Who do you believe is the most to blame for Blanche’s fate at the end of ‘ A Streetcar Named Desire’?

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Who do you believe is the most to blame for Blanche's fate at the end of ' A Streetcar Named Desire'? How far do you think Blanche qualifies as a tragic heroine during the course of the play?

There are many connecting themes that lead to Blanche's long-anticipated downfall. These themes I will discuss in my essay. She is under the influence of fate, her own sexual the desire for money. Major themes explored are death, fate and madness. Ironically the title incorporates the word 'desire', as we know this as an underlying theme in the novel. The fact that Williams saw an actual streetcar in Old Orleans gives the impression that William's play is close to own heart; we know that his sister could be viewed as a representation of Blanche in the play. She too had casual, frequent encounters much like Blanche has in the play. She was a nymphomaniac who was finally lobotomised and sent to an asylum. It is clear that 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is personal to the Playwright.

Blanche has annoying obsessive behaviour and it is clear that the Writer portrays Blanche as a person who would be clearly hell to live with. Blanche is first introduced in the play as being 'moth' like; immediately she is compared in her smartness to the shabby, rundown street ironically named, 'Elysian Fields':

" She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice... "

Her appearance is grand and starkly contrasted to the grubby settings. We also learn that Blanche is snobbish. Eunice is forced to speak:

".... Defensively, noticing Blanches look."

Blanche is unhappy in Old Orleans and she shows that she does not want to be associated with the standard of living, this she shows by her facial expressions and her posture whilst she sits in her chair. We also know she is a secret drinker:

" I rarely touch the stuff . . ."

Blanche's drinking habit could be seen as a way of suppressing her guilt and anaesthetising her pain. Blanche has many weaknesses and drinking is one of these. She is self-destructive and these weaknesses are largely to blame for own her mental deterioration. Blanche talks to herself, which is considered to be strange:

" [Faintly to herself]

I've got to keep a hold of myself!"
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This is the first clue we get to Blanche's declining mental state. We see this as a slightly wild that she talks to herself.

Blanche allows as she has done in the past, her sexual desires dominate her life. She is self-destructive although that does not mean that the audience does not have sympathy for her. Stella is aware of Blanches need of flattery; it is suggested that Stella knows Blanche too well. She says to Stanley early on:

" Tell her she looks pretty. . ."

Stella is acutely conscious of Blanches need of ...

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