Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Duality of Blanche and O'Donnell
What do you think about the duality of both Blanche in 'A Streetcar Named Desire', and O'Donnell in 'Making History'? I'm referring to the twofold mannerisms of Blanche, for example in how she treats men, and how O'Donnell changes from a young, excitable and energetic character, to a deflated character.
Which is the 'real' Blanche?
Through out the play Blanche shows different personas, not only to the reader, but other characters. Blanche conveys herself as being hopeless and 'aging' to Stella, which Stella replies "You're being morbid", however I feel due to Stella being her sister, she feels sympathy towards her. On the other hand, Stanley penetrates through Blanche's facade and develops assumptions about her true colours. Mitch sees her as a wonderful, prim and proper woman, however is she any of these perceptions?
Victim or confident seductress?
Callous or desperate?
Delusional or realistic?
Deliberately promiscuous to seek attention or lonely and hopeless?
Victim or confident seductress?
Callous or desperate?
Delusional or realistic?
Deliberately promiscuous to seek attention or lonely and hopeless?
What do you think is the real reason why Blanche 'wants' Mitch?
Just wondered how you all percieved the relationship between Blanche and Mitch, and the real reason why Blanche 'wants' him? I see it as a way of securing herself in the sense that she's lost everything, and by marrying Mitch, this would give her a home, a husband, money, etc. I think it's also to do with her past and the fact that she craves the attention from men and the idea that she can't resist herself because she has such 'brutal desires'. I will discuss my thoughts further in response to your opinions!
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Blanche as a character: illusion etcetera
In my opinion, from the start of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' Blanche gave the impression that she was on edge, especially the dialogue between her and her sister Stella, when she shows melancholy, which to me, seemed a severe degree of madness. The section when she spoke of deaths in Belle Reve seemed hesitant, but heart racing, almost to the point where I could visualise her perspiration and fear of images - she seemed haunted, and distracted by the 'ghosts of the past'. Implying that she herself is being haunted by her past mistakes, especially shown through Allan's loss, as she can still visualise and hear the gunshot - she still covers her ears.
Blanche is a fallen woman in society's eyes: her family's fortune, Belle Reve has been lost which seems to be a fault of her own, she also lost her young husband Allan due to suicide, along with this she is a social outcast due to her indiscreet sexual behaviour. Her alcoholic problem suggests her struggles, almost as if she uses it to sedate her worries, she also uses bathing as a means of relaxing, and soaking up of the past... Perhaps, the plug in the bath (which may seem a rather ridiculous idea, but I've just thought of it) represents her worries washing away, going down the drain... Into the darkness, never to be thought about again (relating to shadows and lighting). Behind her facade of being an upper class, prim and proper woman of high education and sexual propriety, she is an insecure, delusional woman, which Stanley spotted from the very beginning "if you weren't Stella's sister, I'd start getting ideas about you".
Blanche relies on sexual attention and compliments "I was fishing for a compliment" in order to boost her self-esteem, which means that she has often succumbed to passion. Her attraction to Mitch in my opinion is to use him as 'a means to and end' out of her selfishness... To lead to marriage, as by marrying him she is creating a solid commitment which contrasts the life she is now leading. She may expect to escape poverty, return to former riches and 'teenage bliss' of sexual desire and ultimately, eradicating the bad reputation which seems to haunt her. Stanley constantly hints reminders, therefore making her paranoid around others, which effectively spoils her chances with Mitch who she says she really wants - emphasising desperation. I did feel sympathy towards Blanche at first due to Stanley's primitive, invasive force against her, however due to her behaviour in Scene Six of speaking French mocking Mitch, I despise her crafty character, I feel sympathy towards Mitch as he is being fooled into her illusion.
Blanche is ultimately left with no realistic possibility of future happiness due to her past, therefore I believe she is using Mitch to approach a near enough idealistic world for her. A world of security, and perhaps their relationship will act as an illusion towards her, and illusion which shows happiness on the outside, but underneath the surface it's cracking with guilt and no sexual, attractive desire.
