In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois comes from a troubled background (death of several family members, lostloss of family’s home, and the death of her husband), and she attempts to put her life back together. She has all the elements of the traditional hero. ButHowever, her inability to grapple with events of her past is Tennessee WilliamsWilliams' way of highlighting to readers that it will be her tragic flaw, a flaw that will be exploited by Stanley Kowalski, who rapes her, leading to her subsequent fall.
First, we'll have to explore the ways in which elements of the traditional hero is applied to Blanche’s character. Blanche arrives in New Orleans, to stay with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski, and she’s “daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves…” (Streetcar 5). Blanche's character has taken the initiative in overcoming her troubled past by choosing to visit her sister and brother-in-law (a change of scenery thanto what she’s used to). The wearing of white is WilliamsWilliams' way of explaining that, although Blanche has demonstrated her willingness to put her life back together. She, she still isn’t quite ready to do so.
Shortly after, Blanche comes clean to her sister Stella about Belle Reve, which is the family’s home that was lost as a result of the loans that were taken out, stating, “you left! I stayed and struggled! You came to New Orleans and looked out for yourself! I started at Belle Reve and tried to hold it together… the burden descended on my shoulders” (streetcar 20). Blanche takes another step towards over coming her troubled past, by confronting her sister Stella about the lostloss of Belle Reve, who seems to want Blanche to shoulder the burden of the estate and several...