Blanche herself is Responsible in her own Tragedy

A Streetcar Named Desire is a story written by Tennessee Williams where in its about
psychological drama of people who are victims of their own passions, frustrations and
loneliness. People encounters this kind of problems up and down. Sometimes no space to
get out because its fall of circumstances that its too hard to solve it which means
everybody had their own tragedy in their everyday life. This story describes the main character
Blanche Dubious lives because her life is no direction but her desire in life and turns into a
tragedy . She is the one who is responsible for her own tragedy because she doesnt want to let go
her past, because shes having affairs with other men, and she lives with the word illusion.
First reason of why Blanche herself is responsible in her own tragedy is because she does
not want to let go of her past because of what had happen to his husband. As time passed
by and days had gone, she is mentally still trap in the moment of Allans death. He was a boy,
just a boy, when I was a very young girl. When I was sixteen, I made the discovery - love. All at
once and much, much too completely. It was like you suddenly turned a blinding on something
that had always been half in shadow, that's how it struck the world for me. But I was unlucky.
Deluded.(pg.114). This quotes proves that Blanche really loves his husband that made her
unwilling to get rid of the past and unable to come to terms with the present because she cannot
forget the death of Allan, therefore she seeks substitute men especially young boys for her dead
husband because she thinks that she is still young and attractive, although she hates bright light
because it would reveal her. This is very important because Blanche is responsible for her own
tragedy by unable for her to face the reality in her circumstances and in herself because she still
lives in the past. As the memories of her husband's suicide remain persistently alive in her mind,
always accompanied by the polka music.
Second reason why Blanche is responsible for her own tragedy is because she destroys her
reputation as human by having affairs with different men. Blanche depends on male sexual
admiration for her sense of self-esteem wishing to fill her emptiness heart. So, she became
promiscuous by sleeping with different men. She got mix up with young boy at her school that

made her fired. I was so exhausted by all Id been through mynerves broke. I was on the verge
of ---lunacy, almost! So Mr. GravesMr. Graves is the high school superintendenthe
suggested to take a lived of absence. I couldnt put all of those details into the wire. (14).This
quotes proves that Blanche is really a promiscuous woman having affairs with young boys where
she pursues inappropriately young men by recapture the love she had with Allan when they were
both young and having sex with young men makes her feel younger but only brought her to ruin
her life. Theres one more quotes that proves about her tragic life. Whoever you are, I have
always depended on the kindness of strangers(pg.178). Blanche turns to strangers for comfort,
but the only way she knows how to interact with them is through sex. This is very important
because these strangers she counter in her life weren't offering her kindness, but it simply brutal
desire. In truth, strangers have been kind only in exchange for sex. Blanches final remark
indicates her total detachment from reality and her decision to change what she had in life.
Third reason is why Blanche lives in the word of illusion is because shes trying to hide the
reality from all the bad memories she had in her past. I want to rest! I want to breathe quietly
again! Yes I want Mitchvery badly! Just think! If it happens! I can leave here and not be
anyones problem.(pg.95). This quotes proves the feelings she had towards Mitch because she
wants to settle down and start all over again. Blanche needs Mitch in her life not because she
loves him but her marriage with him but all of those are just only an illusion of Blanche. On the
other hand she also creates an illusion to others that she is still young, attractive and desirable just
like the paper lantern because the bulb protects her from the violent world. Therefore, Bunche
cries out when the lantern is torn off the light bulb because there is no longer a space between the
violence she experiences and the image of the violence. There is one more quotes that proves
about her illusion. I dont want realism. Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I
misrepresent things to them. I dont tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. (145). This quotes
proves that she believes in her own created illusion and she expects others would believe it too.
Therefore, this is very important because Blanche is responsible for her own tragedy by living to
illusions brings to her to magic, escape from the reality, and the image of the life she would like
to lead, and not the one she is leading now.
I therefore conclude that Blanche is the one responsible for her own tragedy because shes

unable for her to face the reality in her circumstances, problems and in herself because she still
lives in the past, because Blanche depends on male sexual admiration for her sense of selfesteem wishing to fill her emptiness heart and because she lives in illusion trying to change the
environment and hiding the reality but depending into magic. Even though Blanche is the one
who is really responsible for her own tragedy, she didnt give up but trying to move on for all the
circumstances shes facing in life. At the end of the play, it gives lots of moral lesson. Even
Blanche take her away to the hospitalized in psychiatric institution, Blanche still
had the dignity in life and takes a chance yet again to trust people and continue her life.