What is your opinion on her trickery towards Mitch? Also, who do you feel sympathy towards, prior to Scene Six and after Scene Six?
Blanche is a fallen woman in society's eyes: her family's fortune, Belle Reve has been lost which seems to be a fault of her own, she also lost her young husband Allan due to suicide, along with this she is a social outcast due to her indiscreet sexual behaviour. Her alcoholic problem suggests her struggles, almost as if she uses it to sedate her worries, she also uses bathing as a means of relaxing, and soaking up of the past... Perhaps, the plug in the bath (which may seem a rather ridiculous idea, but I've just thought of it) represents her worries washing away, going down the drain... Into the darkness, never to be thought about again (relating to shadows and lighting). Behind her facade of being an upper class, prim and proper woman of high education and sexual propriety, she is an insecure, delusional woman, which Stanley spotted from the very beginning "if you weren't Stella's sister, I'd start getting ideas about you".
Blanche relies on sexual attention and compliments "I was fishing for a compliment" in order to boost her self-esteem, which means that she has often succumbed to passion. Her attraction to Mitch in my opinion is to use him as 'a means to and end' out of her selfishness... To lead to marriage, as by marrying him she is creating a solid commitment which contrasts the life she is now leading. She may expect to escape poverty, return to former riches and 'teenage bliss' of sexual desire and ultimately, eradicating the bad reputation which seems to haunt her. Stanley constantly hints reminders, therefore making her paranoid around others, which effectively spoils her chances with Mitch who she says she really wants - emphasising desperation. I did feel sympathy towards Blanche at first due to Stanley's primitive, invasive force against her, however due to her behaviour in Scene Six of speaking French mocking Mitch, I despise her crafty character, I feel sympathy towards Mitch as he is being fooled into her illusion.
Blanche is ultimately left with no realistic possibility of future happiness due to her past, therefore I believe she is using Mitch to approach a near enough idealistic world for her. A world of security, and perhaps their relationship will act as an illusion towards her, and illusion which shows happiness on the outside, but underneath the surface it's cracking with guilt and no sexual, attractive desire.
What is your opinion on her trickery towards Mitch? Also, who do you feel sympathy towards, prior to Scene Six and after Scene Six?
Your thoughts on Scene 6 (Streetcar Named Desire)
After our discussion in class today about various parts of Scene 6.... just wondered how you all interpreted Blanche's revelation about her husband? I think it's most likely going to be the closest Blanche ever gets to telling the truth...
I really liked how her first love was described to consume her, as if she was thrown in at the deep end. I think that the symbolic references to light and dark worked really well...the light being used to describe how she felt inside. Williams's description of this scene is particularly vivid... describing Blanche's experience of falling in love as if the once shadowy world suddenly became illuminated with a 'blinding light'. I think it's important to remember that on a stage... this 'blinding light' would have been physically represented... with the 3/4 darkness that Blanche would be standing in to suddenly be lit up.
When we think of light, I associate it with knowledge, hope, understanding etc, but Blanche is very much in the shadows because she has a loss of purpose since her husband's suicide. She was 'blinded by the light of love' - does this not suggest that she was overwhelmed by it? Her marriage came and ended so abruptly, can we really blame Blanche for the way she is? She was a naive woman who did not understand love, and then suddenly she got too deep into love and it 'happened all at once and completely too much'.
This idea of light and dark is continued when we learn of Blanche's disgust at finding out her husband was gay... as she remarks 'the searchlight... was turned off again and never for one moment has there been any light that's stronger than this kitchen candle'. To me, that strongly implies the great love she really did have for this man. She was a young, excitable lady who was just married.. she had great love for this man... can we really blame her for being disgusted at finding out his secret? Williams has used the concept of light well... Blanche paradoxically uses light to live a lie and disguise herself and therefore her true self...but without light, without the physical light of her husband, Blanche has lived her life without a clear picture of the reality of her life. Since her husband's suicide, Blanche has resorted to (what appears to be) prostitution. What do you think about the use of light?
