Essay Plan – Truth/light

Examine the significance of the truth within ASND:

Paragraph 1 Point Sentence

Firstly, in the play’s exposition, Williams portrays Blanche DuBois' evasion of light as something which symbolises her fragile psyche, deep desire for illusion, and refusal to face the harsh truths of her past.

“her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light” - Stage directions ref Blanche (S1)

Blanche is never seen in bright light; the stage directions emphasise that “her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light” and she studiously does so. Her entrance comes at dusk, and thereafter she is never seen outside.

“turn that [light] off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare” - Blanche (S1)

Upon her arrival at the Kowalski’s apartment, she immediately requests for Stella to “turn that [light] off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare”, emphasising just simply how conscious she is of how others view her and tries to manipulate their perception by dimming the light. Whilst the ‘merciless glare’ she refers to is hyperbolic it is also a use of foreshadowing; as the play progresses, light can be seen as merciless.

“I bought this adorable little coloured paper-lantern… Put it over the light bulb!”, “I can’t stand a naked light bulb” - Blanche (S3)

Furthermore, in the third scene of the play, Williams introduces the motif of the paper lantern, an object that becomes an enduring symbol of Blanche’s self-deception. When Mitch enters, Blanche immediately dims the lights and exclaims “I bought this adorable little coloured paper-lantern… Put it over the light bulb!”, before declaring “I can’t stand a naked light bulb”. The paper lantern is an archetypal use of ‘plastic theatre’ (AO3 definition) and is a literal veil softening the electric light, diffusing reality and allowing Blanche to present a curated version of herself to Mitch. Light here becomes not only about truth, but about vulnerability and Blanche’s need to dim the light reflects her shame about aging and her desperate desire to maintain her youthful beauty.

Context about the Southern Belle

This is reminiscent of Old Southern ideals whereby Blanche embodies a decaying Southern Belle. The Southern Belle is a trope of the Southern Gothic which writers use to dramatize the social changes brought about by the Civil War that left those like Blanche stranded between fading aristocratic values and a modern world that no longer accommodates them. Her evasion of light thus becomes a poignant metaphor for her inability to adapt, clinging instead to the illusions of her old world.

Paragraph 2 Point Sentence

As the play progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Blanche’s avoidance of light (and by extension, the truth) is linked to her tragic romantic past.

“he was just a boy” and she “was a very young girl” - Blanche (S6)

In scene six, the monologue in which Blanche explains to Mitch how Allan Grey, her past lover, died begins by emphasising that “he was just a boy” and she “was a very young girl”, invoking sympathy for the fact that Blanche was only a vulnerable, innocent child when she discovered love and the subsequent ramifications of it: heartbreak.

“nervousness”, “softness”, “tenderness” - Blanche ref Allan (S6)

Audiences may also pity Blanche for the difficulty in revealing Allan’s homosexuality as she describes him in a triplicate of vague epithets (“nervousness”, “softness”, “tenderness”) which hint at his effeminate nature but do not explicitly outline his sexuality. Williams’ experience as a homosexual himself at a time when society was unaccepting of such people may have driven this description. Contextually, in the 1940s, the American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality a mental illness or even a ‘sociopathic disturbance’.

“searchlight which had been turned on in the world was turned off again” - Blanche (S6)

Given Blanche’s avoidance of light, it is interesting that she uses it as a metaphor to explain the effect which Allan's death had on her, claiming the “searchlight which had been turned on in the world was turned off again”. The ‘searchlight’ of course was that which exposed the truth about Allan’s sexuality, and likewise, for Blanche, she fears facing the same exposure of her promiscuous past following Allan’s death. The light which Blanche craves is the glow of love and this single image explains her constant attempts to manipulate her sexuality to regain that metaphorical light while avoiding the physical light which could reveal how she really is.

Context about Williams’ homosexuality

This may link to Williams' own life where he had to live his childhood avoiding the truth – his father set masculine ideals that he wanted his son to conform to; however, Williams was closeting his homosexuality, and this is what drew him New Orleans, home to a more diverse and accepting community.

Paragraph 3 Point Sentence

Ultimately, however, the power of society supersedes all hope for Blanche – symbolised by Mitch’s transformation upon learning of Blanche’s past, reflecting Williams’ critique of how New American pressures distort human connection. Mitch is at his highest point after he reacts to Blanche’s trauma with compassion, but this illusion is shattered by Stanley as he exposes the truth about Blanche's debauched past.

SAME QUOTES AS MITCH P3

SAME QUOTES AS MITCH P3