Illusion Replacing Reality In Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire: Illusion Replacing Reality
“Human kind cannot bear much reality” (Eliot 14). Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” is an artistic demonstration of T.S. Eliot’s observation. In Streetcar, Blanche, a woman in crisis, visits her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley in New Orleans. Blanche is from an upper-class background but has fallen on hard times, both economically and emotionally. Stanley is from a lower-class background with a cruel streak a mile wide. What ensues is a conflict of epic proportions between Stanley and Blanche, with Stella torn between the two. Each character operates within his or her own alternate reality. Through Stella, Stanley and Blanche’s self-deception within this conflict,
Stella’s alternate reality does not permeate her life like Blanche’s. But, it is equally destructive. Stella creates an illusion of Stanley as a loving husband to maintain her illusion that everything is fine in her marriage. Stella’s illusion of Stanley is evident on two occasions—when she returns to Stanley after he beats her and when she refuses to believe that Stanley has raped Blanche. When Stanley beats Stella, Stella’s self-deception becomes evident. It is clear at that point that Stanley’s cruelty extends to Stella in their marriage. Blanche tries to convince Stella to leave Stanley. Ironically, Blanche, who clings to illusion herself, tells Stella that she must, "Pull (her)self together and face the facts" (4.48). Stella, however, opts for her illusion. She returns to Stanley and maintains the illusion of her happy marriage. Stella again opts for her alternate reality when she refuses to believe that Stanley raped Blanche. Stella recognizes that she cannot maintain the illusion of what her marriage is if she believes Blanche. So, she makes a conscious decision to reject Blanche’s story and maintain her illusion. At the end of the play, Stella explains her decision to her friend Eunice: "I couldn 't believe her story and go on living with Stanley" (11.40). In reply, Eunice states, "Don 't ever believe it. Life has got to go on. No matter what happens, you 've got to keep going." (11.41). Eunice’s reply suggests that she recognizes that Stella is deceiving herself about Stanley in order to maintain the illusion of her marriage. Stella’s statement also suggests a degree of awareness that the illusion of her marriage would be destroyed if she accepted Blanche’s story. Stella is only able to maintain her false reality by rejecting the truth about a brutal rape against her sister. Through Stella actions, Williams demonstrates the extent that an individual will