I also think that the locomotive which rattles past Blanche is a strong symbolism in the play. Continuing with this idea of light.. perhaps it could symbolise the light passing by... only for her to lose it as quickly as it came. Blanche claps her ears when it passes, then once it's out of sight she stands up and tells Mitch about how she went out with Allan as if nothing had happened. This could symbolise how she broke down when she discovered the truth about Allan, but then had to get on with it. Another symbolism could lie in that when Blanche walked in on Allan and the other man, they were most likely committing sexual acts. Blanche probably did literally crouch down and break down, before having to get up and leave. Perhaps the locomotive could be a phallus symbol showing the power and hardness of the phallus, which links to the revelation about her husband.
Anyway, I'll leave it there. Comment what you guys all think about what I've said, and also any alternative thoughts you might have, or just any thoughts about it in general :)
I really liked how her first love was described to consume her, as if she was thrown in at the deep end. I think that the symbolic references to light and dark worked really well...the light being used to describe how she felt inside. Williams's description of this scene is particularly vivid... describing Blanche's experience of falling in love as if the once shadowy world suddenly became illuminated with a 'blinding light'. I think it's important to remember that on a stage... this 'blinding light' would have been physically represented... with the 3/4 darkness that Blanche would be standing in to suddenly be lit up.
When we think of light, I associate it with knowledge, hope, understanding etc, but Blanche is very much in the shadows because she has a loss of purpose since her husband's suicide. She was 'blinded by the light of love' - does this not suggest that she was overwhelmed by it? Her marriage came and ended so abruptly, can we really blame Blanche for the way she is? She was a naive woman who did not understand love, and then suddenly she got too deep into love and it 'happened all at once and completely too much'.
This idea of light and dark is continued when we learn of Blanche's disgust at finding out her husband was gay... as she remarks 'the searchlight... was turned off again and never for one moment has there been any light that's stronger than this kitchen candle'. To me, that strongly implies the great love she really did have for this man. She was a young, excitable lady who was just married.. she had great love for this man... can we really blame her for being disgusted at finding out his secret? Williams has used the concept of light well... Blanche paradoxically uses light to live a lie and disguise herself and therefore her true self...but without light, without the physical light of her husband, Blanche has lived her life without a clear picture of the reality of her life. Since her husband's suicide, Blanche has resorted to (what appears to be) prostitution. What do you think about the use of light?
I also think that the locomotive which rattles past Blanche is a strong symbolism in the play. Continuing with this idea of light.. perhaps it could symbolise the light passing by... only for her to lose it as quickly as it came. Blanche claps her ears when it passes, then once it's out of sight she stands up and tells Mitch about how she went out with Allan as if nothing had happened. This could symbolise how she broke down when she discovered the truth about Allan, but then had to get on with it. Another symbolism could lie in that when Blanche walked in on Allan and the other man, they were most likely committing sexual acts. Blanche probably did literally crouch down and break down, before having to get up and leave. Perhaps the locomotive could be a phallus symbol showing the power and hardness of the phallus, which links to the revelation about her husband.
Anyway, I'll leave it there. Comment what you guys all think about what I've said, and also any alternative thoughts you might have, or just any thoughts about it in general :)
Monday, 23 January 2012
The reason behind this blog...
The authors: Sasha, Laura, Nadine and I who have all taken English Literature Alevel...
It truly is a lovely subject, especially due to the excellent teachers we are fortunate to have. It is one of my Alevels which I don't regret in the slightest. I admit, that it seems hard at the moment, but hopefully overtime, we shall be spoken to about the structure of the exam, which I predict will be very challenging.
Sasha, Laura and Nadine, we can do well in English Literature! I hope by creating this blog and posting, we can share ideas about the books we read and the lessons: discussing literary interpretation. I'd also like to use this opportunity to say how lovely it is to have you three in the class, you are always there for support, and you are the kindest people I know.
I hope this blog lasts a long time, and that it's of use to us all - I am sure it will be!
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