Similarly, the protagonist can never fully escape reality, finding it in Stanley, who “mercilessly” attempts to jerk Blanche back into reality- “There isn’t a goddamn thing but imagination!” (127); and in Mitch, in his inability to enhance Blanche’s illusionary world due to a lack of refinement - “ When I started there, I was getting soft in the belly, but now my belly is hard…Punch me!” (89). One can see how Blanche’s hopes of an idealistic date, an illusion that Blanche conjures, and projects through romanticized literary allusions- “Je suis la Dame aux Camellias!”(88) are shattered with Mitch’s commonality- “Perspiration is healthy” (88) and evident lack of gentlemanly charm. Therefore, the “merciless glare” of the light symbolizes reality’s relentless pursuit of the pathetic Blanche; despite her frantic attempts to evade the light, and/or reality, the protagonist is viciously confronted by both, in an inexorable battle against her self-crafted illusionary world.
The symbol of the light bulb plays a pivotal role in underlining Blanche’s conflict against reality, not only emphasizing the conflict where necessary, but also tracing its transformation from internal to external by the play’s denouement. In the beginning of the play, when the protagonist is first introduced to Harold Mitchell, she conveys the hope incited by the possibility of a companionship with Mitch; the two connect thanks to their shared pain- “the little there is (sincerity) belongs to people who have experienced some sorrow. “ (54). Mitch agrees- “I believe you are right about that” (54), and sensing the increased connection, the protagonist erupts in an unrestrained flurry- “I’m positive that I am. Show me a person who hasn’t known any sorrow…Tonight I had three”. (54). This passage illustrates Blanche’s deception of Mitch through her pretensions of unassuming innocence- “I’m not accustomed to having more than one drink”, (54); contrary to the character’s statement, Blanche has been drinking the entire day- in the morning upon her arrival to New Orleans; during her reunion with Stella, and we can assume from her slurred speech- “Shuperficial” (54), all throughout her outing with her sister as well. Shortly following the passage, the author emphasizes its implications of conflict (through the idea that Blanche is lying to escape reality), with a reference to the light bulb- “I bought this adorable little colored paper lantern…Put it over the light bulb!” (55). Blanche’s desire to conceal the light bulb with the “little colored paper lantern” is symbolic of her desire to further distance herself off from reality- her inner conflict. She wishes to conceal the “naked light bulb” just as she wishes to conceal her drinking habits- “She pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down” (18) through the feigned notion of her innocence- “No, I- rarely touch it!” (30). The protagonist’s inability to face the truth is further symbolized in the line- “I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or vulgar action” (55). The protagonist cannot stomach the mere sight of anything that suggests reality, of “bearing one’s soul”- the idiom summoned by the image of the naked light bulb. This is effectively conveyed in her need to disguise the light bulb’s austere glow with a “colorful paper lantern”, which would cause whoever stands in the light to appear only vaguely distinguishable; this ties back to our initial impression of Blanche- the “delicate” beauty who must avoid a “strong light”. Moreover, we see the depiction brought to life with the specific example of the light bulb reflecting Williams’ portrayal of the vain and self-deceptive Blanche.
After this scene, the image of the light bulb fades into obscurity, in mirroring the progression of Blanche’s inner conflict- her conflict remains internal, just as the light bulb remains hidden in the context of the play. Only when Mitch’s character becomes aware of Blanche’s deception- “Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies,” (119) - is the symbol presented once more- “Let’s turn the light on here” (116), to which Blanche “fearfully” replies “Light…What for?” (116), expressing her final efforts to remain oblivious to reality, as emphasized through Williams’ stage directions in “fearfully”. These efforts prove to be worthless, when Mitch “tears the paper lantern off the light bulb”, (117), a violent action that incites the play’s climax- Blanche’s revelation of her dishonesty. Her admitting to the fact that she has been deceiving herself immediately after the paper lantern is “torn” off the light bulb reinforces the light bulb’s crucial role in catalyzing the climax of the play- the transformation of Blanche’s internal conflict into an external one – “I don’t want realism…I tell what ought to be the truth”. In this short passage, Williams conveys Blanche’s formerly internal conflict through dialogue, her attempts to escape into illusion, what she believes “ought to be the truth” , her not being able to bear a “realistic” existence, devoid of “magic”, at the sound of which “Mitch laughs” , his ridiculing of Blanche’s innermost desires foreshadowing the protagonist’s consequent emotional and mental disintegration. From this point on, Williams expresses that reality has indeed triumphed over Blanche’s illusionary world. Although her delusional role-play throughout scene ten- “How about taking a swim, a moonlight swim at the old rock quarry”, (122) may initially indicate the continuing battle of illusion vs. reality Stanley’s ensuing rape of the protagonist, followed by her being sent away to a mental institution, strongly implies that after the pivotal tearing of the paper lantern, and the accompanying revelation, Blanche’s illusionary world becomes no match for the brutality of real life. Williams never mentions the symbol of light after the paper lantern is violently removed, further implying that Blanche’s conflict no longer exists.
It is interesting how the exposure of Blanche’s denial triggers her ultimate downfall, and thus serves as the play’s climax, wrenching in its implication: only through delusion was the protagonist able to attain sanity. However, one has to wonder as to how “sane” the character was in the first place, if it meant abandoning the notion of a normal existence, with its trials and tribulations, for an illusionary world whose feigned perfection was impossible to maintain due to reality’s inescapable reminders. Blanche’s denial is indicative of a deep-rooted source of pain, her not being able to bear reality thanks to the hardships her character has been forced to endure. The symbol of light is especially important in representing Blanche’s conflict against reality, as light in itself is unavoidable. This becomes more evident through Blanche’s incessant efforts to evade the light, only to discover that whether or not she covers the light bulb, or stands in shadow, its presence will return to haunt her, as displayed by the vicious climax in which Mitch’s character violently tears the paper lantern off the light bulb. The role of the light bulb is such that it remains the only symbol of light reflective of the state of Blanche’s conflict; when the light bulb is covered, Blanche’s conflict remains on the inside. Whereas the tearing of the paper lantern immediately prompts Blanche’s revelation of her delusions, transforming her inner conflict into an external one.
The light reveals flaws while shadow disguises them, just as Blanche avoids her imperfections, hence reality, taking refuge in her pretenses of naivety and sophistication, as signified by the shadow. Reality’s threat to destroy Blanche’s illusionary world mirrors light’s threat to elucidate Blanche’s physical imperfections
