Character Analysis of Blanche DuBois

Character Analysis of Blanche DuBois

Despite being a cliché, weary with centuries worth of use and abuse, it is true that appearances can be deceiving.   Nowhere is this more apparent than in the character of Blanche DuBois from Tennessee Williams' 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire.   Her whole being is caught up in the act of being somebody she is not, and although strong, her character is fraught with delusions, illusions, and ultimately a rather mild case of insanity.
First appearing in white, Blanche makes a sharp contrast with her gritty surroundings.   Her white dress is seemingly a symbol for the innocence and purity that must surround her life.   She appears to be lost, having traveled so far from home, and this act of being lost, confused, overwhelmed is carried over into her interactions with the people and world around her.   Upon first meeting Stanley, her sister Stella's husband, she acts as though she has no idea what is going on, putting on the air of a sheltered Southern Belle fresh off the plantation.  
On top of this, Blanche is completely preoccupied with men's impression of her, which causes her spends inordinate amounts of time on her appearance, making sure she looks every bit of her "twenty-something" year old self.   Several arguments between Blanche and Stanley arose from Blanche taking far too long in the bathroom primping before the mirror.
After several scenes depicting   Blanches's seeming innocence,   we learn that she is far from innocent: after the death (by suicide) of her young husband, whom she married when she was a teenager, Blanche turned to a life of promiscuity to convince herself that she was a beautiful, charming woman who could be appreciated by men, even if she had not been able save her husband.   This whole history was discovered by Stanley, who was able to see past her fallacious, perfectly made-up exterior.
Sordid history aside, Blanche's character is one readers can sympathize with, because her motivation is one innate in the human spirit: she is...