Society’s Imaginary Force When the word hero comes to mind, most people will think about a man with super powers saving the city. What happens when a simple word like tragic goes in front of hero, then the definition changes drastically? In the play called, A Streetcar Named Desire written by William Tennessee, the characters are not a tragic hero. According to Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, he states that someone must faced hardship and realizes that their actions will lead to their destruction. Based on this definition none of the characters is a tragic hero, but Blanche, is a character that fits most of the aspects of a tragic hero. There is one main reason that she is not a tragic and that is because there was an outside force that made her suffer. Society has a certain force on people and no matter what we do, society will change who we are as a person, for better or for worse. Tradition is something that we wish we can have with in our lives because it feels familiar and safe. Blanche suffered more than was needed and her Southern Bell values caused her to have such a fate. Blanche was stuck on the belief that traditions matter is more important than adapting to her surrounding. Throughout the play we that Blanche had the opportunity to let go of her values in order to live a happier life, but did not, “Blanche: … I thought you would never come back to this horrible place! What am I saying? I didn’t mean to say that. I meant to be nice about it and say-Oh, what a convenient location Such-Ha-a-ha...” (Williams 11). Blanche is so used to living a luxurious life, which sometimes she forgets that not everyone can live like she has. When Blanche was preparing to become a Southern Bell, she learned that she is supposed to be elegant and have the nicest stuff, and being in a place like that, does not fit in with her teaching. Blanche is only thinking about herself and not considering other people feelings. Others can not be as lucky and Blanche should be grateful of what she has instead of worrying about where she is living. Another value that she has is to be always flirtatious or always saying the right words to others in order to please them, “Blanche: All right. Cards on the table. That suits me. I know I fib a good deal. After all, a women’s charm is fifty percent illusion, but when a thing is important I tell the truth…” (Williams 41). She continues to lie even after of being asked to tell the truth. Stanley, her sister’s husband, already knows the way that Blanch functions, so when Blanch tries to be charming it does not work. Blanche feels protected when she tells lies, because she is able to hide behind them. She does not want to show people what’s behind the mask because she believes that society wants a girl to be a perfect image of a Southern Bell. Continuing the traditions of a Southern Bell is actually making her more of an outsider and Blanche wants to be able to blend in. Other character in the story are able to see that Blanche is not always happy following the tradition, but continues to do so because she believes it is the right thing to do,
“Mitch: Why did you try if you didn’t feel like it, Blanche?
Blanche: I was just obeying the law of nature.
Mitch: What law is that?
Blanche: The one that says the lady must entertain the gentlemen-or no dice! See if you can locate my door-key in this purse. When I’m tired my fingers are all thumbs” (Williams 101). Blanche’s mask is slowly coming off her face and it is showing that there is a woman inside that is not perfect. When Blanche is finally able to be herself then she can finally live an easier life. Being a Southern Bell may be good in some parts of the world, but Blanche must be able to adapt to her surroundings in order to make life less insufferable. Our values play an important role in our lives. It helps to decide if we will live an easy life or one filled with hardships. The reason why Blanche was not a tragic hero is because there was an outside force that made her to suffer and based on Aristotle’s definition of tragic hero, the character must be there own reason of destruction. Stanley was determined to make Blanche suffer because she was not like everyone else. He seen how she was not being true to other and that annoyed him,
“Stanley: … Have a shot?
Blanche: No I- rarely touch it.
Stanley: Some people rarely touch it, but it touches them often” (Williams 26). Stanley is a very observant person and seeing that Blanche lied about something so small, made him realize that she is a fake person. Stanley wants to associate with people that are straightforward like how he is. He sees the mask that Blanche wears and so he is now determined to find out what’s under the mask. Stanley is a very masculine and to see how Blanche is full of pride, it makes him want to break her down. He does not realize that the reason Blanche’s personality is so strong, is because she values what she was taught and wants to continue to pass her values to others. Stanley wants to in control with everything and seeing that Blanche has some control over Stella, makes him find the truth at any cost,
“Stanley: What’s Virgo?
Blanche: Virgo is the Virgin.
