Sunday, March 25, 2007
A Streetcar Named Desire
Having already read this play in high school made it easier this time around to get a better idea of themes in the story that I couldn't see before. When reading a play it is harder to get an idea of the characters solely through reading and stage directions, when you can see a character physically it is easier to get an understanding of their exact personality. The character that most interested me in this play was Blanche. She has a mystery about her that makes me want to know more about her. In the beginning she comes in like a true southern belle, all dolled up in expensive white clothing, and is compared to a moth. As the play passes she becomes increasingly less southern belle like. While she continues to say she doesnt touch alcohol you realize throughout the story that she has a dependency on it, as she hides it in the closet and even sips it in the bathtub. Another mysterious way about her is the way in which she hides from a naked light bulb. With a cover over the light she seems more delicate and you cannot tell her true age, which is something she often lies about. When there is a naked lightbulb she is exposed, and it is like you can see right through the thin disguise she is wearing. I think you can really see the downfall of Blanche and all her lies when Mitch rips off the cover to the light and she is exposed. At that moment Mitch reveals all of the lies he knows Blanche has told. From this point of the story life only gets worse for Blanche, and while in a way she brought it upon herself by lying all the time, I could not help but feel bad for her. If she hadn't been left to hold down Belle Reve by herself would she still have the same problems? If Stanley was not with Stella would her relationship with Blanche be different? I hope that had the situations been different Blanche would not have ended up such a mess, but her downfall in the play was inevitable. If I was in Blanche's shoes I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept up the front of being perfect and happy.
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4 comments:
I like how you brought up the point about Blanche saying that she never really had alcohol but throughout the whole thing it seems like she always was looking for a drink. Even when Stella just brings her a coke, she likes to add a little something extra. Also, I like how you related her being in the light, to her lies being transparent. She always needs something to hide behind. She isn't true to herself of to others. It seems that once she is finally in the light, when Mitch takes the shade off the light, the truth is out. There is no covering up anymore, she is exposed.
I really liked your comparison of light to the stories Blanche tells. It is interesting that Blanche is so afraid of her appearance and tries so hard to cover it, even with the use of powder. I guess that has a lot to do with the time period of the story though to, because women were always expected to look their best, and it is even still common for women to lie about their age in today's society so is she really doing something that is that unacceptable?
Alyssa,
I found myself feeling sorry for Blanche, too. When I read about her background, I couldn’t help but feel she really had been a victim of circumstances. If I had been in her position, I do not know that I could have recovered to live a normal life, either, especially at such a young age. And the ending really disturbed me; she was seeking an escape, and then her brother-in-law rapes her and her sister sends her to a mental institution. I could not help but feel sorry for Blanche and wish things had turned out differently for her.
The picture that you painted of the light and the lies of blanche's are very telling. Perhaps the light is her desire or the life that she was supposed to have. Maybe she is really not hiding in the shadows, but unable to face reality. I think though that it is Stella that is more transparent and by the end of the play, the truth is out about her character.
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