An interpretation of illusion in the play, "A Streetcar Named Desire"

            Typically, people are put into situations in which they must decide whom, between multiple people, they care about the most and what the best course of action is to take care of them. A most definitive example of this situation is present in the play, written by Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire. The interactions between Blanche DuBois and her sister Stella Kowalski, married to Stanley Kowalski, display serious issues on how one must choose what is best for the ones they love. Stella Kowalski displays utter distress in this situation at the end of the play following the events involving her verbally and physically abusive husband and her mentally unstable sister. Having to be the center of responsibility, essentially, is a heavy load to hold and should not be taken lightly. Throughout the play, Stella displays a somewhat level head and constantly tries to keep the peace, however her efforts in keeping everybody sane, so to speak, are in vain.

            Stella’s emotional stability toward the end of the play was undoubtedly worn thin due to the impulsive actions of both her sister and husband. As events within the play progress, the true emotions and deceiving demeanor of Blanche Dubois become vivid to Stanley and Stella, along with the reader or viewer. Blanche, from beginning to end, exhibits what traumatic events can truly do to a truly emotional person such as herself and how her actions affect other people. However, trauma can affect people in a multitude of different ways. With Blanche and her traumatic experience, for example, rather than focusing on what left her in her traumatized state in the first place, she concocts falsified situations like losing Belle Reve overnight or proclaiming to dump Mitch rather than him leaving her, in addition to leaving out devastating truths such as being fired as a teacher for improper conduct with a former student and participating in activities that would label her as a prostitute. For the most part, these lies and problems remain hidden until Stanley discovers the truth, followed by Blanche admitting said truths to Mitch in a moment of strife. “Yes, a big spider that's where I brought my victims. Yes, I had many intimacies with strangers. After the death of Allan-intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with... I think it was panic, just panic, that drove me from one to another, hunting for some protection-here and there, in the most—unlikely places-even, at last, in a seventeen-year-old boy but--somebody wrote the superintendent about it-This woman is morally unfit for her position’,” (Williams 1224).  A Streetcar Named Desire presents instances, in which people are adamantly willing to display their true selves, in addition to characters who will undoubtedly hide who they truly are to save face. The act of displaying different behaviors for different groups of people is a terrific display of Erving Goffman’s sociological theory labeled as, the Dramaturgical Approach.

            Throughout the play, the perception of appearance and self-presentation is a key factor in how conflict arises, more often than not, drastically. The core idea to Goffman’s social theory of the Dramaturgical Approach involves putting up a different personality while being involved in different situations or different groups of people similarly to how actors portray themselves as multiple characters while on stage. Most characters presented in the story unknowingly portray themselves differently when in distinctive company, where as others will be aware of who they are talking to and adjust accordingly. Blanche, more than anyone, portrays herself in many different lights, so much so that she will avidly lie to preserve her reputation with people she cares about. Within Erving Goffman’s writing, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, he addresses that people will always try to keep their reputation pristine and concurrent with their attitude. “I have suggested that a performer tends to conceal or underplay those activities, facts, and motives, which are incompatible with an idealized version of him and his products,”(Goffman 30). Blanche is an excellent example of Goffman’s theory displaying specific points in which she not only conceals her past, but also lies about other aspects of her past to seem superior in her more than upsetting situation. As a result of Blanche’s seeming sincerity, the manipulation of her own sister, Stella, remains a prominent point of contention. The conflicted emotion of Stella ultimately leaves Blanche in a particularly unfavorable position.

            Stella Kowalski leads a struggling home life with an aggressive husband and, in this point in time, her mentally unstable sister. " I couldn't go on believing her story and live with Stanley," (Williams 1232).  A Streetcar Named Desire presents an undeniable theme of people having to struggle both internally and externally with what one must do to help the one’s they love. With Stella being put in a situation in which her constantly lying sister is imposing on her life, making claims of Stanley, it is no wonder why she partakes in putting Blanche in a mental institution. Multiple characters throughout the play display numerous examples of portraying themselves as untruthful and leave devastating repercussions, most notably leaving Stella in a state of depression.

