"More Light And Light, More Dark And Dark Our Woes".

"In a dark time, the eye begins to see, . . . " comes from a 1966 poem by Theodore Roethke. I believe it is a dark time as far as our understanding of the world around us and yet I also believe that in some way darkness can enlighten us. To me this quote means that during hardships is when people begin to understand. I disagree with this quote because when a person is in a dark period of their life they often loose the ability to understand thing clearly. Just as in the two plays A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams, and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare.

Throughout the play, Blanche avoids appearing in direct, bright light, especially in front of her suitor, Mitch. She also refuses to reveal her age, and it is clear that she avoids light in order to prevent him from seeing the reality of her fading beauty. In general, light also symbolizes the reality of Blanche's past. She is haunted by the ghosts of what she has lost--her first love, her purpose in life, her dignity, and the genteel society (real or imagined) of her ancestors. Blanche covers the exposed lightbulb in the Kowalski apartment with a Chinese paper lantern, and she refuses to go on dates with Mitch during the daytime or to well-lit locations. Mitch points out Blanche's avoidance of light in Scene Nine, when he confronts her with the stories Stanley has told him of her past. Mitch then forces Blanche to stand under the direct light. When he tells her that he doesn't mind her age, just her deceitfulness, Blanche responds by saying that she doesn't mean any harm. She believes that magic, rather than reality, represents life as it ought to be. Blanche's inability to tolerate light means that her grasp on reality is also nearing its end. In Scene Six, Blanche tells Mitch that being in love with her husband, Allan Grey, was like having the world revealed in bright, vivid light. Since Allan's suicide, Blanche