The illusion of reality
–
Blanche DuBois and her individual perception of
life. The ambiguous construction of self in
A Streetcar Named Desire
by
Tennessee Williams
Svea Sophie Pahlke Luz
September, 2016
Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do
grau de Mestre em Artes Cénicas realizada sob a orientação científica de Professora
THE ILLUSION OF REALITY - BLANCHE DUBOIS AND HER INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTION OF LIFE. THE AMBIGUOUS CONSTRUCTION OF SELF IN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE BY
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
SVEA SOPHIE PAHLKE LUZ
ABSTRACT
This dissertation seeks to analyse the way illusion and reality converge in the play
A Streetcar Named Desire1 by Tennessee Williams2. The protagonist Blanche DuBois will be the central figure of this analysis. Bla he sàpe so alàpe eptio àofà ealit àleadsàtoà
ambiguity and a metamorphosis of truth. The dissertation will explore whether Blanche
DuBois can reveal a deeper reality to us. Quotes refer to the edition published by Reclam
(Stuttgart, 2015). A staged example of the piece, in the form of the German production
Endstation Sehnsucht3 (German title of A Streetcar Named Desire) directed by Lars-Ole Walburg4 will also be referred to.
KEYWORDS: reality, illusion, utopia, fiction, perception, truth, self, communication
1 date premiered: 3.12.1947
2 ´Tennessee Williams` (Thomas Lanier Williams III) (* 26.03.1911; †à . . à asàa àá e i a à
playwright and art critic
A ILUSÃO NA REALIDADE – BLANCHE DUBOIS E SUA PERCEÇÃO INDIVIDUAL DA VIDA. A CONSTRUÇÃO AMBÌGUA DO PRÓPRIO SER EM A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE DE
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS.
SVEA SOPHIE PAHLKE LUZ
RESUMO
Esta dissertação tem como objectivo analisar a forma como a ilusão e a realidade
convergem na peça A Streetcar Named Desire5 de Tennessee Williams6. A protagonista Blanche DuBois vai constituir a figura central desta análise. A percepção pessoal de
Blanche acerca da realidade é relacionada à ambiguidade e a metamorfose da verdade.
A dissertação problematizará se a construção da personagem pode revelar um sentido
mais amplo de realidade. As citações referem-se à edição publicada pela Reclam
(Stuttgart, 2015). Um exemplo recente de encenação da peça, na forma da produção
alemã Endstation Sehnsucht7 (German title of A Streetcar Named Desire) dirigida por
Lars-Ole Walburg8 também será referida neste trabalho.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE:
realidade, illusão, utopia, ficção, percepção, verdade, próprio ser, comunicação
5 Data da primeira estreia: 03.12.1947
6 ´Tennessee Williams` (Thomas Lanier Williams III) (*26.03.1911; † . . àe aàu àauto àd a ti oàeà
crítico de arte.
Index
I. Introduction ... 1
I.I. Content of the dissertation ... 4
I.II. Literary Movement and historical overview ... 5
I.II.I. Struggling individuals in the spirit of the times ... 6
I.III. General overview of the play in the context of the Southern States Renaissance ... 7
I.III.I. The plot of the play (focussing on Blanche DuBois) ... 7
I.III.II. The characterisation of Blanche DuBois and her ambiguity ... 10
I.III.III. Symbolism of light and darkness ... 13
1. Self-delusion and the individual construction of reality ... 15
1.1. Personal opinions over reality... 17
1.2. A set design to illuminate ambiguous perceptions of reality ... 19
1.3. Utopia and illusion in reality ... 20
1.4. Fictional worlds in theatre ... 21
1.4.1. Realistic moments in fiction ... 21
1.4.2. Levels of meaning in staged fictional worlds ... 22
2. The nature of truth – the perception, representation and creation of truth ... 23
2.1. Poetic Realism – A key to the literary expression of inner truths ... 26
2.2. The clash of truths ... 27
2.3. Lies within truths ... 28
2.4. Different ways of expressing truths and untruths ... 29
2.4.1. Dehierarchicalisation as a key to truthful expression ... 30
2.4.2. Physicality as a key to truthful expression ... 33
2.5. Truths and untruths in memory ... 35
3. Blanche and her creation of the self ... 36
3.1. The social chameleon ... 38
3.2. ´To Be or not to Be [herself]: that is the question` (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I) ... 39
3.3. The formation of identity ... 40
3.4. The narrative or narrated self ... 42
3.5. Self and the sense of self ... 44
3.6. Complexity and intangibility of self ... 46
4. Conclusion – Reality, communication and community ... 47
Bibliography ... 52
Music References ... 55
References about the production at Thalia Theater ... 55
I.àI t odu tio
This dissertation seeks to investigate the role played by the individual in the
construction of reality. Its main part consists of an analysis of the interrelationship
between reality and illusion. Blanche DuBois (the character portrayed in the original play
by Tennessee Williams and the German staged interpretation of the character by Karin
Neuhäuser9 in Endstation Sehnsucht, which premiered on the 16th of April 2016 at Thalia
Theater in Hamburg) will be the focus for analysis, as she exemplifies ambiguous individual perceptions of reality and truth.
Throughout the dissertation theàte à ealit àdoesà otà ea àtheàe ti et àofàtheà
earth and the cosmos, but specifically the different perceptions of reality experienced by
Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Endstation Sehnsucht (the staged version is going to be analysed mainly in following subchapters: 1.2. and 2.4). We will see
that the smallest part of the whole, filtered through personal perception, is not a clearly
definable entire reality in itself because it is ruled and formed by subjective perceptions.
Therefore it is difficult to conceptualise reality as a tangible idea. To underline the
diversity in the perception of reality and truth and therefore to emphasise the so-called
´transition between realities` (Luckmann, Berger 39) I will use particular terms. The
precise definitions of these terms will be refined throughout the dissertation and each
will stand for important shifts in Blanche`s perception of life and of herself.
Following terms will describe the different phases of Blanche´s unique, individual
perception of reality and truth: personalreality, subjectivetruth, innertruth and individual truth. Other terms will be used to underscore differences in the way she approaches her environment and the more ´objective reality and truth` she finds there, namely: common reality, objective truth and real truth.
In analysing Blanche`s perception of herself I will highlight different definitions of
the self to achieve a deeper understanding of the protagonist: inner self, true self versus
false, illusory or invented self. To underline the complex character of Blanche, including
her inner ambiguity regarding her perception of herself,àIà illà efe àtoàBla he sàinner self
on the one hand and her false, illusory or invented self on the other. The existence and tangibility (or non-tangibility) of the inner self is a much-debated theme and it is important to remember that it is always ambiguous and complex.
