Appearance/Illusion versus Reality
Scene 1
Stella on falling in love with Stanley:
‘I assure you I wasn’t blinded by all the brass.’ (p.12)
· The brass is the medals and uniform he had after the war.
· Stella loves Stanley for who he really is – there is no illusion about their relationship
Scene 3
Blanche talking to Mitch and asking him to put the paper lantern on the light:
‘I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action.’ (p.39)
· Blanche is trying to hide her true appearance and age from Mitch, so avoids harsh light
· She is also promoting a false image – that she is respectable and ladylike – not the real her
Scene 9
When Mitch questions Blanche on why he has never seen her in the light.
‘I like it dark. The dark is comforting to me.’
· She’s hiding from the light and from reality
· She feels safe when no one can see the real her
Blanche admits that she lives in a fantasy world because she doesn’t want to face the truth:
‘I don’t want realism. I’ll tell you what I want. Magic! […] I misrepresent things. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth.’
· Blanche puts on a front, a show – she acts the way she wishes things could be
· She clearly says that she doesn’t want realism
· She’s happier living in a fantasy world and in a world where she lies to people
Scene 10
Stanley knows that Blanche is lying about Shep and Mitch:
‘There wasn’t no wire at all! There isn’t no millionaire! […] There isn’t a goddamn thing but imagination.’
· Stanley is being realistic
· He brings her back to reality after she called him and his friends pigs
· Tears her fantasy apart, begins to destroy her
Stanley admits that he has never believed anything she has said.
‘Not once did you pull any wool over this boy’s eyes!’
· Stanley understood exactly what Blanche was like right from the beginning
· Stanley is the complete opposite from Mitch because Mitch was gullible enough to believe everything Blanche told him
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