A Streetcar named Desire

682 Words3 Pages
One of the major conflicts in “A streetcar named Desire” is the battle between Blanche’s need for “magic” and illusions, and Stanley’s need to see the world as real, stark, brutal and honest. Explain the reasons why Blanche and Stanley need to see life the way they do and then decide where you consider Williams final view toward illusion and reality lies. Does he align himself with Stanley’s reality and brutal honesty, or with Blanche’s illusion and pretense. In this play William’s has made Blanche a romantic even though she is the play’s protagonist. Stanley on the other hand has a life that is all about gambling, bowling, sex and drinking. People may see him as I feel that this play is all about social realism. Tennessee Williams has a way of making each character have their own beliefs on life and how they should go about it. Stanley and Blanche for instance both look at life in a completely different way. Blanche feels that it is okay to lie through life and hide who she really is and Stanley believes in honesty and saying how it is. In this play the romantic Blanche explains to Mitch why she lies. She says it is because she refuses to accept the hand that fate has dealt her. By lying to herself and lying to others it allows her to make her life seem more idealistic; it his her way of hiding who she really is. Stanley, on the other hand, who seems to be a practical man, disdains Blanche’s fabrications and does everything that he can to unravel them. Blanche has the need for “magic” and illusions in her life. Blanche does not need to see the world as real and honest. She does not believe in honesty, or the truth. She hides the truth by being self conscious and always changing the subject when she does not like what it being discussed. Blanche lives her life in a world of lies and sees nothing wrong with that. It seem like she enjoys

More about A Streetcar named Desire

Open Document