Blog Post 3 Topic 3

The definition of insanity is the state of being insane; being mentally ill so severe that they cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. This leaves out the other definition of insanity and that is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. In order to better describe the tragic character Blanche DuBois in “A Street Car Named Desired” by Tennessee Williams, the definition could perhaps be narrowed to “crazy”, “nuts” or even “irrational.” However, Blanche’s actions could also be justified to be rational considering the circumstances that she has gone through.

In scene one Blache takes a streetcar named Desire through Cemeteries to reach Elysian Fields, where Stella and Stanley live. The journey already foreshadows Blache’s mental descent throughout the play as her desires has led her down the paths of sexual promiscuity and alcoholism. The fact that she ended up deciding to stay with the Kowalskis insists that she has reached the end of the line. Due to her young husband’s suicide, her desire to escape causes her to lose touch with reality and the world around her, slowly sinking into her own fantasies and delusion. Blanche, now unable to differentiate between reality and her own fantasy, constantly brings up Shep Huntleigh, a Dallas millionaire who admires her and has invited her to come with him on a cruise of the Caribbean on his yacht. Blache’s inability to cope with realism extends even further when Mitch confronts her about her past, he angrily tears down the paper lantern so he can see her face, Blache cries “I don’t want realism -- I want magic!”. This exemplifies how Blanche is incapable to accept her reality and wishes to hide her darkness in the light.

The music in the play is also another significant factor to determine whether Blache is sane. The Varsouviana Polka consistently plays throughout the play and it is what Blache associates herself with her young husband’s suicide. Blanche and her husband were dancing to the polka when she confronts him of his homosexuality leading him to shooting himself. The music plays when Blache is reminded of her husband or when she is disturbed by the past. Although, the polka only plays in Blache’s mind and she is the only character that is able to hear the music aside from the audience. The music also accompanies the scenarios of the play, this is clearly shown when Stanley sexually assaults Blache and the polka music is rapidly played euphemizing that Blache has been raped. Therefore, the polka music could be another indicator to how Blache is unable to separate reality from her fantasies as the music constantly becomes a part of her physical existence to describing her actions and feelings.

It is questionable whether Blache’s delusions and fantasies could be justified as rational considering her past experiences, but there is no doubt that it is her own wrongdoing that put herself into that position. The fact that Blache requires multiple fabrications and lies to hide herself from truth and the real world led her to being unable to separate reality from her fantasy. Given her circumstances, I still have sympathy for Blanche and strongly believe that her actions are to be rational. Nevertheless, Blanche is a truly tragic character where her desire has only driven her into own downfall, eventually becoming insane.