We live in a fantasy world. As human beings we have no other choice but to. How would we be able survive if we all succumbed to our realties? Just like Dr Seuss said “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” If we didn’t repress our emotions of depression, neglect, or betrayal, how could we live with our selves? If we realize it or not, we all fantasize. There is no harm in fantasies. In fact they are an essential notion that marks as human beings. How else would there be competition in an aspect of life? The practice of “fantasizing” can be simple as thinking about what your having for dinner after work one day, or planning your college courses in order to major in the field of a career you can see yourself having. It is inevitable, but when it causes someone to become delusional it is not longer healthy.
Everyone is guilty of trying to portray a certain image. You can think you know someone your whole life, just to find out it was all a lie. Some people try to trick people into not seeing them for whom they really are, and create a mirage around their entire entity. In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams evoked the two major themes, Isolating darkness, and fantasy verse reality. Tennessee Williams utilizes the rhetorical devices motifs, symbolism, and characterization to deploy these themes.
In “A Streetcar Named Desire” Blanche represents this struggle with her own reality by repressing her past and trying to keep it that way by staying out of the light. The essence of light is its ability to expose the blatant truth. That is exactly why Blanche avoids it. Tennessee Williams uses the reoccurrence of Blanche’s reluctantly to be seen in the light to portray the theme of isolating darkness throughout the work. It is evident from the beginning when Blanche first arrives at Stella’s apartment in white dress misrepresenting innocent. After Stella compliments Blanche’s appearance she says, “Daylight never exposed so a total ruin,” (Williams 1170). Blanche is an insecure, apprehensive individual, who lives in a perpetual panic about her fading beauty.
The essence of bright light remains throughout the entire work as well as Blanche’s effort to swindle everyone around her. This is seen when Blanche is speaking with Stella about Mitch and says, “I want to deceive him enough to make him want me” (William 1203). This relates to the theme of isolating darkness because Blanche completely avoids going on dates with Mitch in the daytime or to a place that is well lit. The fact that she continuously lies about her age also demonstrates her efforts to deceive Mitch.
Unfortunately for Blanche her past could not stay in the dark forever. Stanley researched her past in Belle Reve and warns Mitch about Blanche’s deceitful nature, as well as her lurid, and promiscuous past. On that note, Mitch says to Blanche “I don’t think I ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact,” (Williams 1223). Blanche attempts to protect herself and says, “”I like it dark, and the dark is comforting to me,” (Williams 1223). It becomes clear that Blanche’s inability to tolerate light is a true indication of her lost grasp on reality.
That brings forth another theme throughout the play, the conflict of fantasy world, verses reality. Throughout the work Blanche is a representation of illusions. Like many of us Blanche creates an image for herself that she wants others to believe. But since she was in such denial, unfortunately, she even starts to believe it. Blanche believes that magic rather than reality is the way life ought to be. Blanche says to Mitch that, “I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth,” (Williams 1224). She refuses to accept the hand fate had dealt her. Blanche creates a protective shell to protect herself from her reality. But her reality is never far. She is reminded of her husband’s suicide the turning point of her life, by the dreadful Poka tune that plays every time she is on the verge of loosing it. To cleanse away the impurities Blanche spends hours soaking in the hot tub. Blanche says to Stella after a dispute with Stanley, “my nerves are in knots is the bathroom open,” (Williams 1185).
Polar opposite of Blanche is Stanley Kowalski. Stanley is practical, and a matter of tripe of guy. He represents the reality within the world. He does everything in his power to dissect Blanche’s fabrications down to the truth and expose her for who she really is. Her flakey nature is apparent to Stanley from the start. Stanley, as a pragmatist; refuses to play along with Blanche’s fantasy world. Blanche describes Stanley to Stella as, “like an animal. He has an animal’s habits. There’s even something subhuman about him,” (Williams 1198). Stanley and Blanche inevitably crash head on. The tension between the two is inescapable. Blanche’s fanatical rituals such as her bathing are not something Stanley tolerates. The sarcasm is evident in Stanley’s tone when he says to Stella, “temperature 100 on the nose and she soaks herself in a hot tub,” (Williams 1212). Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois represent the theme of reality verse illusion entirely.
