In Tennessee Williams drama, A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois abrupt accusation of being raped by Stanley results in her being committed to an insane asylum. There doesn’t seem to be a valid medical reason as to why Blanche was emitted to an asylum other than her absence being convenient for her sister, Stella. When discussing her sister being sent away Stella states, “I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley.” The question, “Is Blanche insane?” is brought into question as her past is unveiled. Blanche first appears to be a mature and protective sister who seems genuinely concerned about her sister's safety due to her being in an abusive relationship. However, she may be categorized as being insane based off of her actions and speech. Considering the cultural background within the drama insanity does not accurately describe Blanche’s character, her consistent nature of lying in order to reconstruct the life she had as a young woman reflects an unreliable character. Blanche is not insane she is an unstable individual attempting to survive in the reality she is apart of. The definitions of insane and unstable must be addressed to unveil why Blanche is unstable and not insane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines the word insanity as, “The condition of being insane; unsoundness of mind as a consequence of brain-disease, madness, lunacy. Originally called insanity of mind.” (OED) Based off of this definition and the ambiguity of Blanche being professionally diagnosed with a medical brain-disease, she is not insane. An extended definition of insanity is, “Extreme folly or want of sound sense.”(OED) This extended definition disregards the cause of insanity deriving from any form of mental illness while narrowing the meaning of insanity to be the mental state of being foolish or being deficient in understanding. When considering this definition as well as the first Blanche is not insane, because she is conscious of the world and her interactions with the people she is surrounded by. Although Blanche discusses how she wishes she was not living in her reality her ability to make the distinction between reality and her preferred reality proves she is not insane or mentally-ill. As Blanche and Mitch are spending time together she sheds light on why she constantly lies, “I don’t want realism. I want magic! [Mitch laughs] Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!” (9.43) Blanche acknowledges that she fabricates truths depending on who she is talking to construct a magic type reality she yearns for. Blanche is an unstable character because she does not rely on one set of lies to fabricate her reality, she fabricates any lie(s) in order to feel apart of her desired reality. She has lied to the point of not knowing
Considering the background cultural issues such as gender, sex, and physical abuse Blanche lying and deceiving nature is not a form of insanity but rather a mode of survival in attempt to convince herself she can live in the reality she is attempting to construct herself. With Blanche losing the family plantation, being fired from her job, and having her ex-husband being a homosexual and killing himself, the stable life she was meant to have disappeared. The instability in her life extends to Blanche attempting to replicate her old life of being a wealthy, successful, and a married women. Both Blanche and Stella’s identity is dependent on their romantic relationships, reflecting the cultural background. When Stanley first hits Stella the tension among characters and within the narrative unwinds when physical altercations between spouses even between Eunice and her husband are normalized. Blanche is thrown into a reality where she must function with a husband (even if that husband is abusive) therefor is lies about having a rich boyfriend in order to pursue Stella in potentially leaving Stanley. Blanche is left no other choice but to adapt in a world that she herself is no longer apart of. Blanche is not mentally insane because she does not have a diagnosed brain-disease, she is unstable because she constantly lies in order to replicate a life in which is thrived in. Blanche is well aware of the lies she needs to tell in order to construct her dream like reality, if she didn't not know the distinction between both realities then she would have been insane.
Hello Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI think that the examples you used to demonstrate how Blanche is actually an unstable character are really strong. I particularly enjoyed your use of the scene that Blanche has with Mitch. I agree that at this scene or situation, readers are able to interpret that Blanche chooses to live in a world of fantasy.
Furthermore, I appreciate that your examples create a counterargument for the definition of insanity. Though, I do believe that to make your claims more valid and strong, you could include the OED definition of instability as well. Your examples may then become stronger because they may support the definition.
Hi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI never thought of Blanche's need to lie as a defense mechanism rather I did think she went insane as the story progressed. Your argument of Blanche being sane just a liar to cope with her situation made me see the text in a completely different way. You did convince me in seeing that she isn't insane with the textual evidence you provided. The way in which you argue this point is clear and focused making your claim stronger in my opinion.
Given that you proved Blanch is sane changes everything in the story for me. It paints Stanley as a more misogynistic character and Stella as a more active character then I though her to be. In proving Blanche is aware of her reality then contrasting it with her fabricated lies prove how miserable the reality of the story is. It also adds a lot more depth to Blanche. I really like your interpretation of Blanche.