Essay About Blanche Dubois And Light Bulb

Streetcar Named Desire Cruelty
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One of the main themes expressed by Tennessee Williams in his play, A Streetcar
Named Desire, is to condemn those who display cruelty and harshness in their
treatment of others, especially those who are weak and vulnerable. Three
characters who demonstrate these insensitive qualities are Blanche, Mitch, and
Stanley. Whether the cruelty is deliberate or not, it results in the
destruction of others, both physically and mentally.
Blanche Dubois, the central victim of mistreatment in the play, was herself,
dealing out her share of insensitivities during her younger days. When Blanche
was 16, she had a very handsome lover named Allan Gray. She was very much in
love with him and decided to marry him. But by total surprise one night,
Blanche found her lover in bed with another man. She tried to pretend that
nothing had happened. However, she was unable to hold what she saw inside, and
told Allan “I saw, I know, you disgust me”( p.96). To Allan, Blanche seemed to
be a person who accepted him for who he was in a society where homosexuals are
discriminated against. What Blanche said completely devastated Allan and he
found no reason to continue living. Although Blanche had no intentions of
hurting Allan, enough damage was done to prompt Allan to shoot himself, his mind
and body destroyed.
The harsh treatment dealt by Mitch to Blanche near the end of the play is
strikingly similar to Blanches treatment of Allan Gray. Mitch is a friend of
Stanleys whom Blanche falls for during her visit to New Orleans. The
relationship between Blanche and Mitch had been developing steadily. Both
characters felt the need to settle down in life and both saw the image of
marriage at the outcome of their relationship. It did seem as though the image
would become reality, until Stan interfered. Stan filled Mitchs mind with
unfavourable stories of Blanches checkered past and the relationship quickly
turned sour. Mitch had not believed Stan at first, but when he received
confirmation of the truth to Stans accusations, he became heart-broken and
enraged. Mitch goes to confront Blanche personally and accuses her of being a
prostitute and lying to him. Mitch also says that Blanche is hiding something,
as he has never seen her in broad daylight. He then tears the paper lantern off
the light bulb, representing a tearing away of Blanches shield from realism.
Blanche admits to the accusations but reasons that she has changed her ways and
never did lie in her heart. Mitch appears to forgive her as he goes to kiss
Blanche. But in the midst of the embrace, Mitch blurts out, “Youre not clean
enough to bring in the house with my mother” (p121) This outrages Blanche, who