Another thing that drove me insane about Blanche that I forgot to mention in her last post was how her double personalitly almost made her forget who she truly was. She was convincing others, as well as herself, that her lies were the truth, for example in the very end of the play when she claimed Mitch tried to apologize and she dismissed him. Blanche thought of what she wanted to happen, and tried to talk about it and turn it into reality. Unfortunatly for herself, she was caught in the act and was attacked verybally and physicaly by Stanley, forced to know the truth about herself once again.
Blanche: But then he came back. He returned with a box of roses to beg my forgivness [...]
Stanley: Was this before or after the telegram came from the Texas oil millionaire?
Blanche: What telegram? No! No, after! As a matter of fact, the wire came just as-
Stanley: As a matter of fact there wasn’t no wire at all!
Blanche: Oh, oh!
Stanley: There isn’t no millionaire! And Mitch didn’t come back with roses ’cause I know where he is-
Blanche: Oh!
Stanley: There isn’t a goddam thing but imagination!
I’ve heard about this psychological reaction before in situations like divorce. Some kids whose parents got divorced try to tell people like teachers or friends that their parents are getting back together or that nothing changed or bothered them. I feel that Blanche tried to do the same, trying to act like her husband was never gay, that he simply died, or that she was still a proper southern lady while she was truly a woman known as a drunk whore in Laurel. Blanche regretted everything in the past, and as she tried to remain young looking and acting, she was trying to start over in New Orleans as if nothing had ever happened.
Bonjour Miss Laprad… comment ca va?
I’d like to say that Blanche didn’t think it was necessary to tell Stanley that her husband was gay. Blanche never lied about anything. Blanche did tell Mitch everything because she believed that she has actually found someone who she can depend on and to start a new life with. She didn’t come to New Orleans hoping to start a new life and pretend nothing has ever happened. She came to her sister for help. Not to interrogate her sister. Blanche does have serious problems, don’t get me wrong, but her intentions is to just find someone who would give her sympathy not to run from the past.
Comment by lawnka — March 7, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
You made a great point in this blog. I liked wrote about it being like a devorce. That is a true point. Also i do agree that blanch was a psycho but i guess looking at what had happened in her life i guess shes off the hook
Comment by mopo07 — March 7, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
I think that one point that has to be said is that noone defending Blanche can any longer say that she didn’t lie. She most certainly told Stanley that Mitch had come back and she said that she got a telegram that never existed from Shep, whose entire existence is controversial. She also, from the very beginning, told Mitch that her purpose for being in New Orleans was to take care of Stella, rather than that she needed a vacation from the stress of her job. Blanche may be a haunted antagonist, but she is very far from being innocent.
Comment by jv06 — March 10, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
I liked how you incorportated stuff that we deal with today and tied it in the play. Even though you seem to hate Blanche, you justified her behavior psychologically, so it makes more sense. It also shows what a good writer Tennessee was to show such a complex issue in a play. =]
Comment by ashcp4 — March 10, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Stellar job Kait. I love reading what other people have to write about the psychological aspect. I agree with Ashley also on how you justified your hatred for old Blanchie. The divorce issue directly affecting the double personalities in some people is interesting as well; trying to cover up reality like Blanche does.
Comment by Nicole — March 11, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
I wouldn’t really say that Blanche has a double personality per say. She’s more of just really freakin’ confused and messed up. She does try to cover up her tracks, but only to try to redeem herself after she tries to redeem other men.
Comment by Kel — March 16, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
Blanche is a mess. Plain and simple. I can’t even imagine the thoughts that run through her head at any given time. It almost appears as if she, along with her alcoholism, has a severe cocaine addiction (haha). Anyways, I like how you incorporated the part about the divorce situations that people experience in real life. It almost makes Blanche’s personality excusable, since she’s been through a lot. But come on Blanche, pull it together.
Comment by epluff — March 16, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Blanche needs a nice young 14 year old boy to marry and he doesn’t turn out to be a homosexual. But anywho. I like your comparison with Blache and divorced kids. I never thought of that before. Also nice job stating your facts then backing with quotes. All and all a good blog.
Comment by jt105l — March 16, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
I think she lies and pretends that they are true because she wishes that her past, present, and future, could all be different and the way that she would want them to be. She wants so much for things to go right that she is trying to rewrite her life and it’s events even as they are occuring.
Comment by chalupka — March 16, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
After anyone tells lie after lie after lie, like Blanche did, there is going to be at least one instance where you will be caught up in them and someone will find out, like Stanley did. It isn’t that hard when you tell as many lies as Blanche did though. The coomparision shows that some who want things to happen will tell themselves and others that so that it seems true to them. Good Blog anyhow.
Comment by beckett19 — March 17, 2008 @ 12:14 am
Hellooo
Mmm.. I caught a spelling mistake in the second line: “personalitly”
Few more mistakes in this sentence: “[[Unfortunatly]] for herself, she was caught in the act and was attacked [[verybally]] and [[physicaly]] by Stanley, forced to know the truth about herself once again.”
Also, run on sentence: She was convincing others, as well as herself, that her lies were the truth, for example in the very end of the play when she claimed Mitch tried to apologize and she dismissed him… You could try to separate the sentences at “For example..”
Finally.. to the point of the blog. I see you dislike Blanche very much, but even so, you still justified her behaviors. Of course, everyone likes to start all over again. We don’t want others who are not to close to us knowing of the bad things in our lives. Oh and don’t forget that when Blanche told the lie, which you quoted in your essay, she was not sane at the moment. She was drunk and we could all tell that she was deteriorating. Indeed, she was becoming mentally ill, so doesn’t that justify her lies during that part of the play? People with mental illnesses do imagine things, so it wouldn’t be a bad thing to reconsider Blanche’s conditions.
Comment by meemsies — March 17, 2008 @ 3:43 am
I have to agree on Kelly with this one, Blanche is heading towards a mental breakdown. (if she isn’t already there yet)I believe she truly knew who she was but all that has happened in her life added up and made her life a complete mess. I personaly didn’t believe she has two sides to her but her one side of her was slipping and couldn’t be controlled.
Comment by kelceyg — March 17, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Hey Kate! Nice job on your blog. It is clear that you don’t like Blanche at all, but it’s hard to tell if you have any sympathy or understanding for her behaviors. People like Blanche do crazy things after experiencing a traumatic event like she did. So instead of feeling bad for Blanche or realizing she can’t control herself, you seem to lean towards hating her and finding her to “drive you insane.” Right? There is no wrong answer because it is all opinion and your own personal views. It just wasn’t clear to me if you really understood why Blanche was the way she was.
Comment by cfw23 — March 24, 2008 @ 2:28 am
How about right after I submitted my comment on your page, I read your comment you posted on Kelly’s blog and now all my questions are answered.
“It really does help to put yourself in a person’s shoes while reading a story like this before jumping to conclusions. I know I would have gone insane, but I don’t think i would have whored myself in a Tarantula hotel. haha Anyways, great job, i can tell your really good at reading people disregarding the annoyances we may see at first. She drove me crazy, but I do feel bad.”
Super duper! haha
Comment by cfw23 — March 24, 2008 @ 2:39 am