different times, have teenagers changed in the last few decades? Do all characters seek the answer of the question “who am I?”

‘The breakfast club’ written, directed and produced by John Hughes, shows a defined transformation within all characters, the movies message is not to stereotype people. What someone may first appear to be like is not necessarily who they are. In ‘The breakfast club’ the students are asked to write a letter on “who you think you are” within the course of the day the students learn the truth about one another and themselves. They realise that they all have issues which they have to conquer for example: Dysfunctional families, parent and friendship pressures which drive them all to a place of negative identity. Brian (the geek) is depended on to write a letter from them all “Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was that we did wrong...and what we did was wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us... in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at seven o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.” Throughout the film each student set off on a journey in search for their own identity, there are many barricades in which the students have to endure but at the end they emerge as an individual. This is the transformation of youth to adolescent; they all have matured in some way or another. The basket case becomes aware of her own identity mentally and physically, her change in appearance creates a character who now is content with herself and her own identity. In contrast the Princess goes through a less obvious arc of development. Recognising that she does not need to follow the crowd, within the day she falls for the criminal who is from an out group. However she may not change her ways when she is back at school, but she has still gone through a change, she now acknowledges that everyone has their own problems and identity.

In the 2007 making of ‘St Trinian’s’ the main character Annabelle Fritton goes through a change in appearance and perception. At the beginning of the movie she had no identity or no sense of belonging. However she has a realisation that her father doesn’t really care for her, after she admits this to herself she appreciates that there are people who care for her. St Trinian’s become her home and family. There are several arcs of development within this film, the first of which is her being accepted by the others. Here she has to overcome the obstacles they put in her way and show no defeat. Next it’s her appearance “you’ve had this coming since the day you arrived.... Give you a makeover silly.” At this point in the film it reflects her acceptance by the other students. Here her appearance changes and she finds her own identity “how do you feel?” “Like St Trinian” this reveals her accepting her parent relationship and her establishment of peer relationships, this makes the audience believe she is the next head girl. In contrast ‘Juno’ is a movie about a girl finding herself, “I don’t really know what kind of girl I am” she gets pregnant and decides that adoption is the most sensible root. Over the next nine months she begins to understand the complexity of adult relationships and “dealing with things way above my maturity level.” In addition she transforms from a careless teenager to an adult within the 9 months, and after the birth of her child she gives it to a woman who cannot conceive a child. Following this she realises her love for her best friend and the father (Paulie Bleaker.)

‘Mean girls’ stars Lindsey Lohan as the new girl Cady, only ever been home educated Cady is unaware of the Cliques and stereotypes within American schools. When she firsts arrives she is unprepared for public school life however she is befriended by 2 social outcasts Damien “his almost too gay to function” and Janis. Cady is then made aware of all the social cliques within high school, the in-group known as the ‘Plastics’ asks Cady to join them, after this she is stuck between the two groups. Cady no longer has an identity, and the more she revenges Regina the more she becomes one of them. From Cady becoming the ‘new Queen B’ she realises what she has become. The whole school goes through a rites of passage, this is when they all apologise for being dishonest and deceitful friends. However Cady’s main arc of development is at prom this is the definitive narrative conclusion, where Cady finds her search of identity, becomes a friend to Damien and Janis again. Therefore from tackling the obstacles of High school life such as: peer/teacher and parent relationships she finds who she really is and gains respect and maturity.

Within High school Drama’s there are always rites of passage, characters gain respect and maturity and experience the change from youth to adolescent, some characters more so than others. Teenagers from High school dramas of the 20^th century such as ‘The breakfast club’ are faced with similar problems such as: peer/parent pressures and the search of identity, as the teenagers modern movies such as ‘Juno’ however situations within films of the 21^st century have changed for example Juno reflects teen pregnancy this would not be seen in a later movie as teen pregnancy is a recent situation within this century. Therefore in my opinion teenagers are always the same; faced with stress and situations which they have to overcome to find there identity but the obstacles they face change depending on history and the present real life situations.