Paulo Filipe Monteiro highlights the issue of whether it might be ´the rest which is neither
represented nor representable in which resides the most important part of our lives10
(Monteiro 115). Though it might seem that Blanche, like all of us, plays roles in her
everyday life (as will be discussed in the third chapter) there remains a ´real inner` part
or ´rest` (ibid) in herself (as in every self) which occasionally comes to the surface. This
inner part might appear ´separated in diverse characters` like Fe a doàPessoa sàsel es
(apud Montiero 127). Pessoa proclaims the ´I` to be never accessible as a whole subject
(ibid). Complex parts of Blanche (her creation of truths and untruths, her creation of
reality and her creation of self) are represented throughout the play in a multifaceted
conscious or unconscious way which is comparable with what Goffman expresses in his
definition of the question of sincerity. He divides the representation of a self into
representing roles intentionally or unintentionally: ´the individual will have to act so that
he intentionally or unintentionally expresses himself` (apud Goffman 2), ´sometimes he
will intentionally and consciously express himself in a particular way.` ´Sometimes the
t aditio sà ofà a à i di idual sà oleà illàleadà hi àtoà gi eà aà ell-designed impression of a particular kind and yet he may be neither consciously nor unconsciously disposed to
create such an impression.` (Goffman 3). Blanche´s ´play` between acting consciously and
unconsciously will also be highlighted throughout the dissertation.
It must be remembered that this dissertation is engaged in literary criticism and
dramatic analysis rather than psychological analysis of a real person. But as Tennessee
Williams drew inspiration from his female relatives in order to portray Blanche DuBois,
he was able to create a literary character with complex, exact and clearly-defined
personal qualities. This dissertation will analyse how Blanche as a self presents herself in
different life situations. Does Blanche, even as fictive character, reveal a new
10´A questão que muitas vezes se põe (...) é se não haverá um resto que não é representado nem
apprehension of reality through her staged realities? Where is the border between
something real and something fictive or illusory? Is perception always a unique, personal
and private thing?
Toàgi eà lea àe a plesàofàBla he sàde ialàofà ealit , it is useful to compare her behaviour with two other characters in the play (and the staged interpretation of the
same) in particular, namely her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski and her sister Stella
Kowalski (staged interpretations by Sebastian Zimmler and Patrycia Ziolkowska)11 who
have different attitudes towards truth, reality, illusion, fiction and lie.
Throughout the dissertation, footnotes referencing the Image Index refer to
photographs of the production12 by Lars-Ole Walburg, used to explain or illustrate key
moments in the production and the play.
The investigation will be deepened through comparisons with the ideas of authors
such as Michel Foucault13, Elfriede Jelinek14, Antonin Artaud15, Erving Goffman16, William
Shakespeare17, Bernard Shaw18 and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe19 with the aim of
showing diverse conceptions of the concepts of life/reality and illusion. Other authors
such as Thomas Luckmann, John Berger, Thomas Pavel, Heinz von Foerster, Bernhard
Pörksen, Paulo Filipe Monteiro, Daniel Dennett, Marya Schechtman and Miri Albahari also
contribute to my study.
11 Image Index (No. 2)
12 Krafft Angerer is the photographer of the following photos. His webside:
http://www.krafft-angerer.de/index.php?article_id=1
13 Paul-Michel Foucault (*15.10.1926; †25.06.1984) French poststructuralist philosopher, psychologist, sociologist and historicist.
14 Elfriede Jelinek (*1946) is a post-dramatic Austrian novelist, playwright and one of the most criticised,
discussed and highly esteemed artists of the German speaking countries. In her plays she reacts on political contemporary occurrences such as terrorism, war, migration, xenophobia, environmental destruction or the financial crisis. But also important themes such as the social status of women, media, consumerism, social clichés, auto-destruction, auto-criticism, violence between sexes, finitude and death are revealed in her texts.
15 Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud (*04.09.1896; †à04.03.1948) is a French is a surrealist playwright, theatre
director, poet and actor, known as one of the most important figures of the European avant-garde and of 20th century theatre. He wants to reveal through his Theatre of Cruelty the hidden side of mankind and expose man to himself.
16 Erving Goffman (*11.06.1922; † 19.11.1982) Canadian-American sociologist
17 William Shakespeare (baptised 26.04.1564; †à . . à asào eàofàtheà ostàfa ousàpla ights.àHeà
was also a poet and an actor.
18 George Bernard Shaw (*26.07.1856; †à . . à asàa famous Irish playwright, politician and satirist
19 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (*28.08.1749; †à . .1832) was one of the most important German
I.I. Content of the dissertation
The introduction to this dissertation comprises a general overview of the
understanding of the play and its main characters and mood of the play. Exploration of a
key element of the play, the use of the symbolism of light and darkness, will introduce
the reader to the ambiguities of Blanche DuBois.
The first chapter will elaborate the individual construction of Blanche´s reality and
investigate whether prejudices and opinions about another entity can constitute a
perception of reality; or whether reality itself is commonly-agreed concept, not
subjectively influencable, but objectively understood. Here the Social Construction of Reality as defined by Luckmann and Berger will be referred to. In it they observe a kind of common reality they call ´everyday life reality` (35). The setting used in the production will be explored as offering a better understanding of Blanche and her surrounding
worlds. To understand the ´transition between realities` (39), Fou ault sàterm of ´utopia` and Luckmann´s and Berger´s analysis of being ´transported to another world´ (39) (the
dream and theatre world) will be introduced and associated ithàBla he sàconcept of illusory realism. As Blanche appears as a fictive character creating and living in ´fictional
o lds`,àTho asàPa el sà ookàFictional Worlds will be used as a tool for explaining Blanche and her perceptions of her world.
In the second chapter, the nature of truth, including questions around how we
perceive, represent and create truth form the main content. For this analysis the term
non-secretness, coined by the Austrian post-dramatic playwright Elfriede Jelinek is introduced. In order to explain and explore the traits of the protagonist, the dissertation
will introduce fragmented concepts of truth, such as real truth, individual truth and inner truth. The work of the physicist Heinz von Foerster and the media scholar Bernhard Pörksen, in which they question the construction of reality, will be referred to, always in
the conte tàofàtheàpla sà ai à ha a te ,àBla heàDuBois.àTheàdis ussio àofàaà a iet àofà
forms of truthful expression (literary, bodily, verbal, gestural and emotional) forms
another element of this part of the dissertation. The re-creation of the past (memorising)
An analysis of ideas of the self in relation to perception and reality will be focused
on in the third chapter. The idea of beings appearing as ´social chameleons` (Gergen 150)
rather than as clearly identifiable selves or individuals will be explored. With reference to
the work of Erving Goffman and Paulo Filipe Monteiro, we will explore whether Blanche
is herself or if she plays merely roles, or if it is these ´played` roles themselves which might
define her. The analysis of identity-forming also plays a role in this chapter, as do the
theories of philosophers of the mind including Daniel Dennett and Marya Schechtman.
Their work will be consulted in the context of the question of whether the self is a general
perception or always a self-created narrated version of a self. The theories of the
Australian philosopher Miri Albahari will be referred to in order to enable a profounder
understanding of Blanche DuBois and her creation of selves.
The conclusion of this work aims to examine the importance of truthful
communication for a functioning society and for the creation of selves. The significance
of a tolerant community for interaction will be discussed. In order to reveal again the
process of identity-formation through interaction, the dissertation will explore different
instances of verbal, bodily, emotional and cultural exchange on the one hand, and the
risks of narrow-mindedness on the other hand, as well as denial towards others. The
i e ita ilit àofàBla he sài e àdesi esàa dàhe à o st u tio àofàillusio sàa dàutopiasà illà
form another topic in the conclusion.
