How Does Blanche Dubois Have Been At War With Desire

Since the temptation of Eve in the garden of Eden, humans have always been at war with desire and temptation. In Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois lives as a result of her desires. Williams uses symbolism, allegory and juxtaposition to show that desire is a fatal flaw. He believes that humans are constantly battling against desire, and the decisions they make in relation to that battle are what dictates their fate. Instead of suppressing desires and sexuality, one must face them with honesty. The play’s main character, Blanche DuBois, is constantly tempted by her desires. Her sexual promiscuity, raging alcoholism, and other desires lead to her downfall. Her fall from grace is foreshadowed from the start;

This is best expressed in scene five, where Steve and Eunice fight and then quickly reconcile. This demonstrates that Stella and Stanley’s violent love is the norm in New Orleans. Eunice and Steve’s sexual attachment is much healthier than Blanche’s attraction for the newspaper boy. Blanche acts in this destructive manner due to her background. She is one of the “epic fornicators” of her family, who indulged in forbidden acts because they could not find a healthy outlet for their desires. Throughout all of these encounters, Blanche still maintains a mirage of innocence and purity. Having grown up in a society that requires her to suppress her desire, she hides it from those around her, and attempts to maintain her sense of entitlement and social status. She plays the role of the person she would like to be, and instead of telling the truth she tells “what ought to be. Instead of embracing her sexuality, she pushes it deep down. “After all, a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion”. In scene five, Williams juxtaposes the sexual attraction between Steve and Eunice to the Blanche’s desire for the newspaper boy, who “makes her mouth water”. With this juxtaposition, Williams demonstrates that while everyone experiences desire, dealing with it in a healthy way creates a strong, passionate relationship, while hiding it leads to forbidden and self-destructive