Perception Of Reality In A Streetcar Named Desire
Critique of “Perception of Reality in A Streetcar Named Desire”
The manipulation of reality is an overwhelming theme throughout Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. Many theories including the subjectivity of perception, fantasies, and defense mechanisms have been deconstructed and evaluated throughout IrinaAna Drobot’s journal “Perceptions of Reality in A Streetcar Named Desire.” Drobot applies these theories to the characters lives explaining the causation of their actions. Additionally, physiological studies and psychoanalysis are applied to effectively analyze the characters and support her claims.
Throughout the article, Drobot focuses on explaining Blanche’s actions through her delusions, education, and narcissistic personality. Blanch often enforces her personal reality on …show more content…
“She pulled the wool over your eyes as much as Mitch’s!(...)The trouble with Dame Blanche was that she couldn 't put on her act anymore in Laurel!” (Williams, 99100). Drobot explains the characters conflict through ideas from Amihud Gilead. “Not only under psychoanalysis, but also in observation, whether extrospection or introspection, we resist what contradicts our prejudices, partially, or preconceptions and thus we deceive ourselves” (Gilead, 1999:53, as cited in Drobot, 153).
Drobot further explains Blanche’s actions by looking deeper into her upbringing and education.
Blanche grew up with the lifestyle of the Southern Belle and chooses to maintain it as a defense mechanism to cover up her psychological trauma. “Blanche has remained with this ideal in mind, identifying with it. However, her views on life prove to be only illusions. The new lifestyle is different, and she should have adapted to it, like her sister” (Drobot, 154) The continuation of this illusion allows Blanche to be classified as a narcissist. Drobot defines a narcissist as
someone with “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity” (Drobot, 154) and “is preoccupied …show more content…
In summary, Drobot explains how Blanche is a product of her environment and her past experiences.
With support from various credited physiologists, Drobot concludes that “Blanche’s subjective vision on life is influenced by her education but also by her fantasies and her narcissistic personality” (Drobot, 155). Drobot uses Freud’s studies of the Weltanschauung to summarize Blanche’s actions and in doing so, gives causation to her actions and views on life.
“‘It is easy to see that the possession of such a weltanschauung is one of the ideal wishes of mankind. When one believes in such a thing, one feels secure in life, one knows what one ought to strive after…’”(Freud, 1933, As cited in Drobot, 155 ). This is the case of Blanche’s southern belle as a weltanschauung. Therefore, Drobot proves that Blanche’s education and history is the cause for her unwillingness to let go of the past and accept the present.
Though lacking in direct examples from William’s play, Drobot’s article provides enough factual evidence from psychology to prove her conclusions accurate. Many of the ideas discussed provoke further questioning into the motives of the other characters in the play such as
The manipulation of reality is an overwhelming theme throughout Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. Many theories including the subjectivity of perception, fantasies, and defense mechanisms have been deconstructed and evaluated throughout IrinaAna Drobot’s journal “Perceptions of Reality in A Streetcar Named Desire.” Drobot applies these theories to the characters lives explaining the causation of their actions. Additionally, physiological studies and psychoanalysis are applied to effectively analyze the characters and support her claims.
Throughout the article, Drobot focuses on explaining Blanche’s actions through her delusions, education, and narcissistic personality. Blanch often enforces her personal reality on …show more content…
“She pulled the wool over your eyes as much as Mitch’s!(...)The trouble with Dame Blanche was that she couldn 't put on her act anymore in Laurel!” (Williams, 99100). Drobot explains the characters conflict through ideas from Amihud Gilead. “Not only under psychoanalysis, but also in observation, whether extrospection or introspection, we resist what contradicts our prejudices, partially, or preconceptions and thus we deceive ourselves” (Gilead, 1999:53, as cited in Drobot, 153).
Drobot further explains Blanche’s actions by looking deeper into her upbringing and education.
Blanche grew up with the lifestyle of the Southern Belle and chooses to maintain it as a defense mechanism to cover up her psychological trauma. “Blanche has remained with this ideal in mind, identifying with it. However, her views on life prove to be only illusions. The new lifestyle is different, and she should have adapted to it, like her sister” (Drobot, 154) The continuation of this illusion allows Blanche to be classified as a narcissist. Drobot defines a narcissist as
someone with “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity” (Drobot, 154) and “is preoccupied …show more content…
In summary, Drobot explains how Blanche is a product of her environment and her past experiences.
With support from various credited physiologists, Drobot concludes that “Blanche’s subjective vision on life is influenced by her education but also by her fantasies and her narcissistic personality” (Drobot, 155). Drobot uses Freud’s studies of the Weltanschauung to summarize Blanche’s actions and in doing so, gives causation to her actions and views on life.
“‘It is easy to see that the possession of such a weltanschauung is one of the ideal wishes of mankind. When one believes in such a thing, one feels secure in life, one knows what one ought to strive after…’”(Freud, 1933, As cited in Drobot, 155 ). This is the case of Blanche’s southern belle as a weltanschauung. Therefore, Drobot proves that Blanche’s education and history is the cause for her unwillingness to let go of the past and accept the present.
Though lacking in direct examples from William’s play, Drobot’s article provides enough factual evidence from psychology to prove her conclusions accurate. Many of the ideas discussed provoke further questioning into the motives of the other characters in the play such as