Tennessee Williams developed the powerful themes of isolating darkness, and fantasy verse reality through the usage of rhetorical devices to vividly create such opposing characters. Like it or not but there is a little Blanche Dubois in every one of us. We are all guilty of wanting to be more appealing. Weather physically, or mentally, we are all trying to create an illusion that we wish was the truth. Rarely do you come across a person as disconnected from social standards as Stanley Kowalski. And think about it, really, who the hell was he to rain on her parade?
Everyone is guilty of trying to portray a certain image. You can think you know someone your whole life, just to find out it was all a lie. Some people try to trick people into not seeing them for whom they really are, and create a mirage around their entire entity. In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams evoked the two major themes, Isolating darkness, and fantasy verse reality. Tennessee Williams utilizes the rhetorical devices motifs, symbolism, and characterization to deploy these themes.
In “A Streetcar Named Desire” Blanche represents this struggle with her own reality by repressing her past and trying to keep it that way by staying out of the light. The essence of light is its ability to expose the blatant truth. That is exactly why Blanche avoids it. Tennessee Williams uses the reoccurrence of Blanche’s reluctantly to be seen in the light to portray the theme of isolating darkness throughout the work. It is evident from the beginning when Blanche first arrives at Stella’s apartment in white dress misrepresenting innocent. After Stella compliments Blanche’s appearance she says, “Daylight never exposed so a total ruin,” (Williams 1170). Blanche is an insecure, apprehensive individual, who lives in a perpetual panic about her fading beauty.
The essence of bright light remains throughout the entire work as well as Blanche’s effort to swindle everyone around her. This is seen when Blanche is speaking with Stella about Mitch and says, “I want to deceive him enough to make him want me” (William 1203). This relates to the theme of isolating darkness because Blanche completely avoids going on dates with Mitch in the daytime or to a place that is well lit. The fact that she continuously lies about her age also demonstrates her efforts to deceive Mitch.
Unfortunately for Blanche her past could not stay in the dark forever. Stanley researched her past in Belle Reve and warns Mitch about Blanche’s deceitful nature, as well as her lurid, and promiscuous past. On that note, Mitch says to Blanche “I don’t think I ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact,” (Williams 1223). Blanche attempts to protect herself and says, “”I like it dark, and the dark is comforting to me,” (Williams 1223). It becomes clear that Blanche’s inability to tolerate light is a true indication of her lost grasp on reality.
That brings forth another theme throughout the play, the conflict of fantasy world, verses reality. Throughout the work Blanche is a representation of illusions. Like many of us Blanche creates an image for herself that she wants others to believe. But since she was in such denial, unfortunately, she even starts to believe it. Blanche believes that magic rather than reality is the way life ought to be. Blanche says to Mitch that, “I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth,” (Williams 1224). She refuses to accept the hand fate had dealt her. Blanche creates a protective shell to protect herself from her reality. But her reality is never far. She is reminded of her husband’s suicide the turning point of her life, by the dreadful Poka tune that plays every time she is on the verge of loosing it. To cleanse away the impurities Blanche spends hours soaking in the hot tub. Blanche says to Stella after a dispute with Stanley, “my nerves are in knots is the bathroom open,” (Williams 1185).
Polar opposite of Blanche is Stanley Kowalski. Stanley is practical, and a matter of tripe of guy. He represents the reality within the world. He does everything in his power to dissect Blanche’s fabrications down to the truth and expose her for who she really is. Her flakey nature is apparent to Stanley from the start. Stanley, as a pragmatist; refuses to play along with Blanche’s fantasy world. Blanche describes Stanley to Stella as, “like an animal. He has an animal’s habits. There’s even something subhuman about him,” (Williams 1198). Stanley and Blanche inevitably crash head on. The tension between the two is inescapable. Blanche’s fanatical rituals such as her bathing are not something Stanley tolerates. The sarcasm is evident in Stanley’s tone when he says to Stella, “temperature 100 on the nose and she soaks herself in a hot tub,” (Williams 1212). Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois represent the theme of reality verse illusion entirely.
Tennessee Williams developed the powerful themes of isolating darkness, and fantasy verse reality through the usage of rhetorical devices to vividly create such opposing characters. Like it or not but there is a little Blanche Dubois in every one of us. We are all guilty of wanting to be more appealing. Weather physically, or mentally, we are all trying to create an illusion that we wish was the truth. Rarely do you come across a person as disconnected from social standards as Stanley Kowalski. And think about it, really, who the hell was he to rain on her parade?
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