It's Just an Illusion

In “A Streetcar Named Desire”, there is a common theme of illusion and the inability to accept truth and reality. Illusion is there to cover up the harsh reality in which people are too afraid to face. It’s an unfortunate coping mechanism that people use because in the end it isn’t real and it can blind us to what is actually going on in our lives. This theme is shown a lot within Stella and her perception of her reality.

When Blanche comes to visit Stella and her husband Stanley, she takes no time to criticize the way things are in her sister’s environment, including her husband. Blanche isn’t Stanley’s biggest fan, and she lets Stella know that from the start. Stella disregards everything her sister is telling her about her husband, because Stella wants to believe that he’s a good man and that he’s the man of her dreams, and that’s where her illusion of this perfect guy begins to arise. Stella has high expectations when it comes to Stanley because in her fantasy, Stanley is the perfect husband, and she ignores every negative opinion about him because she’s so in love with him. This is dangerous for Stella because she is blind to the fact that Stanley is treating her poorly, and he’s never going to be the man Stella wants him to be for her.

 Later in the story, Stanley continues to cause more controversy. Stanley ends up raping Blanche, and Stella refuses to believe it. The quote, “I couldn’t go on believing her story and live with Stanley”(Stella, 1232), reflects the way Stella is ultimately thinking throughout the story. Stella does not want to believe Stanley did what he did, and she chooses not to because that would ruin her illusion of Stanley and the way he should be acting as a husband. She continues to make excuses for his actions because this isn’t the Stanley she knows and loves in her fantasy. That quote proves to us that Stella is living in a “fantasy world”, and will stick around just because she loves him. 

 The relationship Stella and Stanley have is not healthy, but these relationships are very common nowadays. Many couples have stayed together when one of them has been unloyal to their partner, solely because they love them and they believe that they can be a better partner and change. That concept, a lot of the time, is just an illusion as well. Stella needs to step out of her fantasy world, and realize Stanley will never be who she wants him to be, and she’ll never live the life she wants if she continues to stay with him.