Stanley: Hah!... Say, do you happen to know somebody named Shaw? Well, this somebody named Shaw is under the impression he met you in Laurel, but I figured he must have got you mixed up with some other party because this other party is someone he met at a hotel called the Flamingo.” (Williams 89). Stanley tries to provoke Blanche into telling the truth or see her struggle on keeping a lie. When someone is dishonest in front of his eyes that he tries to find the truth. Only with the truth Blanche’s mask can come off and she can become just like everyone else. Stanley does not like the fact that Blanch cherishes tradition greatly. He wants to see someone who can a replica of Stella. Stella became someone that is unrecognizable to Blanche and that’s how Stanley wants it. He wants to influence others decision no matter who it may hurt. Revealing part of a story brought to light Blanche true intentions of acting like a Southern Bell,
“Stanley: So I been told. And told and told and told! You know she’s been feeding us a pack of lies here?
Stella: No, I don’t, and-
Stanley: Things I already suspected. But now I got proof from the most reliable sources-which I have checked on.
Stella: Now please tell me quietly what you think you’ve found out about my sister” (William 118-119).
Stanley knows that if he gets Stella on his side then Blanche can break down completely. Blanche will have no one else to rely on if Stella takes Stanley’s side. Stanley could not leave this whole mess alone, he needed to create harm to Blanche because he wants to be able to have control. If Stanley has complete control over Blanche then he shape her to his liking and that is someone who is not as prideful. Since Blanche’s downfall was caused by Stanley, she can not be a tragic hero. It was Stanley’s action that made her suffer more than was needed and Blanche still did not why he was trying to break her down. Stanley gave so many chances for Blanche to change the way she views life, but she did not take the offer, thus creating an uneasy life for Blanche. Society has a certain force on people’s lives that can not be controlled. This force can change anyone no matter if they do not want to and the effect can be good, but in this case it was bad. Blanche was not able to adapt to her surroundings, so society brought her down. Blanche not being able to let of her traditions created outside forces to bring hardship,
“Blanche: I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth….
Mitch: You lied to me, Blanche.
Blanche: Don’t say I lied to you.
Mitch: Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies” (Williams 145-147). Telling lies was a way that Blanche felt like she can be a perfect Southern Bell and this caused her to lose her chance of having a husband. If she started from the beginning of telling the truth then there was a chance that Mitch would be able to accept her flaws. Mitch is so used to seeing others with flaws, that when Blanche was presented to him, he was fascinated by her “perfectness”. Blanche believed that society wanted a woman to be the perfect image of a Southern Bell, but at this time and place, being a Southern Bell was not accepted. There are times that people can not avoid what is done because others can not accepted the way,
“Stanley: Come to think of it - maybe you wouldn’t be bad to-interfere with…Oh! So you want some rough-house! All right let’s have some rough- house! [He springs towards her, overturning the table. She cries out and strikes at him with the bottle top but he catches her wrist.] Tiger-tiger! Drop the bottle-top! Drop it! We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning! [She moans…He picks up her inert figure and carries her to the bed…]” (Williams 161-162). Stanley felt that since she did not want to change he would do something to make her feel helpless. He knew that know one would believe her because she was lying before and this made her trap. She is force to tell her sister what happened, but she is trapped by her past mistakes. Society view on how man are suppose to be did help to lead to this tragic incident. Stanley was only following the views that others had on him even though what he had done was wrong, in his mind he believed it was the only solution. Blanche is strong hearted that needed to be confined. With everything that has happened to her, the other characters in the play decided the only way to deal with her is to put her into a mental institution and have others have a chance to change her,
“Matron: These fingernails have to be trimmed.[The doctor comes into the room and she looks at him.] Jacket, Doctor?
Doctor: Not unless necessary.” (Williams 175). It is easy to have others cause harm to her than someone who really knows her. If they had known her they will be hesitant to treat her in such a manner and see if her personality is really her. Making her feel trap will force her to be a new person because she will be tired of seeing the same walls everyday. She wants to feel wanted and going to the Mental Hospital means she will not get the same attention like she had before. Society has an invisible hand in all our decisions in life and if we fight it, it will only cause us harm. Blanche is not a tragic hero because her horrible life was not caused by her hands, instead of those closest to her. Society has a force on everyone that most can not accept. Sooner or later society will give people the only option of changing and making them feel trap in their skins. A tragic hero can not be created if someone causes them harm. Society’s’ imaginary hand does have their toll on our life. Everyone wishes that this is not true and most want to wish that they will never change, but in reality it is unavoidable. In the play we see how traditions ruined a life for a women, when all she had to do was change her values to match everyone else’s and making it difficult to be a tragic hero.