I.II. Literary Movement and historical overview
The literary creations of Tennessee Williams are closely related to the ´Southern
States Renaissance` in which attention is given to contemporary dichotomies in the
American South. Following the emergence of the materialised and industrialised ´New
South` (after 1877), the ´Old South` felt the urge to value its old culture, and regress to
its old living patterns of the southern planters aristocracy. Williams places emphasis on
this distinction and highlights the conflict between the decadent and aristocratic ´Old
South` and the harsh and simple ´New South`. Having neither delicacy nor a sense of
culture and aesthetics, Old Southerns believed that New Southerns would destroy the old
southern cultural, social and political traditions.
World War II. He is able to create a world and time of his own, through which he evokes
a claustrophobic mood that contributes to the dramatic tension of his plays
(Sambrook93).
I.II.I. Struggling individuals in the spirit of the times
In an autobiographical piece by Tennessee Williams published in Where I live: Selected Essays he explains why he became a playwright: he wants to describe the world we live in and to appeal for a better understanding of selves and the present. His aim is
to show that beings are inherently multi-layered. He also says that he would never write
about anything he had not observed himself (in Williams 1978). Tennessee Williams has
the urge to analyse and reveal the depths of individuals, questioning the acceptance of
the same. He manifests his questioning attitudes through his use of a literary style called
poetic realism (cf. chapter 2.1. Poetic realism: a key to the literary expression of inner truths) to underline the conflicts of the individual (Blanche).
The fact that Blanche struggles throughout the play to express her real feelings,
her true and inner self, might be a result of her social structures and/or of the spirit of
the times she lives in. She probably thinks that she has to represent her old social
structures by being a southern belle and rich individual, and that she would be rejected
by the other society if she showed her whole personality, including her fears, desires,
weaknesses and her true and inner self (cf. third chapter).
It is only in moments of desperation, delusion and sadness that her refused self
shines through. We might link this attitude portrayed in a character to elements of
Willia s ào à iog aph .àHeà asàhomosexual and had problems throughout his life being accepted by society. This may be why Williams includes in his literary creations strong
representations of opposing social views that seem always to underline and portray a
certain broken-ness and lost-ness on the part of individuals in the face of the whole or
I.III. General overview of the play in the context of the Southern States Renaissance
In A Streetcar Named DesireWillia sàsho sà othàaàt pi alà“outhe à‘e aissa eà
melancholy and desperate dream of reliving the old times and an offensive, provoking
sense of superiority towards the New Southerns. Blanche DuBois stands for the utopian,
aristocratic old southern world that does not want to accept the new life style of the New
Southerns. She is unable to free herself from a wealthy, outmoded past and is constrained
by her perception of the life she desires. Thus the development of her imbalance between
reality and illusion forms an important theme of the play, which will be discussed further
on.
Some of the reasons for the growing conflict inside Blanche herself, as well as
between Blanche and ´the others` or ´the other world`20 are her unattainable desire to
live in an illusory, euphemistic past time and her conscious or unconscious ambition to
represent a utopian self-perception.
By questioning themes such as the interrelation between subjective truth and
objective truth; the search for fulfilment; the adherence to desired illusions and differences in perceptions of reality, Williams creates timeless characters always
meaningful and revealing. The ambiguities he exposes in society lead to the contradictory
layers in terms of both of personalities and their actions in the play; there is no simple
goodào à adà ha a te àthusàtheàpla st agi àe di gàisàp o a l àe e o e sà espo si ilit .à
I.III.I. The plot of the play (focussing on Blanche DuBois)
Whe àBla heàDuBois àa i esàatàhe àsiste ´sàho eài àEl sia àFields21 she tries to change the place and despises the people living there (her brother in law Stanley
Kowalski, their neighbours and friends). She attempts to manipulate her younger sister
20 To illustrate and underline the important difference Blanche feels towards the New Southern state
characters and her isolation and exclusion towards them, they are going to be described throughout the dissertation through her eyes: as ´the others` or ´the other world`.
21Elysian Fields is a street in the middle of a New Southern, industrialised, lower middleclass
Stella and convince her of the superiority of the opposing, better, past world Blanche
considers herself to have come from:
“TáNLEY.à … àYouà o e in here and sprinkle the place with powder and spray perfume and cover the light-bulb with paper lantern, and lo and behold the place has turned into Egypt and you are the Queen of the Nile! (Scene Ten, p. 143)
*
BLANCHE. He acts like an animal, has an animal´s habit´s! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There´s even something –
sub-human – something not quite to the stage of humanity
et!à … and there he is - Stanley Kowalski – survivor of the
sto eàage!à … àDon´t – don´t hang back with the brutes! (Scene Four, p. 74-75)
The ´New South` is rejected, mistrusted and disdained throughout the play by
Blanche. She attempts to manifest an image of a rich, aristocratic, pure beauty that has
resided within a ´sweet dream` at the ancestral home Belle Reve where she grew up with
Stella. But already in the first scene her despair and discomfort is revealed through her
search for alcohol and through dramatic stage directions:
She rushes to the closet and removes the bottle; she is shaking all over and panting for breath as she tries to laugh. The bottle nearly slips from her grasp. (p. 14)
During her first conversation with Stella it emerges that ´the home-place had
slippedàth oughàhe à Bla he s àlil -white fingers` (Scene Seven, Stanley, p. 107), as she has lost its mortgage. In addition she claims to have been suspended by the school
director from her former job as an English teacher in Laurel, Mississippi because she ´was
on the verge – of lunacy, almost!` (Scene One, Blanche, p. 16). Even though she might have preferred a place of her own in which to re-find herself, and in which she might not
have felt observed and would not have had to represent different roles in a shared
everyday life, her last and only escape becomes Elysian Fields:
BLANCHE. When I think of how divine it is going to be to have such a thing as privacy one more – I could weep with joy! (Scene Ten, p. 140)
*
BLáNCHE.à … àThe eà asà o he eàelseàIà ouldàgo.à
Blanche feels insecure at her sister and brother-in-la s house, because of their different
living standards and because, except for the bathroom, she has no place to escape and
withdraw to.
átàtheàfi stàPoke àNightài às e eàth ee,à efo eà“ta le sà utalàout u stàagai stà
his wife, Blanche gets to know his gentle friend Harold Mitchell (Mitch) who turns out to
be her chance for escape for a new life. As they get to know each other, both hope they
have found a way out of loneliness22. They open their hearts and it is revealed that both
lost their first loves; thoughàBla heàstillàfeelsàguiltil àa outàhe àhus a d sàsui ide.
In scene seven, Stanley reveals to his pregnant wife Stella how many lies Blanche
has spread throughout her stay. He elucidates her numerous and dubious love affairs at
the Hotel Flamingo in Lau el,àsa i gàthisàhadàgo eào àu tilà´she sàp a ti all àtoldà àtheà mayor to get out of town!` (Scene Nine, Stanley, p. 109). She was also fired from the
school for having an affair with a sixteen year old student. As Stanley does not want his
friend Mitch to be deceived by Blanche, he tells him all her lies before they can marry.
BLANCHE. Then marry me, Mitch!
MITCH. I don´t want to marry you any more. BLANCHE. No?
