Blog Post #3 Topic #3

             Insanity is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the unsoundness of mind or the lack of ability to understand that prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction that releases one from criminal or civil responsibility.”  This definition leaves out who determines if someone is insane; a psychiatrist certainly has the credentials to determine if someone is mentally unstable due to their extensive knowledge of the psyche. However, people are condemned as insane by the public if their actions or words do not comply with the social norms of the time. Often, actions that are contrary to public opinion are harshly criticized, leading to cyber-bullying, riots, and actual mental instability of the person who promoted change.

            In the 20^th and 21^st century, the feminist movement has made great advances for the equality of women. In 1920, women finally obtained the right to vote and until 2016, women were not allowed to serve in combat for the US. Due to the patriarchal ideologies of our ancestors, women were seen as intellectually and physically inferior to men. Women who challenge this ideal are still seen as “insane” by some men that believe they are superior, leading to the fact that Blanche’s insanity is justified.

            Blanche came to visit her sister and husband in New Orleans after her husband commits suicide because Blanche is disgusted by the fact that he is homosexual. Blanche is extremely insecure and is always asking Stella about her appearance because her mind is filled with thoughts that her appearance wasn’t enough to keep her husband’s attention and that her disgust drove him to commit suicide. Blanche’s anxiety and grief lead to alcoholism and dangerous arguments with Stella’s husband.

            The play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” is ironic in the way the characters perceive insanity. Blanche turns to alcoholism and the company of strangers because of her grief. The other characters in the play do not show any compassion to Blanche or any actions to help her stop drinking. Instead, she is left to her downward spiral until she is sent off to a mental institution because Stanley believes she is insane. If Stanley was to lose Stella, his job, his house, and his reputation, he probably would not be sent to a mental institution because he is just drinking to get over his grief. Furthermore, no one comes to examine her medically, but Stanley is a man so he must be right in his assumptions about Blanche’s mental health. In addition, Stanley is threatened by Blanche because of her class status, leading to dangerous arguments between both characters. When she loses the Southern estate, Belle Reve, due to her distress form her husband’s death, Stanley is outraged. Stanley was hoping that he would inherit the estate after both Stella and Blanche passed away or deemed physically unfit to take care of the property. Stanley is a social climber and he was enraged that a woman was ranked higher than him. He raped Blanche to assert his dominance physically because he could not do so in social status. Blanche was born into that social class so she shouldn’t be Stanley’s target due to his insecurity about his own social standing. Her reaction to rape cannot be perceived as insane because humans process actions in different ways. Blanche never expected her sister’s husband to rape her when she came to New Orleans to seek comfort, not to be sent to a mental institution.

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