Blog3 Topic3

Blog3 Topic3

The dictionary definition of the word “insanity” is concise: “the state of being seriously mentally ill; madness” and, in some situation, “extreme foolishness or irrationality”. This definition doesn’t cover that everyone has their own judgement for “foolishness or irrationality. For example, female genital mutilation prevails in some area of Africa and Middle East. We certainly consider such custom as insane because it not only has no health benefit and can easily cause infection, but also harm these women’s human rights. But people in those areas are continuing female genital mutilation for women’s “purity”.

Hence, defining whether one is crazy depend on one’s circumstances. Blanche in “A streetcar named desire” is obviously considered as “insane” by the society, because in the last scene of the play, people around sent her to a mental facility. But, consider all the things she experiences, her “insanity” is quite rational.

Blanche grew up in a wealthy family. She was educated in literature and was taken good care physically, but not mentally and made her a “delicate piece”. “Nobody, nobody, was tender and trusting as she was.” Her delicacy caused her “loss” after all those throwbacks in her life.

When she was very young, Blanche’s family and relatives died. She lost their house and land in Belle Reve due to expensive funerals and inability of making money. Stanley described this as “the home-place had slipped through her lily white fingers”. As a women, she was not taught how to “grab” her properties by herself, but the society demand her to do so. The result of losing the house made her no longer an upper class except her pride. She had to move to hotel or her sister’s house and ended up with poverty.

Blanche’s loved husband suicided because Blanche blamed him as a gay at a dancing party “I saw! I know! You disgust me…”. This added on the situation and knocked her badly. Husband’s death caused her “had many intimacies with strangers”, to “fill my[Blanche] empty heart” and “hunting for some protection” in the Flamingo hotel in Laurel. But, again, the society demand her to  “keep a firm hold on her emotions” and to keep purity. Due to her dating issues, Blanche was regarded as “downright loco--nuts” and “is morally unfit for her position[teacher]".

In the play, words of Stanley showed how the society viewed the status of men and women. “Remember what Huey Long said--"Every Man is a King!" And I am the king around here, so don't forget it!”. The tragedy in Stella’s place is a repetition of Blanche’s past. Women are subordinate to men, so Blanche hasn’t been taught how to stand on her own, but how to “entertain the gentleman”, from “the law of nature” Blanche said. She wanted to move out of Stella’s house, but the only way she could thought to make money was by the help of her admirer Shep. At the same time, Blanche is no longer young and pure. She is considered as "put out" and couldn’t marry Mitch. Both two ways of living-living on her own and relying on a man-was cut by the society. Under the stimulation of being raped by her beast like brother-in-law, she had to face the fact that the only thing that support her for live-her bringing up and he superiority- was broken. So it is natural for her to be insane.

All Blanche’s behavior is reasonable reflection of the world. She was considered “insanity” because her society’s demand for women to be both independent economically and young, “prim and proper” is sick. She was just one sheet of paper floating in the wave and was eventually tore into pieces.