MITCH (dropping his hands from her waist). You´re not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother.23 (Scene Nine, p. 134)
“ta le à a dà “tella sà elatio shipà suffe sà asà aà esultà ofà theà o ti ui gà o fli tà
between Stanley and Blanche. Stella tries throughout to remain impartial and tolerate
everyone´s weaknesses.
“TáNLEY.à … àá dà as ´tà eàhappy together? Wasn´t it all okay? Till she showed here. Hoity-toity, describing me as an ape. (Scene Eight, p. 124)
*
“TELLá.à … àPeopleàha eàgotàtoàtole ateàea hàothe ´sàha its,àI
guess. (Scene Four, p. 67)
As Blanche continues to represent herself as someone she is not, so her desperate
holding on to old illusions, as discussed above, provokes a major conflict between her
and ´the other world`. Her masks begin to crack through the course of the play, and she
starts to descend, because her surroundings do not support her in this falsity, into
auto-suggestion and self-delusion. Thus the ´claustrophobic` and overwrought atmosphere
intensifies (Sambrook 93), leading to the indecent assault by Stanley Kowalski against
Blanche in scene ten, and then, some weeks later at the end of the play, to the broken
character of Blanche being admitted to an insane asylum.
I.III.II. The characterisation of Blanche DuBois and her ambiguity
Blanche DuBois is a very complex character; her inner truths, which are the parts of herself she really feels or thinks, also called her inner world, are usually revealed by
Williams through poetic realism. At the beginning of the play the reader or audience
member takes their first steps into the inner world of Blanche (Du, Zhang 3). In the
moments in which her bodily expressions convey her mental state the other characters
can witness and guess at her real state of being (for example when she is acting nervously,
shaking or making desperate, fast, uncontrolled or mindless gestures):
(Blanche sits in a chair very stiffly with her shoulders slightly hunched and her legs pressed close together and her hands tightly clutching her purse as if she were quite cold. After a while her blind look goes out of her eyes and she begins to look slowly around. A cat screeches. She catches her breath with a startled gesture. Suddenly she notices something in a half opened closet. She springs up crosses to it, and removes a whiskey bottle. She pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down. She carefully replaces the bottle and washes out the tumbler at the sink. Then she resumes her seat in front of the table.)
BLANCHE (faintly to herself). I´ve got to keep hold of myself! (Scene One, p. 13)
*
STANLEY (contemptuously). Hah! (He advances a little as he knots his tie.) Say, do you happen to know somebodynamed Shaw? (Her face expresses a faint shock. She reaches for the cologne bottle and dampens her handkerchief as she answers carefully.)
BLáNCHE.àWh ,àe e od àk o sàso e od à a edà“ha !à …
(Blanche laughs breathlessly as she touches the cologne Dampened handkerchief to her temples.) … à(She speaks lightly but her voice has a note of fear.) (Scene Five, p. 80f.)
MITCH. How old are you?
(She makes a nervous gesture.)
BLANCHE. Why do you want to know? (Scene Six, p. 100)
There are other instances in which she manifests her desperation in words, or
admits to her failure and guilt (cf. chapter 2.4. Different ways to express truths and
untruths)
BLáNCHE.à … àIà a tàtoà eànear you, got to be with somebody, I
can´t be alone! Because – as you must have noticed – I´m not
e à ell…à(Her voice drops and her look is frightened.)
(Scene One, p. 19) (Blanche to Stella)
*
BLáNCHE.à … àI´ eà ee à– not so awf´ly good lately. I´ve run for protection, Stella, from one leaky roof to another leaky roof –
because it was storm – all storm, and I was – caught in the
e t eà … àtheàsoftàpeopleàha eàgotàtoà– shimmer and glow
–putàaàla te ào e àtheàlightà…àButàI´ às a edà o à– awf´ly scared. I don´t know how much longer I can turn the trick. It isn´t enough to be soft. You´ve got to be soft and attractive. And I – I´m fading now! (Scene Five, p. 83) (Blanche to Stella)
*
BLANCHE. I know, I won´t! You hate me to talk sentimental. But honey, believe I feel things more than I tell ou!à … à
(Scene Five, p. 84)
*
BLáNCHE.à … àIàtakeà athàfo à à e es.àH d othe ap ,àthe à all
it. You healthy Polack, without a nerve in your body, of course you don´t know what anxiety feels like!
(Scene Eight, p. 121) (Blanche to Stanley)
Instead of revealing her real personality of instability and fragility, she normally tries to
delude herself and others, both consciously and unconsciously. Thus, in these moments
of true revelation of her inner world through verbal expression, she becomes an even
more ambiguous character. The reader, audience and her interlocutors become witness
to momentous confessions regarding her true or/and inner self (cf. I.II.I.).
She is a complex and multi-faceted literary character often changing her personal
attitudes and mental state from one situation to the other; shifting character by offending
her interlocutor one minute, then becoming a gentle, humorous woman the next. She
inviting and rejecting, or even threatening. Hence her interlocutors in the play often
cannot know exactly which of her stories and declarations are true which are fictive. This
opacity means that her fellow protagonists in the play sometimes do not know how to
act towards her or to access her character. She increasingly influences the atmosphere
and the actions of those around her with these mood swings:
She makes her interlocutors feel uneasy:
BLáNCHE.à … àYouàjustàha eàtoà at hàa ou dàtheàhipsàaàlittle.
Stand up. STELLA. Not now.
BLANCHE. You hear me? I said stand up! (Stella complies reluctantly.) You messy child, you, you´ve spilt something on that pretty white lace collar! (Scene One, p. 17)
Her unpredictability could also be the reason for the insecurity of Mitch:
MITCH.à … àIàfeltàallàtheàti eàthatàIà as ´tàgi i gà ouà u hà–
entertainment. (Scene Six, p. 92)
*
MITCH. Can I – uh – kiss you – good night?
BLANCHE. Why do you always ask me if you may? MITCH. I don´t know whether you want me to or not. (Scene Six, p. 93)
Her ambiguity throughout the play (switching between being provocative, inviting and
disdainful) is a possible root cause for the escalation in scene ten with Stanley Kowalski:
BLANCHE. I´m going to ask a favour of you in a moment. STANLEY. What could that be, I wonder?
BLANCHE. Some buttons in back! You may enter! (He crosses through drapes with a smouldering look.) How do I look? (Scene Two, p. 36)
*
BLANCHE. So I could twist the broken end in your face! STANLEY. I bet you would do that!
BLANCHE. I would! I will if you –
STANLEY. Oh! So you want some rough-house! All right, let´s have some rough-house!à … àWe´ eàhadàthis date with each other from the beginning! (Scene Ten, p. 146)
him. This confusing attitude, towards not just Stanley, but the whole of ´the other world`
hasàtheà esultàthatà o od à a àde iphe àBla he sàpe so alit ào àdesi es.
Theà t agi à e di g,à hi hà isà Bla he sà e lusio à f o à El sia à Fieldsà toà eà
committed to a mental hospital by her sister, is precipitated by Stanleysà utalàatta kào à
Blanche (in Scene Ten). It is probably the reason for Blanche then entirely losing her sense
of reality, holding on to the imaginary appearance of the gentle millionaire Shep
Huntleigh and telling bizarre stories:
BLáNCHE.à … àDid ´tàIàget a call? STELLA. Who from, Blanche?
