The Analysis on Blanches Tragedy in A Streetcar Named Desire欲望号街车论文.docx

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1、The Analysis on Blanches Tragedy in A Streetcar Named Desire欲望号街车论文AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 The Analysis on Blanches Tragedy in A Streetcar Named Desire 对欲望号街车中布兰奇的悲剧的分析 杨晓晨 Abstract: This paper presents the causes of the tragedy of Blanche in A Streetcar N

2、amed Desireone of the most famous works of American writer Tennessee Williams. The writer of this paper holds that there are several reasons which result in Blanches tragedy and her tragic fate. It is obviously that the tragedy of Blanche is result from internal causes including her characteristics

3、as well as external causes such as social condition and its transformation. The author tries to give a clear explanation on both the internal and the external causes of Blanches tragedy. Also, the author of the paper tries to summarize and analyze some of the highlights of this drama. The author of

4、this paper deems that the tragedy of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire is somehow an unavoidable result of the weakness of her personalities and the development of industrial society . Keywords: Blanche; tragedy; internal causes; external causes 摘要：本文提出美国作家田纳西威廉斯的名作之一欲望号街车中布兰奇的悲剧是由许多因素造成的。本文作者认为，布

5、兰奇的悲剧和她的悲剧命运很多因素相互作用造成。很显然，布兰奇的悲剧来源于其内因包括她自身的性格和外因诸如社会转型。本文作者试图解释布兰奇悲剧的内因以及外因。同时，本文作者也会总结和分析剧作中的亮点。本文作者认为，欲望号街车中布兰奇的悲剧是由其性格上的软弱和工业社会发展引发的，并且在某种程度上来说是难以避免的。 关键词：布兰奇；悲剧；内因；外因 Introduction: We had the course called an Anthology of the English and American Drama taught by professor Xu this semester. A S

6、treetcar Named Desire is one of the dramas we learned, it is a famous work of American writer Tennessee Williams. Williams was born in the south of America and then moved to a industrial city in the 1 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 north of America. His own exper

7、iences affected his writing a lot. A Streetcar Named Desire tell readers the story of Blanche who is a beauty live in the south with dignity before her husband was found to be a homo and then moved to north with unbearable stress finally became insane. There are a lot of papers and researches on A S

8、treetcar Named Desire during these years and some of them made great contributions to literature. Since I have learned something about A Streetcar Named Desire, Id like to express my own thoughts of the causes that result in Blanches tragedy. 1 internal causes 1.1 expectations of living an extravaga

9、nt lifestyle while suffering from poverty The luxury life was gone after Allens death and the lose of the plantation. Blanche were suffering from poverty. She tried to seek protection and help from men, but got nothing except bad reputation. 1.1.1 missing the good old days in the south while living

10、in a shabby apartment with Stella and Stanley Having no way out , then, Blanche went to New Orleans to take refuge in her sister, Stella, in order to hide the truth of her unhappy marriage and the broken pieces of the life she had before. However, to Blanches disappointment, the apartment which Stel

11、la lives with her husband Stanley is shabby and dirty. Also, there are all kinds of people including the blacks and the harlots live in the region where the department is located. There is no stainless mirror or grand bedroom in the apartment which she once thought might be a heaven for her. She wou

12、ld always miss the luxury life before Allens death in Belle Reve where she lived in the south. There were ladies and gentlemen with high social status live noble and elegant life and she herself was a 2 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 grace lady being respected an

13、d loved by others at that time. 1.1.2 dreaming of be loved by wooers while being betrayed and abandoned Young Blanche is a typical lady who can represents the culture and gentility of the south. She was a planters daughter who had a rich and leisurely lifestyle. She was well-educated and have good m

14、anner. Therefore, she married with a brilliant poet who is romantic and handsome. She thought her marriage is perfect and she loved her husband sincerely and ardently. However, when she found out that Allen is a homo, her dreams about romantic marriage dashed. In addition, Allens death which let her

15、 feel guilty and betrayed made she suffered a lot. From then on, Blanche tend to be skittish. She date with different men and had sex with them. Moreover, she seduce her students which made she get fired. She had to go to New Orleans to take refuge in her sister.Blanche met Mitch there and fell in l

16、ove with him. To her disappointment, she was abandoned once again after Stanley told Mitch about the past of her. 1.1.3 wants to draped in jewels and wearing evening gowns while she is penniless and frustrated After Allens death, Blanche tried to gain protection and care from other men, but she didn

17、t choose the correct way. Instead, she chose to indulge her passion and faults. Blanche got stuck in a world of fairytale princesses, though she was pinched with poverty. After her family lost the plantation and she herself became penniless, she have to go to the north to seek help from her sister.

