Tennessee Williams masterfully crafts a network of intricate emotions in A Streetcar Named Desire. This network creates flawed characters who strive for an elusive ideal standard of perfection. Blanche, in particular, unveils her false and sinister nature that stems from an obsession with attaining perfection. The yearning for perfection is a common pursuit among many individuals in their daily lives.
The concept of perfection, defined by the English Oxford Dictionary as "the state or quality of being perfect" and referring to a person or thing considered flawless, is deeply ingrained in the human psyche. Such ideals are difficult to shake and become like a tattoo. This is evident in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, where the central characters Blanche, Stella, and Stanley each have their own individual ideals that shape their li
...ves. Williams portrays Blanche as particularly preoccupied with her image.
Blanche maintains the need to appear faultless all the time and admits to being a liar, saying "Myself, Myself, for being such a liar! I'm writing a letter to Shep. 'Darling Shep. I am spending the summer on the wing, making flying visits here and there. And who knows, perhaps I shall take a sudden notion to swoop down on Dallas! Such a statement showcases her tendency to prioritize her persona and uphold her image even though she recognizes her deceitful nature.
Blanche is an enigmatic yet dishonest character, evocative of the color white - her name in French - which is interestingly reflected in her wearing of a white dress and gloves to mask her true self in the play's opening scene. The play employs irony and contrast through Blanche's apparent innocence, as
represented by the colors black and white she wears upon arriving in New Orleans, despite preferring darkness and shadows to hide her physical perfections and symbolic, sinful behavior. Blanche's sister, Stella Kowalski, is a grounded character content with her life as the wife of Stanley Kowalski, a factory worker and Blanche's archnemesis. Although Stanley possesses vastly different principles than Blanche, Stella's calm demeanor may be interpreted differently through various lenses of physical, intellectual, moral, practical, or emotional actions among different individuals.
Blanche values maintaining her impeccable appearance and a tidy living space. The most recent encounter I had with her prior to yesterday occurred during the Christmas season. She directs Stanley to exit the area so she can complete dressing.
Blanche desires attention from anyone, particularly Stanley, and is portrayed as desperate and needy. She frequently makes jabs at him, such as when she asks if he believes that she was once considered attractive. Stanley responds with "yours looks okay," to which Blanche admits she was fishing for a compliment. While Blanche may represent negative aspects of society, Tennessee Williams may be attempting to convey the message that individuals often make hasty judgments without considering other perspectives, highlighting a common human flaw.
Blanche struggles in her journey to recover from her husband's passing, and her actions suggest that she conceals her true reality. Women face considerable difficulty accepting themselves due to societal expectations, and the stereotypical view of women is prevalent. We can imagine how Blanche's self-esteem may have declined after marrying a homosexual as a woman of distinguished background during the 1940s. Although Blanche seems like an attention-seeker, we understand that it stems from the pain
she has endured. She holds herself responsible for her husband's death and questions her worth as a woman because of his actions towards her. By using her allure on men, she appears to control them effortlessly as if under a "spell."
The text reveals that Blanche embodies the life experiences of both men and women, conveying the message that our perception of ourselves is flawed since we strive for perfection. Thus, it is plausible for others to perceive us differently than we view ourselves.
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