BLáNCHE.à“hepàHu tleigh…
STELLA. Why, not yet, honey! (Scene Eleven, p. 150)
*
(Blanche turns weakly, hesitantly about. She lets them push her into a chair.)
BLANCHE. I can smell the sea air. The rest of my time I´m going to spend on the sea. And when I die, I´m going to die on the sea. You know what I shall die of? (She plucks a grape.) I shall die of eating an unwashed grape one day out on the ocean. I will die - with my hand in the hand of some nice looking ship´s doctor, a very young one with a small blond mustache and a big silver wat h.à … àI´llà eà u iedàatàseaàse àupài àa
clean white sack and dropped overboard – at
noon – in the blaze of summer - into an ocean as blue as (chimes again) my first lover´s eyes!
(Scene Eleven, p. 152f).
I.III.III. Symbolism of light and darkness
We all have in our conscious and unconscious minds a great vocabulary of images, and I think all human communication is based on these images as are our dreams; and a symbol in a play has only one legitimate purpose which is to say a thing more directly and simply and beautifully than it could be said in words.
… I repeat that sy ols, he used respe tfully, are the purest
language of plays. Sometimes it would take page after tedious page of exposition to put across an idea that can be said with an object or a gesture on the lighted stage. (Williams 2008:xxxiii)
References made throughout the play to the dichotomy between light and darkness can
reality. The very first stage direction shows the ambiguity of Blanche in a metaphorical
way:
Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth. (Scene One, p. 9)
The fact that her French first name means ´white` and yet she rejects light
throughout the play to hide her true visage, shows that she contains strong oppositions
within herself. The fact that she often wears light clothes suggests her desire to appear
innocent and clean, but her penchant for hiding from the light might represent her desire
to hide from ´inner thoughts` and past experiences. At the end of the play it seems she
can no longer hope for a better life because everything has turned slightly dark:
BLáNCHE.à … àá dàthe àtheàsea hlightà hi hàhadà ee àtu edà
on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since has there been any light that´s stronger than this –
kitchen – a dle…à … à “ e eàSix, p. 104) (Blanche to Mitch)
Here Blanche describes a consequence of a moment in her younger life to Mitch: the day
of the suicide of her husband Allan, which she has innocently caused by rejecting what
he truly was - homosexual. This occurrence was probably the point at which Blanche
decided that darkness would help to draw a veil over her difficult past, and could be the
reason why she hides throughout the play from light:
BLáNCHE.à … à Do ´tà tu à theà lightà o !à(Mitch crosses to the switch. He turns the light on and stares at her. She cries out and covers her face. He turns the light off again.) (Scene Nine, p. 131)
*
STANLEY. You left nothing here but spilt talcum and old empty perfume bottles – unless it´s the paper lantern you want to take with you. You want the lantern? (He crosses to dressing-table and seizes the paper lantern, tearing it off the light bulb, and extends it towards her. She cries out as if the lantern was
herself. … (Scene Eleven, p. 157) (Stanley to Blanche)
It is as if dimming the lantern gave her some self-confidence, while with the taken lantern
her last escape or hope for delusion fades away. Unfortunately the lost ´canary bird` (as
Stanley calls Blanche two times in scene seven (p. 107 and p. 114) is exposed again and
again as a liar, so that even her last hope for a better life is extinguished. In the end no
Blanche feels that there is no light at the end of her tunnel anymore because her
dark, comfortable, hidden, false path has been destroyed and revealed by Mitch and
Stanley for the illusion it is. The importance of hope in the life of Blanche will be discussed
further in chapter two.
The suggestion of Tennessee Williams that his play might be entitled not A Streetcar Named Desire but The Moth or A Chair in the Moon, hints at the importance of the symbolism of light and darkness. As the moon, so the stars (which Blanche observes
in Scene Six, p. 93) could be seen as representing exactly this last escape and the desire
of the light–searching moth named Blanche to find a light in darkness. Last but not least,
theàde isio àtoà a eàBla he sàsiste ,àtheà ha a te à hoà ep ese tsàhe àostensible last escape or hope, Stella (star), reiterates the symbolic importance of light.
.à“elf-delusio àa dàtheài di idualà o st u tio àofà ealit
My Dreams Dictate my Reality (song title by SoKo24)
Reality seems to be a highly individualised concept and difficult to reveal. It is also difficult
to conceptualise reality as a tangible idea: as the perception of Blanche´s reality occurs
most frequently as a personal idea, a distinction must be made between personal reality
and common reality.
The understanding that reality is a matter of different perceptions will help us
throughout our analysis of A Streetcar Named Desire. The term common reality will be used to explain a reality that is more objectively and commonly accepted and includes ´a
quality appertaining to phenomena that we recognize as having a being independent of
our own volition` (Berger, Luckmann 17), reminiscent of the ´reality of everyday life` (35)
conceptualised by Luckmann and Berger, as well as their ´paramount reality` or ´reality
par excellence` (35). The reality which the new Southerns hold on to is ruled by their
socially constructed ideas, and therefore by moral attitudes. One explanation of why
Blanche cannot adhere to their ´objective` common reality, might be because she no longer belongs to any social structure. She wishes herself back in the era of the Old South,
still holding on to her old standards, moral attitudes, dreams and points of view. In this
sense she loses social stability and therefore often forgets or refuses the common reality
lived and supported by the new Southerns in the play.
Blanche therefore disrespects and rejects even commonly accepted reality; the
qualities that appertain to phenomena that are recognized as having an existence
independent of our own volition (13), for example her true age. It could be argued that
the reality Blanche constructs and defines as her own is more individually than socially
constructed and is therefore an ambiguous perception of the same. For this reason, the
term personal reality is used to describe it.
Blanche is able to construct these autosuggestions and her self-created personal realities anew with each moment. This dissertation will go on to explore the question of whether she creates these illusions and personal realities (her perception of life)
consciously or unconsciously.
At some points during the play Blanche tries to ignore reality and believes she has
never lied consciously:
MITCH. I wasn´t going to see you any more.
BLANCHE. Wait a minute. I can´t hear what you´re saying and you talk so little that when you do say something, I don´t want to miss a single sylla leàofàit…à “ e eàNi e,àp. 128)
*
BLáNCHE.àIàdo ´tà a tà ealis .à … àIàdo ´tàtellàt uth,àIàtell what
ought to be t uth.à … à “ e eàNi e,àp. 130) *
MITCH. You lied to me, Blanche. BLANCHE. Don´t say I lied to you. MITCH. Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies.
BLáNCHE.àNe e ài side,àIàdid ´tàlieài à àhea t.à…à
(Scene Nine, p. 132)
Stanley, Mitch and Stella refuse her individual construction of reality. But still Blanche is
in quest of a pleasanter truth, one in which the borders between reality and illusion fade
away. The relationship of the other main characters to reality and truth will be discussed
Her pessimistic, mistrustful attitude towards ´the others`, which was introduced
in I.III, leads us to the next sub-chapter, which examines the influence of personal
opinions on the construction of personal reality. The ambiguities of reality will be discussed further on.
