Reality vs Illusion a Street Car Named Desire

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A Streetcar Named Desire Reality vs. Illusion, two complete opposites. Reality is cold, harsh, straight forward and wakes you up to the truth the moment you allow it to hit you. Illusions are soft, comforting and also fragile, but if you find yourself constantly trying to run from the nightmares that are ruining your life, your illusions can be addicting or in some cases, permanent. The idea of reality vs. illusion in a Streetcar named Desire seems to bring on the idea that the characters want to “escape” the world that they live in. This idea is mostly seen through Blanche but in the other characters as well. Mitch, one of Stanley’s friends in the play, is a good hearted man who is very loyal to Stanley. One day during a card game at Stanley’s house, Mitch is introduced to Blanche for the very first time. He was instantly overtaken by Blanche’s charm. Mitch is at about the time where he should be married, but he isn’t. He has a sick mother that wants Mitch to be married to a good woman before she passes away. When Mitch meets Blanche he is attracted to her beauty. Mitch is blinded by his fantasy of marrying a perfect woman and Blanche seems to be the perfect candidate. Blanche creates an illusion for Mitch, causing him to be whisked away by her charm, making him oblivious to who she really is. When Stanley tells him about her past, Mitch goes on to call him a liar and defend Blanche. Once he confirms what Stanley said about Blanche, reality sets in for Mitch. Feeling betrayed and angry, Mitch no longer wants to marry Blanche because of her lies. He escapes her fantasy and lies. Stella is a woman who came from a wealthy background, but when she left home she was on her own. She fell in love with Stanley; a genuine, good looking man. When she first saw him she was mesmerized by his masculinity and there was a
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