In the novel A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams, the main character, Blanche DuBois leads her life in an interesting manner. As a woman that had grown up in a middle class life, she portrays herself as someone of high status with the luxuries of knowing millionaires, feathered boas and ruffled dresses, etc. Viewers and readers of this novel have incredibly different opinions on the character of Blanche. Some think she is a victim and others believe she is a victimizer. After reading this play and viewing the film, it is apparent that Blanche is a victim; however, she is a victim of herself. She may not have led the most respectful life nor had the most pleasant times, but there is no excuse for her actions.
Of course, there are many ways to interpret the character of Blanche; however, there are several reasons that clearly back-up this interpretation. For starters, she did not handle her situation in the healthiest manner. Realizing her husband was gay, walking in on the affair and then having him kill himself is obviously a traumatic and discomforting experience; however, she did not seek the right help. Instead, she turns to promiscuity and encloses herself in her own little world; here, she has no other option but to dwell on the past events.
The second attribute of Blanche’s character that makes her a victim of herself is promiscuity. Throughout the whole play, she turns to her sex appeal to avoid uncomfortable situations. This in turn leads to her rape towards the end of the play. From the moment Blanche walked in the door of the Kowalski apartment, she flirted and batted her eyes at Stanley to avoid potential confrontation. Eventually, the “tease” Blanche established, along with Stanley’s rage, led to him raping her.
The third feature that Blanche’s persona has that proves her as a victim of herself is her deception. Blanche is known everywhere for her lies. Everyone knows that once a lie starts, an end is never in sight because one lie leads to another. Lying and deception are just two of the ways in which she loses her relationships. No one wants to or can trust her. After a multitude of lies, they soon became a reality; bringing her back to the fantasy world in which she took shelter after her husband killed himself.
In conclusion, Blanche is absolutely a victim of her past. Unfortunately, her actions are the cause of her fate, as are anyone’s. These actions caused her to become a victim of herself and live in a world of her own, subject to her own mistakes and decisions and without the advice of outsiders.
