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Death In A Streetcar Named Desire

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Desire can be defined as a strong feeling of wanting or wishing for something. The something could be an object, idea, or an event. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois believes that the opposite of death is desire. Logically speaking, the real opposite of death is life; so why does Blanche believe that it’s desire? Possibly because she relates desire to life it’s self. The lives of the main character revolve around desire. Throughout the play, the theme of death is the opposite of desire is developed through the main character’s need to be desired or desirable. Blanch wants to be desired. She will do anything to be desired. She lies to everyone around her, pretending to be something she’s not. She lies to Stella and Stanley about …show more content…

He desires a normal life with Stella, without Blanche in the picture. As told in A Streetcar Named Desire--Psychoanalytic Perspectives, “After exposing all of Blanches shameful secrets and destroying her plans to marry Mitch, Stanley completes her violation and subjugation by raping her, which drives her to insanity” (A Streetcar Named Desire--Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Silvio). Stanley desires a normal life without Blanche so bad, that he completely broke her to get it. Stanley also wants to be desired. When he is questioned by Blanche in front of his friends he throws a fit, in a way that could be interpreted into showing off for his friends. He takes his anger out on Stella and hits her. After Stella leaves with Blanche, he calls for her nonstop until she finally comes back to him. He needs Stella just as much as she needs …show more content…

She needs Stanley for her own sexual needs and because she is having his baby. In scene one Stella describes to Blanche what she feels: STELLA [half to herself]. I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night… BLANCHE. Why, Stella! STELLA. When he's away for a week I nearly go wild! BLANCHE. Gracious! STELLA. And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby...[She smiles to herself.] (1.142-146) Stella hates to be away from him for too long. Stella chooses Stanley over Blanche multiple times. Even after Stanley yells and hits her, she still goes back to him despite Blanche’s wishes. She refused to leave him when Blanche insisted and didn’t believe Blanche when it came to her being raped. Blanche, Stella, and Stanley all have the same want to be desired. The ways they act and treat each other back that up. Blanche feels the need to be desired by everyone around her, Stanley by Stella and others, and Stella by Stanley. Their lives revolve around desire. For them, the opposite of desire is

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