1.1. Personal opinions over reality
Bla he sà o des e sio àto a dsàtheàli i gàsta da dsàa dàlifestyle of the ´New South` constitutes the central conflict of the play. Blanche considers the New Southerns
to be brutish, uncultivated and simple (as shown in the introduction I.III. and I.III.I.). Her
opinion-inspired actions can be illuminated through a consideration of the statement of
the Greek philosopher Epictetus, who proclaimed in circa 180 AD: ´What upsets people
is not things themselves but their judgments about the things.` This assertion suggests
that reality and judgement can often melt together; a real object or subject and a mood
about it can become blurred. This happens not only in dramas such as A Streetcar Named Desire, but in our real social lives. If somebody is scared of darkness, this person is not scared of the darkness itself, but rather of the image of darkness constructed by their
mind. Therefore it could be argued that people are not disturbed by real darkness, but by
the frightening fictive, illusory darkness they have heard stories about.
Blanche DuBois appears to express fear and mistrust against others because of
her prejudices, subjective moods and judgements. At the beginning of the play, on the
da à ofà he à a i alà atà he à siste sà house,à sheà o a dsà he à siste à “tellaà Ko alskià ithà
questions about the conditions she lives in:
What are you doing in a place like thisà … àNe e ,à e e ,à e e ài
my worst dreams could I picture – … à “ e eàO e,àp. 14)
The fact that Blanche immediately negates the location and life of her younger sister,
before trying to become acquainted with it, shows how strongly she is influenced by her
o àjudge e ts.àMo eo e àitàisà otà“tella sàhus a dà“ta le àKo alskiàhi selfà hisà ealà
personality) that disturbs and upsets Blanche, but the pre-conceived opinion she has of
´Polacks` (Scene One, p. 23) and of the ´New South`. Blanche is not able to give ´the other`
a chance, with the result that situations in her real life are often (consciously or
behaviour often creates an even worse vision of reality. Blanche is seldom able to act in
an objective, rational way because her inner attitude towards her own perception of
things influences her throughout. Even ´facts` seem to be influenced by opinions and
their use is therefore not an indication of truth or reality.
BLANCHE. Pull yourself together and face the facts. STELLA. What are they, in your opinion?
BLANCHE. In my opinion? You´re married to a madman!
“TELLá.àNo!à …
BLáNCHE.à … àYouà a àgetàout.
STELLA (slowly and empathetically). I´m not in anything I want to get out of.
BLANCHE (incredulously). What - Stella?
STELLA. I said I am not in anything that I have a desire to get out of. … “ e eàFou ,àp. 67)
This reference is a perfect example of the ambiguity of reality and diverse perceptions of
it. Stella is so tolerant that she can even overlook the roughness of her husband; Blanche
i te p etsà“ta le sàpastàoffe eàto a dsàhe àsiste àasàaàtotall ài sa eàa tio ,àhe eàsheà
thinks Stella should escape. It shows how commonly-lived moments can be experienced
in totally different ways, and that even ´facts` are often personal opinions. This leads us
to the words of the philosopher of the mind Marya Schechtman, who says that every
human action (opinion) is influenced by personal biography (past actions and experiences
and future expectations) (in Gallagher 15). Personal actions appear therefore as highly
individual occurrences, influenced by the past. It seems that reality and illusion (the
personally-influenced perception of reality) merge, so that it is difficult to decode the
border between ´objective reality` and subjective creation.
In A Streetcar Named Desire we can also observe positive examples of fading contours between reality and illusion. Blanche´s positive attitude towards gentle
strangers is an example of this:
BLANCHE (holding tight to his [Do tor’s] ar . Whoever you are
– I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. (Scene Eleven, p. 159).
him, but her inner-image, her opinion and her past experiences of the Old Southern
aristocrats or gentlemen. It is these that cause her to act in a certain manner.
Blanche presents herself again and again as centre of the world, or, as Stanley calls her in
scene ten, ´Queen of the Nile` (p. 143), disdaining everybody except gentlemen and her
illusory self. This negative attitude could be seen as one of the main reasons for the
d a a sà es alati gà te sio à a dà fo à theà fi alà e lusio à ofà Bla heà DuBois.à Whileà he à
criticising, unpleasant behaviour and distrustful mood towards the New Southern lifestyle
and characters is a key cause of the conflict that continues throughout her stay, it should
not be forgotten that this conflict also simmers because of the conjunction of diverse
perceptions and treatments of truth. This clash of truths will be analysed in the second
chapter.
1.2. A set design to illuminate ambiguous perceptions of reality
In the production of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Lars-Ole Walburg,
Flo ia àLös he sàsetàdesig àsta dsàfo àtheà isio sàofàBlanche and at the same time for the very different ´other world` (explained in the introduction I.II. and I.III.), in which every
main character other than Blanche feels safe and comfortable, and which is refused by
Blanche. The set is a huge blue landscape of cubes leading into the distance. This angular
space is framed in black and the interior has seven exits; three on the left and three on
the right, as well as one at the back. Various arrangements of the cubes offer different
playing spaces, and include hidden spaces, separate areas and levels. The fact that the
cubes are made of foam allows the actors to roll, fall and jump from one cube to
another25.
Theà pla à isà otà stagedà i à aà ealisti à a ,à ithà Te esseeà Willia s à o igi alà setà
ideas, but is transformed into a completely abstract version of A Streetcar Named Desire
in which N° 642 Elysian Fields is not a realistic southern American apartment, but a
cube-landscape without concrete divisions for living room, bedroom and bathroom. Through
Lös he sàa st action, the atmosphere of the space underlines the ambiguity of reality and
opens the door to the subjective perception of it – in which utopias and illusions are constructed.
In the final scene in particular, the cube landscape enforces the complete isolation
and exclusion of Blanche DuBois from social life. She holds monologues with herself and
with video images of the other characters which are projected onto the blue cubes26. At
thisàpoi t,àtheàsetà a à eàu de stoodàasàaàs olàfo àBla he sàa iguousàperceptions of reality, the multi-layered nature of her creation of illusions and so of the fictional world
she creates. She seems completely lost in the cube landscape, in her fictional world (cf.
1.4. to 1.4.2.) or, as discussed in the next chapter, in a space-less place of (her) dreams
and emptiness of (her) heart (cf. Foucault 2005:11).
1.3. Utopia and illusion in reality
Ilà àaà … àdesà it s,àdesàpla tes,àdesà o ti e ts,àdesàu i e s,àdo tà
il serait bien impossible de relever la trace sur aucune carte ni
da sàau u à iel,àtoutàsi ple e tàpa eà u ilsà appa tie e tà à
aucun espace. Sans doute ces cites, ces continents, ces planètes sont-ils nés, comme on dit, dans la tête des hommes, ou à vrai
di e,à da sà l à i te sti eà deà leu sà ots,à da sà l paisseu à deà leurs récits, ou encore dans le lieu sans lieu de leurs Reves, dans le vide
deà leu sà oeu s;à ef,à està laà dou eu à desà utopies. (Foucault 1966:sec.0-36)
Mi helàFou ault sàdes iptio àofàutopiaàisàaàsuita leà efe e eàpoi tàfo àBla heàDuBois à
creation of her ambiguous reality. In order to understand Blanche, it is helpful to apply
Fou ault sà des ription of the appearance of utopia with the idea of illusion, although
utopia and illusion27 are two different concepts. Utopias like the illusions of Blanche DuBois do not belong to any place, because they are abstract visions or desires. As
Foucault describes it, it is as if Blanche constructs her utopias and illusions in the spaces
between her words, in the depths of her narrations or in the space-less place of her
dreams and emptiness of her heart. They are not tangible for anybody, unless for her
own, because they are located in her inner-worlds. At this point Luckmann and Berger
should be remembered as they make a comparable observation in their description of
26 Image Index (No.5)
the transition between realities. They explain that another kind of reality appears in ´the
world of play`, in the theatre or in the ´reality of dreams` (Luckmann and Berger 39).
