Blanche's Descent into Insanity

Word Count: 834

Blanche’s Descent into Insanity

            According to the Oxford English Dictionary, insanity is defined as “unsoundness of the mind as a consequence of brain disease” or “extreme folly.” “Extreme folly” could refer to recklessness or stupidity; it does not necessarily make one think of insanity. Personally, I feel considering insanity as a disease is limiting; defining it as a mental illness or condition would not leave such a negative impression, and people could be more understanding. In media, insanity is portrayed as acting outside of society's expectations and not understanding the rules that make up society. Generally, insane people are avoided or seen as menaces to society for not conforming; they themselves do not recognize that they are insane. Therefore, when people think of insanity, they think of outcasts that are seen as difficult to communicate and interact with because their thought process is mysterious. In Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche is an unfortunate woman who suffers from both societal pressure and personal expectations. By lacking a proper support system, her weak and strange mentality combined with her questionable decisions cause her to go insane.

            Right from the start, Blanche acts suspiciously and could be considered mentally unstable. While she is not diagnosed with a brain disease, her choice of actions represent “extreme folly” as she makes regretful decisions that ultimately lead to her ruin. For example, it is revealed that Blanche had many intimate relationships with men which lead to her moving out as she was deemed trouble. As Blanche sees it, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” (142). By constantly lying and covering up her shameful past, it is clear that she cares about her appearance and reputation a lot. As she constantly relies on others for support, she is unable to support herself when she is alone and cannot become independent. Therefore, she strives to leave a good impression so that people will continue to help her and stay by her side. However, by taking away her pillars of support, there is nothing stopping her from breaking under mental stress.

She also repeatedly states that she hears a polka tune in her mind, which could be considered a trait of insanity. In Scene 9, it explicitly states in the stage directions, “The music is in her mind; she is drinking to escape it…” (113). While it does not fit in the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of insanity, it would fit in with the cultural view of insanity as there is actually no music playing out loud. The music only plays within the confines of her mind. To her, the music is an inescapable sound that she has no control over. The only way out is by escaping, an act she often does. However, she is unable to avoid the polka music as it is a product of her imagination. To her, the only solution to stop the music is by having someone else stop the music. As a woman, she was expected to lean on men for support. Especially during this time period, women were seen as weak beings, and society favored men. She even tells Mitch, “You’ve stopped the polka tune that I had caught in my head” (113). As seen here, she is unable to fend for herself, not even in her own mind, which leaves her more susceptible to mental attacks. As she is mentally weak, she needs other people to help her.

As she tries to maintain her Southern belle persona, she spits out lies after lies to create a flimsy cover for her past. Eventually, the Southern belle persona controls her actions and changes her personality. As seen in the ending, Blanche continues to keep up her guise of a high class lady and rambles on about her imagination. In the end, she could be considered insane as her grasp on reality is faint; she talks about how her imaginary millionaire boyfriend Shep Huntleigh is going to pick her up. As Eunice puts it, “ Life has got to go on. No matter what happens, you’ve got to keep on going” (133). While Eunice is saying this to Stella to convince her that sending Blanche to the doctor was for the best, these words can also relate to Blanche. In Blanche’s case, she deludes herself into accepting an imaginary world as her mind could not handle the shock of the rape and the realization that she could never escape from society’s constraints on women. Simply put, she takes an escapist route as her final attempt to understand life. To her, insanity is the only escape in life.

            While Blanche does not exactly fit the dictionary’s definition of insanity, popular media and culture would point her out as an insane person, especially in the ending. Her broken mental state leads her to act foolishly in the eyes of others, and not even her sister can bring herself to believe in the truth. However, by being insane, Blanche is able to cope and find some peace within her imaginary life.