A Streetcar Named Desire

If we avoid reality, pain, suffering and conflict are likely to occur. This reality is often imposed on us by vested interests in the surrounding world with an effort to help us conform to a single view whether it is objective or subjective. Although society can lead to the creation of a non-authentic self, ultimately it is still the morals pertained within the individual, that outline their views of the world. As asserted by Swami Brahmanada "The world is so constructed, that if you wish to enjoy its pleasures, you must also endure its pains. Whether you like it or not, you cannot have one without the other" displays that the torment we experience is often linked with evading our true reality, which then shapes our perceptions in the process.

If individuals decide to 'avoid' authenticity, they will often become exposed to the consequences associated with it. Although we allow our view of reality to rule our lives, as such, we tend to operate under but a single frame of reference when we clearly are aware of the diverse views of reality. Throughout "A Streetcar Named Desire" Blanche creates a series of ambiguities to cover her incongruity in order to forget about her past mistakes. Although her previous life is nothing but a representation of a decayed society, her reality has been distorted and as a punishment experiences the brutality of Stanley's 'animalistic' behaviours that are described as vulgar, uneducated and crude. As a vision of life, Stanley's reality is based upon the values of sex, bowling and poker and is no more real that Blanche's Southern myth. With the conflicting values between Blanche and Stanley, Blanche is driven into insanity during the concluding stages of the play as she constantly obliges to conform to realism.