1.4. Fictional worlds in theatre
In the book Fictional Worlds, Thomas Pavel reveals and questions fictional worlds in literature. In the chapter ´Fictional Beings`, he describes the relationship between
reality and fiction, proclaiming that real things or beings ´whose actual existence are
beyond doubt` (Pavel 11) may appear in fictio ,à utàthatài àadditio ´ … àhu a à ei gsà and states of affairs (are) described in the novel which do not and never did exist outside
the pages` (idem). Pavel explains, however, that as soon as the reader has acknowledged
the characters and story to be fi tio al,àtheà o el sàe e tsàa eà i idl àfelt,àasàpossessi gà some sort of reality of their own, and the reader can fully sympathise with the adventures
and reflections of the characters (idem). In the case of A Streetcar Named Desire, this thought can be taken even further, as it is a drama, not a novel. Through the
representation of the fictional character Blanche DuBois on stage, a peculiar relationship
between reality and fiction happens in front of the spectator, which will be discussed in
the following sub-chapter.
1.4.1. Realistic moments in fiction
In A Streetcar Named Desire, this tension between the fictional and the realistic in the protagonist is particularly strong, because while Blanche is a fictional character, she
contains, as mentioned above, realistic human elements, as Tennessee Williams was
inspired by the personalities of female acquaintances. It seems again and again as if a real
person is struggling to negotiate the real and fictional worlds. Although Blanche is a
fictional character, the audience can still accept her and can draw parallels with real life,
as she manifests realistic characteristics of struggling personalities. When Blanche and
her perception of life occur as a staged, performed moment, therefore NOT realistic, but
fictional, we paradoxically see a character that feels closer to real existence than to
fiction, because it is created in one and the same moment - in our commonly perceived
reality. It might be argued that a play, a collection of moments on stage, is never ´unreal`
the actor. Audience and actor create the moment of being together – a fictional reality
and a present presence occur.
This is the reason that Luckmann and Berger call the rising and falling of the
curtain in theatre a marking of the ´transition between the realities.` The spectator can
be ´transported to another world` (in this case called fictional reality) at the moment the curtain rises. As the curtain falls, the spectator returns to his everyday life reality.
Through this conjunction of the fictional and the realistic in the character of
Blanche DuBois, Tennessee Williams is able to reveal depths of realistic fictional worlds
to the spectator or to the reader. The complexity and subjectivity of perception in fiction
and drama will be discussed in the next sub-chapter.
1.4.2. Levels of meaning in staged fictional worlds
Another interesting topic mentioned by Pavel is the level of meaning in text. He
asse tsàtheàa iguit àofàlite atu eà he àheàsa s:à´ … àaàte tà a àpossessà o eàtha ào eà
level of meaning` (Pavel 17). Even literary expression on the page contains diverse layers
because its metaphors and symbols refer to another ´level of meaning`28. If we now
combine this complexity of meaning in text with the intricate literary character of Blanche
DuBois, we can see how her ambiguities make her appear as a highly meaningful entity.
It is not just the fact that the textual creation of Blanche DuBois was inspired by
real, complex human beings that makes her appear as a meaningful entity, but also the
fact that she is a dramatic character represented in a living moment on stage. In the
staged moment, the ideas and interpretations of the director form and enforce the ´level
of meaning` and as Blanche is represented by the body, mind and voice of a specific
actress who herself interprets the role in her own way, discovering Blanche DuBois anew
in every production the understanding of Blanche and her perceptions of reality becomes
ever more complex and ambiguous. Last but not least, every single interpretation by an
audience member observing the product of this long chain of interpretation will deepen
the ´level of meaning` into a level of understanding. This deep understanding leads to
28 Williams makes use of this technique through his usage of symbols (cf. I.III.III.) and a special literary
questioning by the audience member, who may become aware of the ambiguities of
perceptions through the revelation of the multi-layered staged Blanche DuBois.
Even if the characters and emotions on stage are completely fictional and are lies,
invented utopian and illusory worlds, the fictional reality become a part of our here and now, of our own perceptions and of real life. Through this interrelationship of collective
creation and subjective understanding of the character, Blanche transforms into a
tangible being, that can be, as discussed above: ´vividly felt as possessing some sort of
reality of [her] own, and the [observer] can fully sympathize with the adventures and
efle tio sàofàtheà ha a te s à Pa elà .
.àTheà atu eàofàt uthà–àtheàpe eptio ,à ep ese tatio àa dà eatio àofà
t uthà
The widely-discussed concept of truth will be approached in this chapter through
an observation of the main characters and an analysis of some different theories. The
main characters in A Streetcar Named Desire manifest the ambiguities of truth and reality through their different relationships with truth.
The Austrian post-dramatic playwright Elfriede Jelinek is of relevance here: in an
interview about the Austrian author Ingeborg Bachmann29 she reveals an interesting view
on the exposure of truths and facts which can serve to deepen the analysis of the main
characters in A Streetcar Named Desire. Jelinek proclaims that she prefers to explain everything in literature and not conceal anything, excluding any tiny possible space for
the imagination. These ´impossible possibilities` can, even purely as expectations,
transform a harsh reality into a better one. Through her form of literary expression and
use of post-dramatic theatre, Jelinek aims never to show what she calls it ´eventual, but
non-real possibilities`. Here we can establish a link between the real author Jelinek and
the fictional character Stanley. Both are radical expounders of truth and reality, searching
for complete ´Geheimnislosikeit`30 in expression (idem). Thus Stanley wants to reveal
every part of Blanche´s past life, to exclude the parts of Blanche she does not tell,
conceals, or represents in illusory ways. Jelinek says that within the things that are NOT
said; these ´eventual, but unreal possibilities` might exist, and that while they might
appear completely fictive; they serve to make [reality]31 seem less hurtful.
In this interpretation of reality and truth it is important to note the relationship
with desires and hopes. Geheimnislosigkeit allows for no hope or desire. Blanche,
however, in allowing space for imagination and illusion, incorporates her expressed
desires and hopes into her life.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, the characters manifest different relationships people can have with reality and truth. Stanley Kowalski invites and challenges truth,
always attempting to find the truest truth whereas his wife tries to ignore it:
STELLA. I don´t want to hear any more! (Scene p. 110)
She even lies about the truth to secure her sister:
STELLA (turning quickly away). Why, nothing has happened, Blanche. BLANCHE. You´re lying! (Scene Seven, p. 115)
Like Stella, Blanche fails to confront the truth, because as well as ignoring it, she also
pretends it never happened. Most often, she chooses a way of misrepresenting and
re-inventing the truth in order to hide from it (Banach 115).