Goffman, Erving. "Front." The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, NY:  Doubleday, 1959. 30. Print.      

Williams, Tennessee. "Scene 9." A Streetcar Named Desire: A Play. New York: New Directions, 1947. 1224. Print.

Williams, Tennessee. "Scene 11." A Streetcar Named Desire: A Play. New York: New Directions, 1947. 1232. Print.

Egalitarianism has shaped the lives of many throughout our lives and literature show's you how

Throughout history, the concept of freedom has been consistently discussed and dissected. The discussion of freedom has spawned multiple deliberations, specifically amongst political leaders, social activists, and even in multiple pieces of literature. When addressing freedom, the idea of egalitarianism is often mentioned. Egalitarianism according to Richard Arneson Stanford University is defined as, “People should be treated as equals, should treat one another as equals, should relate as equals, or enjoy an equality of social status of some sort.” Egalitarianism has even been somewhat addressed by the famous civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. in his era. Similarly to King, there have been numerous pieces of literature addressing the theme of rightful freedom or oppression of one’s freedom. A notable piece of literature comes from the well renowned writer Charlotte Perkins-Gilman who is the author of the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The story written by Gilman exhibits multiple instances in which the rights of women are harshly oppressed in the late 1800’s. In addition to Gilman, there have been other notable writers that include the theme of oppression in their works. An excellent example of an author that incorporates the theme of oppressed freedom in their work lies with George Orwell and his novel 1984. It is undeniable that the concept of freedom has been identified through multiple pieces of literature and public speeches and as a result, have left masses thinking about one’s own freedom and the idea of egalitarianism.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." King had said this in a time in which African Americans had been subjected to persistent and malicious racist behaviors. Within King’s statement, it is clear that what he had meant was that one must fight for the equality of others. However, when fighting for egalitarianism, it has been shown that fighting for equal rights does not require violence. King, in his time, along with multiple African Americans and minority groups had faced oppressive behavior. Even in the modern era people have been stricken with oppressive laws halting people’s happiness consistently. However, there have been certain laws that grant people their equal rights portraying a true display of egalitarianism. For example, within the past year, the laws for same-sex marriage have been changed to be viewed constitutionally in all states, disallowing states to not recognize same-sex marriage. Charlotte Perkins-Gilman within her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” displays the oppression of women with a female main character being subjected to improper medical treatment limiting her activity in her own home, creating somewhat of a parallel between herself and Martin Luther King Jr. and his efforts. Gilman’s story illustrates the life of women in her era excellently through multiple uses of vivid imagery and multiple uses of symbolism involving the wallpaper present in the story. There are multiple instances within, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” that portray tremendous oppressive behaviors towards the female main character, and narrator, that can be interpreted to be oppression amongst the entire female gender at the time. At the time of the writing of Gilman’s story, the popular diagnosis for individuals with fatigue, nervousness, and depressed mood, involving primarily women, was neurasthenia. It is clear that the narrator for Gilman’s story suffers from this disorder and as a result is put through oppressive medical treatments. An excellent display of the main character being subjected to oppressive behavior within the story is displayed with the main character saying, “There comes John’s sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing,” (319). Limiting creative prowess and halting one’s ability to express oneself can lead to drastic events. The narrator having to hide the fact that she is writing is an excellent demonstration that oppression is truly devastating to one’s mental health. It is demonstrated towards the end of the story that narrator’s mental health becomes compromised, leading her to rip off the yellow wallpaper aggressively. Following the main character’s mental collapse, her husband breaks into her room prompting her to explain what happens saying, “I’ve got out at last, in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper so you can’t put me back,” (328). The theme of oppression is dominant throughout  “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and the novel 1984, truly displaying how egalitarianism is an important aspect in everyday life.

