THEMES - Fantasy vs Reality Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is the central conflict of fantasy vs reality in A Streetcar Named Desire?
The play explores the tension between illusion and truth, particularly through Blanche’s refusal to accept harsh realities and her creation of comforting fantasies.
BLANCHE & FANTASY:
How does Blanche represent fantasy?
She constructs lies about her age, past, and status to maintain her self-image and cope with trauma and loss.
BLANCHE & FANTASY:
What are examples of Blanche’s fantasy life?
Pretending she’s younger, hiding from bright light, claiming to be on vacation, and lying about losing Belle Reeve.
LIGHT & FANTASY:
What does light symbolize in the play?
Truth and reality — Blanche avoids light to maintain her illusions and hide her true self.
LIGHT & FANTASY:
What is the significance of the paper lantern?
It symbolizes Blanche’s attempt to soften reality and disguise the harshness of life and truth.
BLANCHES BACKSTORY:
How is Blanche’s past a clash of fantasy and reality?
She romanticizes her former life but was in fact shamed and driven from Laurel for inappropriate relationships.
BLANCHES BACKSTORY:
What does Blanche’s story about her husband reveal?
Her inability to confront reality — she couldn’t accept his homosexuality and her reaction led to his suicide.
STANLEY & REALITY:
How does Stanley represent reality in the play?
He’s grounded, practical, and brutally honest. He exposes Blanche’s lies and forces characters to confront the truth.
STANLEY & REALITY:
How does Stanley’s worldview conflict with Blanche’s?
He sees through illusions and believes in facts, whereas Blanche lives through illusions to preserve dignity and hope.
FANTASY VS REALITY IN CONFLICT:
What is the climax of the fantasy vs reality conflict?
Stanley’s rape of Blanche — a brutal destruction of her illusion and a traumatic collision with reality.
FANTASY VS REALITY IN CONFLICT:
How does the ending reflect this theme?
Blanche’s final line — “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” — shows she’s retreated fully into fantasy, unable to cope with reality.
“I don’t want realism… I want magic!” — what does this reveal?
Blanche’s desire to live in illusion, avoid pain, and find beauty in fantasy over brutal truth.
Quote: “He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits!” — what does this reflect?
Blanche’s perception of Stanley as the harsh, primal force of reality that threatens her dream world.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE:
How might a feminist critic interpret Blanche’s fantasies?
As a survival strategy in a patriarchal world where women’s value is linked to youth, purity, and male protection.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE:
How might a psychoanalytic critic view Blanche’s retreat into fantasy?
As a form of denial and repression — a psychological defense mechanism against trauma and guilt.
