How does Tennessee Williams dramatise the tension between reality and fantasy in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'?

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Hazel Garvey

Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth…” Scene IX

How does Tennessee Williams dramatise the tension between reality and fantasy in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’?

Tennessee Williams dramatises the tension between reality and fantasy by Characterisation, Theatrical Devices, and by the use of Symbolism.

Williams uses Blanche to represent fantasy; Blanche is a magical and romantic character.

“Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth…” (p.72)

Here Blanche explains that she lies instead of accepting the truth. By lying to herself and others, she makes life appear as it should be, rather than what it is “I tell what ought to be truth.” Blanche prefers to live in a world of fantasy, rather than except the truth. Williams has created a very extreme character in Blanche, she always prefers lies to the truth. For example, the loss of Belle Reve, Blanche prefers to believe that it is Stella’s fault, for not returning home except for funerals, and not realising that Blanche didn’t earn enough money to cover the cost of running Belle Reve, and the funerals. “You just come home for the funerals, Stella. And funerals are pretty compared to deaths…Death is expensive…Yes accuse me! Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go! I let the place go? Where were you.”  (p.12)

Blanche deludes herself into thinking that Shep Huntleigh, a man who she was involved with in her youth, is interested in meeting up with her again.

“do you remember Shep Huntleigh? Of course you remember Shep Huntleigh. I went out with him at college and wore his pin for a while. Well I ran into him last winter. You know I went to Miami during the Christmas holidays?” “well I did. I took the trip as an investment, thinking I’d meet someone with a million dollars.” (p.37)  Blanche then goes on to say that she did meet someone with a million dollars; Shep has oil-wells all over Texas. “Texas is literally spouting gold in his pockets.” Blanche tells Stella that Shep is married, but later in the play, just before Stanley rapes her, Blanche tells him that Shep has invited her on a Caribbean cruise. This reminds the audience that Blanche lives in a world of fantasy, and symbolises fantasy in the play.

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Blanche also prefers not to acknowledge her age, telling Mitch that Stella is her older sister, when she is in fact her younger sister.  Blanche also avoids light, as she is afraid that light would show up her true age. The stage directions on page 5 tell us that ‘she is about five years older than Stella.’ Blanche tells us that she likes the dark because “the dark is comforting to me.” It conceals the truth. Blanche has never let Mitch see her in the light before, and when Mitch realises her true age, and confronts her he says that ...

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