This leads us to make a distinction between the different truths represented in A Streetcar Named Desire. I will refer to ´objective truth` and subjective truth. For a better understanding of the treatment of truths in the play it is advantageous to talk of the
paradoxical appearance of ´objective` and subjective truth, in order to draw a distinction between real truth and individual and inner truth. Real truth is a concrete entity or even a feeling shared by mankind, which is generally accepted. Pavel defines it in literature as
something ´whose actual existence is beyond doubt` (Pavel 11). In A Streetcar Named
30 An unusual German word, probably invented by Jelinek to describe a thing that contains no secret at
all: a kind of ´non-se et ess.
31 In the interview Jelinek she compares her treatment with the exposure of sexuality in literary
Desire, a comparable example would be the fact that Blanche is the older sister of Stella´ …“he is a out fi e years older tha “tella. ` (Scene One, p. 9). But there also occurs another truth, which will be referred to here as individual truth, which can be seen as an objectively false, but subjectively true truth that a person harbours within their world
ie .àá àe a pleàisàBla he sàp o la atio àthatà“HE is the younger sister, or the fact that in scene eight she claims to be twenty seven years old (p. 122)
MITCH. You are Stella´s sister, are you not?
BLANCHE. Yes, Stella is my precious little sister. I call her little in spite of the fact she´s somewhat older than I. Just slightly. Less than a year. (Scene Three, p. 56)
The analysis of the character of Blanche also suggests another version of truth,
also a subjective truth but not strictly individual truth, because it differs in some aspects from this. This will be referred to as the inner truth of Blanche DuBois. It is the subjectively- perceived ´true` inner-world that seems to be as Blanche really thinks it to
be. Her subjective emotions, deep thoughts and feelings can be seen as being an inner truths.
Although she often appears to be a liar, Blanche clings desperately to the opinion
that she would never lie in her heart (Scene Nine, p. 132). This shows that most of the
time her truth is a subjective truth, probably situated, just like utopias and illusions, in a nontangible place (cf. chapter 1.3. Utopia and illusion in reality) – in a place in the spaces between words, in the depths of narrations, in the space-less place of dreams or in the
(emptiness of the) heart (Foucault sec.0-36). As the perception of reality and the creation
of truth are such subjective processes, created inside the self, the reader or audience
member is often confronted with a kind of ´stream of consciousness`. The protagonist
experiences lost moments in which her personal, illusory visions of past, present- or
future- happenings melt together. This conjunction leads to the emergence of insights
into the inner psyche of Blanche DuBois. In representing these images at the margins of
reality and imagination, Williams is able to open unexpected doors to human
consciousness.
The question of whether Blanche truly believes in her invented subjective truth, and of whether her ´untruths` (´stream of un-/consciousness`) are created consciously or
ofà Bla he sà a iguousà t uthà a d her struggling attitude towards truth, which is
u de li edà àTe esseeàWillia s àlite a àst leà– to be analysed in the next subchapter.
2.1. Poetic Realism – A key to the literary expression of inner truths
A literary style called ´poetic realism`32, evide tà i à Te esseeà Willia s à pla s,à breaks the bounds of traditional realism to express a modified version of reality by
rearranging the theatrical space (Du,Zhang 2010:1). Williams is often called a ´poetic
realist` or southern Gothisist (referring to the theme of conflict in the southern states in
his plays), but he saw himself as a radical playwright, experimenting with form and
content to represent the contradictions and conflicts of beings (Saddik 77). The literary
style of poetic realism will be referred to throughout this dissertation, as it effectively
describes and summarises his literary expression, although Williams himself refused to
attribute his radical artistic creations to one defined literary movement.
He is able to show perceptions of reality on stage which are far from ´reality`, but
at the same time subjectively true. ´...With such a gift for theatrical measures and amid
such flashes of brooding poetry, his plays become lyric works of dramatic art of a high
and distinguished nature` (Donahue210). Williams uses this style to create conflicted and
complex characters33 such as Blanche DuBois, who exist in between reality and illusion.
Reality and illusion seem to become one and the struggling character fight against both
the self and others to u a elàthei à isio àofàlife.àWillia s à ai àa tisti àgoalà ouldàsee à
to be to emphasise inner worlds (cf.Du, Zhang 1, 8) and offer multi-layered perceptions
of life. Therefore props, noises, music, light and shadows are carefully defined and
described in A Streetcar Named Desire in order to manifest the psychological states, feelings and thoughts of Blanche DuBois (cf. I.III.III. The symbolism of light and darkness).
She struggles, sees terrifying shadows, hears noises and melodies from
32 Poetic Realism is a literary movement that came to prominence in Germany in the 1840s and continued
until the 1880s. It is a way of expressing the inner worlds of individuals and refers to a way of mirroring reality through the veil of illusion by using poetic literary effects (Du,Zhang 2010:2)
33 Characters who long to separate themselves from the real and/or modern world: Amanda and Laura
Varsouviana34appear in moments of desperation, when her past catches up with her, or
when her inner truth needs to be expressed:
´Blanche is seated in a tense hunched position in a bedroom chair that she has recovered with diagonal green and white stripes. She has on her scarlet satin robe. On the table beside chair is a bottle of liquor and a glass. The rapid, feverish
polka tu e, the Varsou ia a, is heard. The usi is i her i d;
she is drinking to escape it and the sense of disaster closing in on her, and she seems to whisper the words of the song. An electric fan is turning back and forth across her.`35(Scene Nine, p. 125)
A poetic and figurative interpretation of the truth is also underlined through
metaphorical expressions, movements, sounds and gestures. Williams uses this symbolic
and non-literary method, along with auditory and visual elements, to create his so called
´plastic theatre` (Griffin 22). He explains in the preface to The Glass Menagerie: ´These
remarks are not meant as a preface only to this particular play. They have to do with a
conception of new, plastic theatre which must take the place of the exhausted theatre of
realistic conventions if the theatre is to resume vitality as a part of our culture.` (Williams
19 XXII). Through the revelation of ´plastic` elements he intends to illustrate ´a closer
approach to truth`, (Williams XXI) the deepest states of mind and inner thoughts of the
broken figures he stages. Through the use of a poetic realism, the inner state of Blanch is
revealed and an insight into her true emotions and varying perceptions of life is shown
both in the text and on stage.
2.2. The clash of truths
This subchapter will offer an analysis of some approaches to the understanding of
truth, to elaborate the statements made above. The book Truth is the Invention of a Liar
– Conversations for Sceptics (Wahrheit ist die Erfindung eines Lügners – Gespräche für Skeptiker) by Bernhard Pörksen and Heinz von Foerster reminds us that it is a common belief that the perceiving consciousness mirrors what is outside it (von Foerster, Pörksen
15). In this context the term ´outside` should be understood to mean the surrounding
world or that reality which is ´in front of` us. Pörksen and von Foerster ask whether we in
34 The Varsouviana is a ¾ time dance, which originated in the 1850s in Warsaw Poland. It is an elegant,
