Other developments early in the story help the audience to feel a sympathy for Blanche, although they are not entirely revealed at this stage. Blanche has had to deal with many deaths in her family and that of her young husband, the subject of which still holds emotional feelings for her. Her family's death had been burdened onto Blanche when Stella left and this, it is suggested, also lead to the loss of the family home Belle Reve. "I, I, I took the blows in my face and body! All those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard." The hysterical language shows a real emotion, and although this is a selfish comment, the audience can still relate to the loss that she had to deal with.
The death of the young husband is a subject that is obviously still painful for Blanche, and this is where the most sympathy is felt for her character. This empathy is further reinforced when Stanley bullies her and invades her privacy in the same scene. "These are love-letters, yellowing with antiquity, all from one boy. [He snatches them up. She speaks fiercely.] Give those back to me." The fact that Stanley touching the letters affects Blanche so strongly shows the passion that she really feels about the topic.
Although is it obvious that Blanche has had some difficult times and suffered greatly, there are times when feeling of disgust come across at her critical and manipulative behavior.
Blanche is very dependant on other people. She leans upon Stella for support and attention, whilst flirting with men to feed her sexual appetite and attention seeking. She flirts with her sisters husband and enjoys the sexual tension that she creates between her self and Stanley. "Lay…her cards on the table." Her use of suggestive and physical language suggests a lust for a man that is not hers. This behavior is not respectful to Stella and therefore her behavior does not induce sympathy form the audience.
Certain features of her personality are very extreme, almost like a cry for attention. For example Blanche is extremely vain. She repeatedly speaks of the light that she is looked at under, "I wont be looked at in this merciless glare" and the clothes that she wears, "You haven't said a word about my appearance." Her constant need for reassurance is irritating rather than endearing, and by doing this Blanche always places herself at the center of a situation.
When first arriving at the Elysian Fields Blanche makes very critical comments about the living conditions and comes across in a snobbish and pretentious manner, always showing her more educated and higher class views. "Oh, I'm not going to be hypocritical, I'm going to be honestly critical about it! Never, never, never in my worst dreams could I picture – Only Poe! Only Mr. Edgar Allan Poe! – could do it justice!" The shocking honesty and brutality of her words prompts the audience disagree with her way of going about things, and they are less likely therefore to feel sympathy for her when she behaves in such a manner.
Blanche also shows a manipulative streak when asking Stella "run to the drugstore and get me a lemon coke with plenty of chipped ice in it!" She does this in order to be alone with Stanley for the first time, so that she can fall back into her flirtatious manner without Stella being there. With Stella's present absent Blanche flirts outrageously in the stage directions.
[She sprays herself with the atomizer; then playfully sprays him with it. He seizes the atomizer and slam it down on the dresser. She throws back her head and laughs.]
Although Stanley's reaction is aggressive, Blanche is pleased as she knows that her flirting is affecting him.
I believe that the greatest action of Blanches that deserves feelings of shock rather than sympathy is her lying about drinking. Not only do these actions show lying but also hint at a drinking problem which is a very uncouth and irresponsible habit. "Open your pretty mouth and talk while I look around for some liqueur! I know you must have some liqueur on the place! Where could it be, I wonder? Oh, I spy I spy!" This obvious lying is an attempt to hide the truth that maybe she does have an addiction to drinking. Later when questioned about the drink by Stanley Blanche confesses that she "rarely touches it."
The main reason that Blanche should not be sympathized is that her character acts for it. She constantly needs the reassurance and repeats the things that she has had to suffer with an extreme performance, in anticipation of sympathy. "Well Stella – your going to reproach me, I know that you're bound to reproach me – but before you do – take into consideration – you left! I stayed and struggled! You came to New Orleans and looked out for yourself! I stayed at Belle Reve and tried to hold it together! I'm not meaning this in any reproachful way, but all the burden descended onto my shoulders." This desperate attempt for acknowledgement and praise is not one that makes the audience feel sympathy for her, but instead draws feeling of aggravation.
Over all I believe that the things that Blanche has had to suffer with, such as the deaths and loss of her home are a source of pity. However the way she goes about things and her manipulative and deceptive character means that sympathy form the audience is not always felt.
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