A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire

Everybody has a past; it is shaped by the experiences that they have undergone and the choices that were made. Your past plays a major role in the person you ultimately become, thus greatly influencing your present.  Some try to ignore their past, however it is impossible. We can grow out of it or our circumstances can change but our past defines who we are as individuals. Such a case is seen in Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire. The protagonist, Blanche DuBois, constantly portrays herself as a refined and sophisticated woman, however is becomes evident further in the play that hiding beneath all the jewels and pretty dresses, is a raw and unstable character that is trying to escape her past. Though the use of various symbols such as bathing, light and music, we observe Blanche’s struggle and ultimately her failure to reconcile her past with her present.

        At the beginning of the story, it is blatantly obvious that Blanche’s ritual of bathing represents a temporary solution that is used to cleanse herself of her past and manipulate the present situation into what she believes it “ought to be.” After Blanche’s initial conversation with Stanley where parts of her past is reveled, Blanche is first seen bathing. Blanche’s reaction to the mentions of her past clearly reflects her intense desire to cleanse herself from her illicit past. In doing so, she believes that she is able to purifying herself of her past misdoings and she feels “like a brand new human being.” Indeed, baths serve as an escape from her licentious and she is continuously “soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves.” While she is taking a long luxurious bath “little breathless cries and peals of laughter are heard as if a child were frolicking in the rub”, which indicate that she is able to regain her innocence and take pleasure in world that she creates without her horrid past. Also, baths play an important role in Blanche’s ability to construct a believable facade of being pure and innocent. Throughout the play, conversations that mention her past and the lies she propagates are closely followed by her bathing.  For Blanche, bathing is no simple matter; she feels the need to spend hours cleansing herself of her past and present lies, as if she was about to make a fresh start in life. Undeniably, Blanche uses a “hot bath” in order to give her “a brand new outlook on life.” Blanche’s desire for a new life displays itself in her need to create a facade shielding everybody from her true past. Hence, Blanche’s dependence on baths reveals her struggle to hide her past and control the outcome of her current situation.    

        Throughout the play, Blanche’s avoidance of light reveals her fear of the discovery of her past as it would destroy the possibility of her reconciling her past with her present. While talking to Stella, Blanche says that she does not “want to be looked at in this merciless glare” because it takes no pity on her or the hardships she survived. According to her, it harshly exposes her true broken state and her many struggles to conceal her past. Indeed, Blanche’s desire to hide her past is so powerful that it manifested itself in a physical manner when she shields herself from the light with the help of a paper lantern. She uses the paper lantern to soften up the harsh reality and provide a momentary solution. In contrast to the light, Blanche seeks refuge in the shadows which allows her to maneuver the harsh facts. She uses the dark as a way of concealing rather than undergoing a change within herself. For example, Blanche’s desire to manipulate Mitch’s perception of her is unveiled when Mitch says that he has never seen her “in the true light.” In addition, the dark is comforting to Blanche because she feels dark and void inside. She explains to Mitch that the loss of her husband was as if “the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since has there been any light that's stronger than” a simple kitchen candle.  In all, Blanche’s obsession with hiding from the light and concealing herself in the dark represents her struggle to enable her past and her present to coexist.