Blanche Dubois Symbolism

In Tennessee William’s play, A street Car Named Desire, the author introduces a character named Blanche Dubois who is described as a southern bell. She is revealed to the readers as a complex person. Desperate need of attention, Blanche who is Stella’s older sister, arrives to visit Stella and her husband, Stanley, in New Orleans. As Stanley and Blanche are introduced, he acquires a dislike for Blanche. Through a careful analysis of Blanche in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, one may see how her character reveals symbolism and imagery to help convey the idea that Blanche is deceptive, egotistical and seductive. One can make an obvious discovery of how deceptive Blanche is by the symbolism that Williams reveals throughout the

She can be well understood by a detailed insight of her character and the symbols used by Williams to describe her nature. The symbolism in the first scene , one can understand what motivated Blanche to move to New Orleans with her sister Stella. Blanche describes her journey: "They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at Elysian Fields" (Williams 15). For one to comprehend what this quote symbolizes, he or she will explore into Blanche’s past and understand the heartache and pain she endures from her pre vious life. Blanche left her home to join her sister because her life was miserable in her former place of residence. She was mentally and physically tormented with having to witness the passing of her parents. She had also lost their family estate at Belle Reve due to these incidents and debt. Unfortunately during that same period, she also tragically lost her young husband, Allan. The Streetcar Named Desire symbolizes Blanche's desire to be adored once again, and she will do this by living in a world of

Her character reveals that she is representing beauty and innocence; however, Blanche is anything but this. She is deceitful to herself and others surrounding her; she is blinded by reality and escapes the truth. She tries to ignore the past and her drinking problem by lying about them but eventually they catch up to her. She is insecure, manipulative, and mentally and emotionally unstable, yet she has this air of superiority them she embraces. Blanche tries to play the role as a victim and cast herself as vulnerable. She very clearly does not belong to the society-her constant need for approval and admiration are typical of a southern Belle-she both completes an image of it and at the same time, opposes it by her problems and deceitful nature. Blanche Dubois truly demonstrates her extreme flaws early in the play. She lives in a world of imagination as they comfort her mind. But it’s all to forget the suicide of her husband. She needs attachment to someone who will care for her, be gentle with her and so on. People abused her and this was what forced her to change as Stella tells this to her husband warning him to be gentle with Blanche. As a result, her sensitivity and delicacy lead her to be so much affected the brutality of people around her. Her wish for protection can’t be fulfilled and in the end, she is sent to an asylum and in order to calm