Insanity In The Streetcar Named Desire

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Insanity is a disorder of one’s mind that may allow a person to make decisions and have actions that do not totally make complete logical sense. The causes for this infliction vary greatly. This can occur in almost any person whether famous or non-famous, realistic or fictional, ordinary or extraordinary. History shows many examples of people who could be considered medically insane based on their actions. John Hinckley, Jr. was found to be legally insane after his assassination attempt on President Reagan in 1981. Many famous artists from history, including Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci and even William Shakespeare were known to exhibit strange behaviors that made many believe they were insane. The theme of insanity has also occurred in many varieties of literature and has been inflicted upon many different…show more content…
In this famous novel, Blanche Dubois goes to live with her sister Stella Kowalski. She has to tell her sister the bad news that she lost their family home, Belle Reve, and also took off from her teaching job due to her bad nerves. This is the first indication of Blanche’s insanity. She is clearly unaware because she says, “Is there something wrong with me?” Another sign is Blanche’s horrible drinking habit, which research shows can lead to making horrible decisions and can alter ones life. “Both Blanche’s drinking and her endless hot baths suggest that she is attempting to wash away her past and emerge through a sort of watery purgatory.” Stanley, Stella’s husband, does not really like Blanche and accuses her of being crazy, which is an accurate description. Blanche even agrees when stating, “I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is 50% illusion.” Early in the book Blanche starts to have an attraction to Mitch, Stanley’s friend. He comforts her when there was an outburst during a poker game with

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