18、She made herself elegantly dressed in a white coat, an evening dress, furry stole and superb jewels. She still consider herself as a honorable and distinguished lady. However, her evening dress had been worn our, her furry stole was not superb and her jewels were of glass. Shes no longer the lady wh

19、o lead luxury life in the south. 3 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 1.2 asseverates her virginity while acting like a hooker Blanche was educated to be a noble lady in the south and she wanted to behave strictly according to her briefs and values. However, she was

20、acting like a hooker when she was seek for protection and comfort. 1.2.1 flaunts her purity and dignity while acting in a skittish way after her husbands death Allens death made Blanche felt guilty and theres no one that she can rely on or obey to. She want to find a way to drain the depression away

21、. Thus, she hangs out with sailors nearby in order to get rid of the loneliness and sadness through indulging her feelings and body. Blanche once confessed her past to Mitch. She admitted that she had close relationships with several strangers so that she can fill the emptiness in her heart. However

22、, as far as the author concerned, Blanche want to acquire sympathy and forgiveness by being honest. In fact, she still consider herself as a helpless noblewoman who should be protect and be loved by her wooers. Although she did acted in a skittish way, she thought herself was reluctant to the fact.

23、1.2.2 feels disgust about the nasty and brutish Stanley while trying to seduce him When Blanche came to the department where her sister lives and met Stanley, she was shocked. Her sister married with a disgusting man in the north who is an uncouth and uncultivated person. Stanley is a typical exampl

24、e of those men in the north. They are strong, surly and violent. Stanley is a salesman who would peddle his products everyday by car. He is a man of sagacity as well as confidence. He control his own life as well as Stellas so that he would never let Blanche challenge his authority. Blanche would ne

25、ver like Stanley as she is a lady who need to be taken care of by gentleman those are well-educated and romantic. However, her values that cultivated 4 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 in the south made she take relying on man for granted. As a result, she would as

26、k Stanley to help her get dressed and flirt with him shameless. 1.2.3 alleges her chastity while flirting with Mitch Blanche always pretended to be missish when she dating with Mitch. She lied to Mitch about her age and made up some romantic stories. She still want to be a lady who came from the sou

27、th and will be respected. However, she asked Mitch whether he would like to have sex with her or not in French which she consider a aristocratic language. While Mitch want to hug her and have intimate relations with her, she refused and affirmed that she is a noble woman. Although she pretended to b

28、e flawless and elegant, she is no longer the pure lady in the south. 2 external causes 2.1 the oppression imposed on Blanche from the patriarchal system In the south, the patriarchal system was rooted in peoples life. Women are educated to depend on men and to obey men. They take it for granted that

29、 men should protect and take care of women, and in return, women should obey them. 2.1.1 Blanche is made to be the subordinate to men Blanche was grown up in Belle Reve where plantation economy was flourished once upon a time. The economical style in the south caused that female must be depend on ma

30、le to live. Moreover, the majority of the people in the south are puritans. They always inhibit their natures and feel satisfied under the protection of male. The sense of attachment to man is ingrained in the culture of the south. Blanche doesnt have the ability to make a living by herself after th

31、e deaths of her relatives. She was accustomed to be taken care of by males so that she tried to seek comfort from different men. She dates with sailors, has appointments with different strangers, even 5 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 seduce her student. Also, she

32、 would seduce Stanley despite her disgust towards him. 2.1.2 Stanleys male chauvinism Stanley is Blanches brother-in-law who is an average man live in the slum. He doesnt have the wealth and status of the emerging capitalist class. He is a male chauvinist and his male chauvinism comes from his infer

33、iority. He lives in America and he considers himself as a real American, but the fact that he is a offspring of Polish got Blanches disdain and discrimination. Stanley appears to be dictatorial and authoritarian in his life. He treat Stella, Blanche and his friends in a gruff attitude. He want to co

