Relationship between Blanche and Mitch

In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, the characters Blanche and Mitch seem to be completely different from each other. Blanche has a lustful life, whereas Mitch has devoted himself to his sick mother. Nevertheless, they are greatly attracted to each other because of their similar desires. Unfortunately, Blanche and Mitch's love ended up in tragedy because they were not able to escape from the society's expectations: one can have a healthy relationship only if they are pure.

Character analysis of Stanley Kowalski

Blanche and Mitch are extremely different in their characters. Blanche means blank, or white, which has great relations with the qualities of the character Blanche. She is eager to cover herself up from her intolerable history—her being a prostitute after her lover died. She attempts to shroud herself look clean and pure through the maneuvers and her superficial outlooks, by dressing white clothes. Such desperate attempts show her eagerness to follow the society’s expectations. Despite her efforts, her past could not be erased. On the other hand, Mitch is actually pure and naïve. Although he has a masculine body on the outside, he cannot hide his pure characters. Mitch deeply cares for his sick mother. He tells his mother everything that he knows; this can be implied from the part of the story in which he told Blanche that he told his mother about Blanche. Such depictions show that their characters are completely opposite. Nevertheless, although their characters are very different, they fall in love with each other because of their similarities in their lustful desires.

Is Blanche responsible for her own tragic fate?

Blanche admitted in the story, “I want to rest! I want to breathe quietly again! Yes—I want Mitch…very badly!” (page 95). After periods of regret and sorrow—after the death of her young husband—and shame—after a short period of her life as a prostitute— her mentality had been completely destructed. The destruction of her mind had led her to lies and maneuvers, as an escape from the reality. Another escape from the reality was Mitch because he had the masculinity on which she could rely. However, it was not only Blanche who needed a shelter. Mitch proposed to Blanche, “You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be—you and me, Blanche?” (page 116) Mitch had been through similar emotions of that of Blanche after the death of his lover. After hearing Blanche's story about her lover, he had felt a kinship. With his sick mother, he also needed somewhere he could shelter on. The kinship had given him a reason he could rely on Blanche as an escape from the unfortunate reality, protect her, and fall in love with her. Unfortunately, their desires for each other could not be fulfilled. Nevertheless, such a portrayal of their desires for each other make the ending of the story seems even more tragic.

Character analysis of Blanche Dubois

    Their love ended in tragedy despite their desires to have each other, because of their inability to fulfill the social expectations. Blanche's attempt to shroud herself with superficial image and lies failed when Stanley revealed her history-about her prostitute life. When Mitch had found out that Blanche had been lying to her, his idealistic plans for the future foundered. Blanche was now unqualified for a wife for a pure man like him because of the social bias. When Mitch found out, he was angry not only at Blanche but also the society that was halting him from having affections toward such a poor woman, only because of her unacceptable history. Blanche’s mentality completely fell apart because a man she had felt love for suddenly faced her just as any other men she had encountered in the past. As a result, Blanche was sent to a mental hospital, and Mitch cried, finally realizing his biased attitudes and regretting his actions. The author Tennessee Williams portrayed such a tragic ending in order to criticize the reality that desires for love cannot overcome the social bias during this era.

To know more about A streetcar named desire

Blanche and Mitch’s tragic ending reflects the bias that had been in existence. Although they had great differences in their lives and qualities, they had similarities in their desires to have each other. Nevertheless, they were unable to overcome their differences because of the social expectations, demanding them to fall apart. Thus, their love story ends in tragedy, not a “happily ever after”.