My Paper

The key aspect of Blanche’s character is fear. The word “ magic” to me means the desire to be forgiven.When Blanche says magic, this shows her self-consciousness unable to deal with her reality thus leading to fantasy. Blanche got married to her husband Allan at a very young age. Being married at a young age is difficult for any young woman. Having to give up your dreams and starting a home with all the responsibilities that come along is quite a challenge.She questioned how she could have been better or the reason as to why her husband cheated. She discovered that her husband was cheating her with a man and this made her feel that that she is not that type of woman that a husband can be satisfied with. Her husband died shortly after their marriage. He committed suicide. The grief of losing a loved one especially a spouse at a young age is beyond comprehension. Everyone wishes to grow old together with their spouse. Blanche loved her husband Allan very much, and this is evident when he died.In fact, she had to go to her sister’s apartment after she engaged herself in promiscuity in a bid to deal with her pain. Even though, that happened after she lost her husband by ten years. She could not bear the pain of losing her home. It must have hurt her so much.It must have made her feel like less a woman.Blanche’s self-esteem took a turn. She felt so low about her appearance and that is when she started dressing scantily to get the attention of other men. She sleeps around with any interested man from her hometown. This behavior may have made her feel that she is still desirable after her husband cheated on her. She sleeps around with men to try and dismiss her feelings of betrayal self-worthlessness. As a result of not being able to deal with her grief and turning into promiscuity, Blanche was chased away from her hotel due to her loose morals. Since she did not have anywhere else to go, she moved in with her sister and brother in law. Blanche did not enjoy her stay here as well, a woman dealing with the pain of low self-esteem would do anything to make herself relevant. During her stay there, she puts herself in a superior position thus that got her loathed. Blanche calls Stanley, her brother-in-law callous names and demeaning her sister makes her feel that she is way above others. She uses that to mask her past and what she has become as a person. Blanche is bitter about life because of all the things that have happened to her. Treating people in a demeaning way makes Blanche feel better because she can hurt people as much as she has gotten hurt before and also numb her pain for a while. Most of the negative things that happen to Blanche are a result of the pain she went through and she is trying to hide that pain which leads her into committing more mistakes.Blanche then finds a job as a teacher, but the glory did not last long. She allegedly slept with one of the students. Despite having a job and a fresh start, the pain wouldn't just go away, and that was the only way she thought would numb her pain.When she moved out of Laurel, she went to New Orleans and specifically to her sister Stella’s apartment.When she met her sister Stella, she told her that because she lost their home and relatives she has to stay with her. Also, she had to tell her that she had lost her job due to her bad nerves. Actually, that was not true but she was trying to hide her relationship with a young boy who was seventeen years old. When Blanche arrived at New Orleans, she was lost and she did not know where the house of her sister is. The she met somebody whose name is Eunice. This person asked her where she wants to go. She told him the address of her sister’s house. This when showed her where to go and she finally reached her sister’s house. She was afraid that her sister would not open the door for her because she did not tell her that she would visit her at that time.Even though, Eunice wanted to let Blanche enter the house of her sister but she was worrying that Blanche was lying to her. So, she asked her one more time whether she is Stella’s sister or not. Blanche replied yes and she entered and thanked Eunice for letting her in. She asked Unice to leave her alone and Eunice felt offended but Blanche apologized from her.Then the two sister were looking at each others and they ran to each other from due to their happiness that they saw each others. When Blanche met Mitch, she did not tell him the truth about her past life. The fact that Mitch hears about such things from other people makes him not trust her. Lack of trust in their relationship is the reason he breaks up with her. Blanche explains that her reason for lying to herself and those around her is a way of dealing with what fate has dealt her which has been misfortune after misfortune. Blanche does not want to live in reality as the pain hurts her as much as it did then. The past is what makes Blanche want to live in fantasy. She even tells Mitch that, “I do not want realism, I want magic." According to Blanche, magic is supposed to make her bury her past mistakes including her feelings of hurt and live in a world where she has not slept with many men and one with no pain and hurt.Blanche belief in magic to suppressing her pain, by having fantasies have both negative and positive outcome. Positively, it is good because it helps her forget the misfortunes and pain in her life even if it is short-lived. On the negative, the fantasies do not stop reality from happening. No matter how much Blanche wants to blind herself from living the reality, the magic she wants to live in is not easy as real things are happening around her. Stanley rapes her and Mitch leaves her when she eventually thought that marriage would save her. All this happens to her besides her belief in magic.In the text, we see Blanche as a fragile woman who pain has led her into committing a lot of mistakes in her life. Pain, betrayal, and misfortunes are the leading cause of her immorality and the unfortunate decisions she has made in her life. Trying to numb the pain has caused her more damage than good. It has led to her confinement in a mental institution following her detraining mental health. Fantasizing about life is a way used by people to escape from reality when they do not want to deal with their pain.