madness

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

In a streetcar named desire, we see Blanche’s gradul descent into madness brought about by fear, loss, regret and the conflict between her and Stanley who are embodiments of the old south and new south respectively. At first, Blanche’s madness through duplicity, fantasy and alchoholism is presented as an attempt to escape from reality - an altered self image and a tarnished reputation. However, as the play progresses Blanche’s mental stability deteriorates as she deviates further from reality. Perhaphs, through both Blanche’s madness and Stanley’s madness William is contextually reminding us off the harsh realities of the new post war America.

Question 2

Topic sentence 1

Answer 2

Most notably, Blanche’s unstable and questionable state of mind is evident from the outset through her constant fixation and paranoi about her appearance.

Question 3

quote

Answer 3

blanche plea’s “ but dont you look at me stella, no, no,no .. not till ive bathed and rested”

Question 4

language device

Answer 4

repetition

Question 5

anlaysis

Answer 5

• reveals her obsession with maintaining a facade of refinement and dignity, even as she grapples with inner turmoil and emotional fragility.
• The repetition of “no” underscores her adamant insistence on concealing her vulnerability, highlighting her fear of judgment and rejection. - Blanche’s desperate desire to control how others perceive her reflects her ongoing struggle to reconcile the disparity between her idealized self-image and the harsh realities of her life

Question 6

quote

Answer 6

“i wont be looked at in this merciless glare”

Question 7

Language device

Answer 7

personification

Question 8

analysis

Answer 8

• Lighting can represent purity and transparency, the fact that Blanche cannot stand light may symbolize that she is impure and something that she does not seem to be.

Question 9

quote -

Answer 9

“i was on the verge of lunacy”

Question 10

language device

Answer 10

hyperbole

Question 11

analysis

Answer 11

Perhaps this is proleptic of what will happen to Blanche in the end / foreshadowing

Question 12

quote

Answer 12

“you havent said a word about my appearance”

Question 13

analysis-

Answer 13

ironic
- dominating the convo not letting stella speak

Question 14

context

Answer 14

obsession with maintaing her youthfullness could mirror Williams personal struggles with identity and self - image.

Question 15

quote

Answer 15

” i dont want realism i want magic!”

Question 16

language device

Answer 16

extended metaphor

Question 17

analysis / context

Answer 17

shows her yearning for escapism and growing detachment from reality
- may parralel Williams own yearning to escape the harsh realities of a world that often condemned his sexual orientation and islotated him in the same way that Blanche was ostracised in new america
- manifests in williams own battles
having to hide his sexuality in a stigmatised society
- Both Blanche and Williams have shared experiences of being alienated from a society where madness and commital is a constant threat.

Question 18

overall ..

Answer 18

• indicator of her unraveling sanity. - It masks deeper insecurities and
  trauma, reflecting her fragile grip
  on reality.
• This obsession becomes a
  desperate attempt to maintain a
  sense of self-worth amidst
  overwhelming feelings of loss and
  inadequacy, ultimately
  contributing to her descent into
  madness.

Question 19

topic sentence 2

Answer 19

insanity shown through Blanche’s disconnection from the reality in which she lives

Question 20

ao5

Answer 20

Illustrated by Ruhina Jasmine , “Blanche has an infuation with replacing reality with fantastic embodiments or illusion “ in order to shelter herself from the harsh realities of the New world

Question 21

quote -

Answer 21

Through Blanche’s “Long hot baths” “for her nerves”

Question 22

analysis

Answer 22

william conveys her fragile mental state,
Transforms into a symbol of her delusional attempts to wash away her past

Question 23

Williams purpose

Answer 23

William deliberatley uses stanleys presense either before or after each of her baths to signify the disintegration of her fantasy world, bringing her back to her harsh realities

Question 24

quote

Answer 24

“hey canary bird, Toots, get out the bathroom “ ( scene 7)

Question 25

analysis

Answer 25

verbal dominance over blanche
Degrades her through use of animalistic and dehumanising comparison of her to a bird

Question 26

quote

Answer 26

“the distant piano goes into a hectic breakdown”

Question 27

analysis

Answer 27

aural dissonance implies her phyiological collapse

Question 28

quote

Answer 28

Mitch tears the paper lantern

Question 29

analysis

Answer 29

destruction of her illusions

Question 30

topic sentence 3

Answer 30

Ultimately, Blanche’s madness is starkly depicted through her hallucinations and subsequent institutionalization as the play comes to an end

Question 31

contextually…

Answer 31

Williams sister Rose’s strange behaviour which had long been a source of anxiety to her parents, later took the form of violent sexual fantasies and accusations against her father.
Her parents had her committed to an institution. Following the medical practice of the time a pre-frontal lobotomy was carried out, and Rose calmed down, certainly, but was left with no memories, no mind. Not only did Tennessee Williams feel guilty for not having saved Rose from all this, but he now feared for his own sanity because the mental illness that afflicted Rose might be hereditary. He certainly did have a breakdown of sorts in his early twenties. this major themes in A Streetcar Named Desire subsequently reflected his own private terrors which gave the edge to his writing.