Pub #1

In a Streetcar named Desire, delusion and reality comes full circle with Blanche losing her self-image and Stanley doing what’s best for everyone. Blanche has lost her grasp of reality and she thinks Mitch is her meal ticket. Her reputation from the past places obstacles in her way and the truth comes out through Stanley’s confession of Blanches actions. “You should just know the line she’s been feeding to Mitch. He thought she had never been more than kissed by a fellow! But sister Blanche is no lily! Ha-Ha! Some lily she is! (Williams pg. 1213) The truth always finds a way to the surface. You cannot hide behind false facades and expect people to believe a web of lies. This will not go on forever in essence life without truth is like a body without a soul.

In the field of psychology Carl Rogers has a theory that revolves around self-image. “Rogers’s theory emphasizes the self, a flexible and changing perception of personal identity. Much behavior can be understood as an attempt to maintain consistency between our self-image and our actions. Information or feeling inconsistent with the self-image are said to be incongruent. Thus a person who thinks she is kind but really isn’t is in a state of incongruence. Experiences seriously incongruent with the self-image can be threatening and are often distorted or denied conscious recognition. Blocking, denying or distorting experiences prevents the self from changing this creates the gap between the self-image and reality. (Ryckman 2013) Blanche got what she deserved in the end, which is isolation from her fantasy world. She was put into a mental facility where she cannot fool anyone with her deceitful ways.

According to Carl Rogers, incongruence occurs when there is a mismatch between ant of these three entities the ideal self (the person you would like to be); your self-image (the person you think you are) and the true self (the person you actually are). Self-esteem suffers when there is a large difference between one’s ideal self and self-image. Anxiety and defensiveness are common when the self-image does not match the true self.

I’ve been on to you from the start! Not once did you pull any wool over this boys eyes! You came in here and sprinkle the place with powder and spray perfume and cover the light bulb with a paper lantern, and lo and behold the place has turned into Egypt and you are the green of the Nile! Sitting on your thrown and swilling down my liquor! I say-Ha!-Ha! Do you hear me! Ha-Ha-Ha! (Williams pg. 1229) Stanley stayed to his true self and never let Blanche deceive him. I give Stanley a lot of credit for doing what was right for him and Stella. Placing Blanche in the mental hospital was the only way to get rid of her and to put his house back in order.