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?
I think that it's difficult to pinpoint her exact character, and William's creates all these shades of her in order for us as a reader to change the way we feel about her. At times, I see the concept that she is a victim. I don't see this in the way how Blanche tries to portray it, as in she lost Belle Reve and her husband so unfairly etc. I look at it more as she's a victim of herself - she can't help the person she has become and this is the only way of life she knows, despite whatever she may do to try and evade this. She's a victim in the sense that life has not treated her well and that her actions have done nothing to remedy this. I think her confident seductress comes through when in encounters with people she doesn't know very well, or is likely to never meet again, such as the newspaper boy. She risks all her dreams of a happy marriage with Mitch for a flirtatious episode, and then acts as if nothing has happened when Mitch turns up for their date. I think she feels empowered when she's in control and calling the shots with men as she did when she kissed the newspaper boy - I'd hazard a guess as to say that perhaps this is her past as a prostitute being portrayed. At times I do feel as though Blanche is callous such as how she can completely dismiss what she has built up with Mitch for a rush from a kiss of a newspaper boy. She's insensitive to how this would make Mitch feel if he knew, and I also think she's insensitive to her sister. This is because she simply turns up at her house, is incredibly disdainful and critical of it, and then has a raging soliloquiy whereby she blames Stella for leaving her to clear up the mess (which Blanche created for herself). Furthermore, she tries to convince Stella otherwise that she doesn't love Stanley and this is because she doesn't understand their type of relationship and therefore is insensitive to how Stella feels about Stanley. I think her desperateness is shown in how she wants Mitch and how despite her facade, she really does have nothing and really does need a home and somebody for support. Her disillusion is shown in her little acts such as putting a paper lantern over a light in order to hide her age - Blanche cannot accept she is not a young and as attractive woman anymore. She is terrified of growing old and losing her looks and she craves compliments in order to banish that fear - even if the compliments aren't made of the character's own backs and are indeed not true. Blanche does seem at times to be realistic, such as when she finds out Stella is pregnant and she realises that Stella cannot be in a relationship with a violent man like Stanley when he drinks. However, I do think this is because she doesn't understand their relationship - Stella takes the bad with the good and focuses on the latter, but Blanche cannot grasp this. I do think she is deliberately promiscuous in order to fulfill her sexual desires which have been unattained since she left Laurel. Whether she does it to seek attention is another question - I think it's just something to satisfy her 'brutal desire' rather than to draw attention to herself, although she inevitably does. However, I do also think Blanche is portrayed as a lonely and hopeless character in the sense that she has nothing, she is alone and this is part of the reason why she wants Mitch. She needs her sister more than anything right now, and although she appears to be pushing her away, she knows she can test Stella and she will not betray her.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how William's has deliberately characterised Blanche in this way, and reading our mixed responses about how we feel about Blanche is the result of these different sides to Blanche.