34、ntrol everyone in his life so that he would maintain the so-called peaceful atmosphere among his relatives and friends by force. Stanley can be quite selfish and really manipulative, in other word, he can be a real male chauvinist who would choose to destroy everything or everyone that against his w

35、ill. As a result, he spared no effort to prove that Blanche is not the noble woman she claimed and told Mitch about the cheating affairs of Blanche. Therefore, the life of Blanche which seemed to be luxury and peaceful was totally screwed by him. 2.1.3 Mitchs abandonment Mitch is the first “gentlema

36、n” who is different to those rude men in the north. He was attracted by Blanches beauty at the first met so that he latched onto her. He knew Blanche was come from the south so that he showed the lighter with Elizabeth Barrett Browningpoem on it. Theres no doubt that Blanche was attached to him beca

37、use she thought that Mitch is a well-educated gentleman and is different to those Yankees. Then, when Stanley got angry and was beating Stella, Blanche was frightened. However, Mitch showed up and comforted her which made her felt safe and satisfied. She considered Mitch as a man who she could rely

38、on. As a result, she confessed something about her past to Mitch. To her satisfied, Mitch forgive her and promised to take good care of her. Whats more, Mitch made the proposal. However, when Stanley 6 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 told Mitch the truth about Bla

39、nche, Mitch chose to abandon her. Moreover, Mitch accused her for cheating and said: “ No, I dont think I want to marry you anymore. No, youre not clean enough to bring into the house with my mother.” which finally broke Blanches illusion. 2.2 the decline of south bring by social transformation The

40、industry was developing rapidly after the Second World War and the social was transforming at that time. The social transformation influence peoples lives in the south as the plantation economy was declining. 2.2.1 plantation economy ruined by the industrialization The south was facing a set of seri

41、ous problems after the Second World War, including the recession of plantation economy. The industrial civilization took place of the souths plantation. The plantations once owned by gentlemen in the south were sold out and theres no more slaves who would work for those so-called noble class. As a r

42、esult, many people in the south went broken and some of them suffered from poverty. On the contrary, the industry in the north develops rapidly and the new bourgeoisie made a fortune. 2.2.2 aristocratic culture eroded by industrial culture After the Second World War, the penetration of the ethical c

43、oncepts of the industrial society into all aspects of social existences. However, Blanche, who is indulged in the old south values can hardly adapt herself to the new moral values. Blanche always maintain a sense of superiority and grandeur. She believes that she was distinguished and elegant. Altho

44、ugh she was depend on Stella and Stanley, she consider herself as a grace lady. She was dissatisfied with the shabby apartment with no dinner hall and servant. Theres no wonder that Blanche was lost in the transforming society and ultimately being destroyed. 7 AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH AND AMERICA

45、N DRAMA 英语111 杨晓晨 1107071022 2.2.3 courtesy replaced by competition The social environment play an important role in Blanches tragedy. The cruel social environment inspired the instinct for survival. The industrial civilization dominate the social. Blanche was the victim of the old south. Her wealth

46、 was gone and the well manner can not help her to be a survival. On the contrary, her sister, get rid of the values of the south and married with Stanley who was a typical example of the north. They are well aware of the transformation of the society and they are able to face the changes and the cha

47、llenges Conclusion: Tragedy of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire is somehow cannot be avoided because the tragedy of Blanche is result from internal causes as well as external causes. Her characteristics and values can hardly let her be adapt to the transforming society. The tragedy of Blanche in

48、A Streetcar Named Desire is an unavoidable result of the weakness of her personalities and the development of industrial society. References: 1 Lin Jin. Lingxin Zhou. Unavoidable Lies, Doomed DestinyAn Analysis on Blanches Tragedy Through Her Lies. J Juanzong,2013(07): 336-336 2 Wang Ruiqing. Symbol

49、ism and Its Application in the Characterization of Lyubov and Blanche. J US-China Foreign Language,2005(11): 1-5 3 Jiang Zhihui. The Analysis on Diversity of Blanches Characters in A Streetcar Named Desire. J Jiannanwenxue, 2010(07): 20-22 4 U.H. Ruhina Jesmin. A Psychoanalytic Insight Into Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire Psychic Strength From Defense. J Journ