            The novel 1984, by George Orwell, is and excellent example of how an oppressive lifestyle can be truly devastating. Throughout the novel, it is clear that putting people in an environment in which people’s rights are extremely limited, people will revolt in spite of what is told to be truthful and just. Winston Smith, the novel’s protagonist, is put through multiple challenges to try to comprehend his oppressive government and their multiple efforts used to keep all the proles, the working class, in line. A devastating example of oppressive efforts by the government used in the novel 1984, by George Orwell, comes from Winston describing what he sees while on his way to work. “Here seemed to be no color in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The blackmoustachio’d face gazed down from every commanding corner. ere was one on the house-front immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston’s own,” (Orwell 4). It is evident; that both the novel 1984 and the short story ”The Yellow Wallpaper,” truly advocate how important the concept of egalitarianism is to one’s mental and social health.

Orwell, George. Chapter 1. 1984. Paris: Gallimard, 1950. 4. Print.

Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. The Yellow Wallpaper. 1892. The Norton

Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 328. Print.

The Devastating Displays of Gender Inequality

The Devastating Displays of Gender Inequality

            As society has progressed, the depiction of inequality due to gender in the real world has become more and more prevalent. Similarly, gender issues have been shown to also be dreadful through the representation of multiple pieces of literature. A piece of literature that displays excellent examples of gender inequality is Antigone, written by famous Greek philosopher Sophocles. In addition to the writing of Sophocles, there have been other playwrights willing to show not only their lives through their work, but also how gender inequality is a custom of the dominant culture. The famous playwright of the mid-twentieth, Tennessee Williams established both his career and his perception of gender inequality within his well renowned play A Streetcar Named Desire. Both Williams and Sophocles establish the concept of inequality due to gender amazingly within their works, with characters that display an utterly determined perspective to be as stubborn as possible, as well as characters that try their hardest to be the voice of reason in times of struggle and strife. However, even though there are multiple writings that depict gender inequality as an issue of the past, it should go without saying that, regardless of location in the world, the inequality do to one’s gender is still rampant. Within Sophocles’ play, Antigone, it is vividly represented that characters such as Creon and Antigone are aware of the situation in their society involving gender and try to modify the situation accordingly.

            Sophocles portrays the society of the ancient theocratic Greece fluidly throughout his play Antigone. Depictions of treatment between men and women within the play of Sophocles clearly display favorability towards men in every sense. The embodiment of reason in the play, Ismene, is clearly aware of the precarious predicament in society and as a result tries to take hold of the situation rather than putting her and her sister’s life further at risk. “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger, to obedience in this and even more painful matters, (Sophocles 1131-1132). Ismene, within the play, is not the only one who takes note at the fact that because they are women they have less power and control. Creon, Ismene’s uncle and King of Thebes, displays visualization of the gender inequality situation in Sophoclean Greece. However, Creon is depicted as a misogynist and is unrelenting in his distaste for women being anything other than a wife and caretaker. Characters such as Antigone and Haemon, on the contrary to Ismene and Creon, provide breaking of specific roles or morals present in this time period. Antigone displays avid insubordination of the law regardless of her intended gender roles, while Haemon tries his absolute hardest to convince his father to rethink his decision on putting Antigone to death for the burying of Polyneices. Within Creon and Haemon’s conversation, Haemon expresses his core beliefs of the situation saying, “If you are a woman – care is all for you,” (1149). The thorough depictions of gender inequality are rampant in most aspects of the story of Antigone showing appearances in multiple aspects including; character interactions, setting, and plot development. Furthermore, the theme of gender inequality can be correlated to pieces of literature that are more recent in creation. The play A Streetcar Named Desire is a perfect example of how gender inequality can be devastating to both mental and physical health of people victimized in the subject matter.

            Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire, demonstrates an amazing instance in which American literature utilizes real life issues to evoke complex feelings for multiple characters within the story. Characters such as Blanche Dubois and her sister Stella Kowalski are put through hell throughout the plot primarily because they happen to be women in an era of time in which women, in a way drastically different to today, are treated as objects or things rather than equals to men. The mid-twentieth century, displayed in A Streetcar Named Desire, was a time in which a woman could not live the way she wants, but rather abide by everyone else’s wants and desires. The plot of Williams’ play involves a minimalized patriarchy within the Kowalski household ruled by the, direct antagonist of the story, Stanley Kowalski. Stanley displays an obscene amount of casual misogyny within conversations between Stella, Blanche, and his companions. Along with Stanley’s objectification of women present in the plot, there are multiple instances in which Stanley displays pure hatred for Blanche. The malicious perception of Blanche on Stanley’s part allows the readers to see the true way he acts towards his wife, shown profoundly in the infamous poker scene where Stanley proceeds to physically abuse Stella. However, Blanche in her mentally unstable state, as a result of her previous marriage, becomes even more traumatized by Stanley’s actions that occur in towards the end of the play. “Oh you want some roughhouse! All right, let’s have some roughhouse! Tiger – tiger! Drop the bottle-top! Drop it! We’ve had this with each other from the beginning,” (Williams 1231). Following the quote, Stanley proceeds to rape Blanche Dubois, showing his final act of malevolence and spite within the play. Both Blanche and Stella are put in a position within the story in which they are essentially reminded that they are women in a time with little to no freedom and that they can do nothing but accept that fact. Within the modern era, it should go without saying that unfortunately, women are subjected to gender inequality.

            All over the world, even today, there are injustices that are portrayed against women, further displaying that gender inequality is a dominant issue. Typically, when people tend to think of gender inequality in this day and age, people might generally think of areas within the Middle East. Moreover, Pakistan has become an extremely important point in the discussion of the oppression of women. Within the area of Pakistan, the lives of many revolve around the dominant religion, which is primarily Islam. With Islam being the dominant religion, there are multiple rules that are not to be taken lightly, primarily involving what women can and cannot do. However, within recent months, Pakistan has passed a bill that allows women, who are no longer Islamic, to be protected from violence by law. “The legislation criminalizes domestic, emotional, psychological, verbal and economic abuse, as well as stalking and cybercrime,” (Usman). Though this legalized bill is a moment of great strives in the Middle East, it would not be achievable without notable people making great efforts to achieve equal rights for women. A women that is made a took a tremendous step to change the inequality present in Pakistan, was Malala Yousafzai. Within the fall of 2012, the assassination attempt on Malala Yousafzai had taken place leaving the media and millions of people at home in a sense of panic. The girl who, at the time, had established herself as a truly dedicated activist for girl’s education and was making an astounding effort for her cause, had been shot by the Taliban in hopes to halt her actions. In Malala’s actions of activism and beneficial hopes for women’s education everywhere, there is can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Malala is one of the most astounding revolutionaries of recent history. Furthermore, Malala, as she has progressed with her action in women’s activism, has always kept god close to her heart. Malala, within her book I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, discusses her life and how within the Islam religion, people shouldn’t be treated as they have been and still are in regards to education equality. Yousafzai’s actions, fighting gender inequality in her home country and the rest of the world, are a true display of overcoming oppression that was put in place by the Taliban and others who are unwilling to change their hateful and despicable demeanors towards women. “Today we all know education is our basic right. Not just in the West; Islam too has given us this right. Islam says that every girl and every boy should go to school. In the Quran it is written, God wants us to have Knowledge,” (Yousafzai 155). Malala Yousafzai is truly a beneficial example for standing up for women in the education system and all around the world.

            Throughout history gender inequality has been a dominating issue, and still remains a struggle for multitudes of women today. Antigone and her sister Ismene are plainly and utterly put in a devastating situation within their time period, which is only worsened by characters like Creon, who has a misogynistic and totalitarian outlook on how to run Thebes in ancient Greece. Similarly to Antigone, Blanche and Stella are subject to Stanley’s rules without any leeway in how things go around the house. Moreover, the issue of gender inequality and those who try to overcome the oppression imposed is most certainly still an issue that, only with the help of people those who want change, will be nonexistent for future generations.

Works Cited

Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. Antigone. 441 B.C. The Norton Introduction to 

Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2011. 1131+. Print.

Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. A Streetcar Named Desire. 1947. The Norton

Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 1231. Print.

Usman, Maria. "Pakistan Sharia Islamic Council Dubs Law against Abusing Women Un-

Islamic." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 7 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Mar. 2016.

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. "One Child, One Teacher, One Book, One Pen."

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2013. 155. Print.

Fantasizing within our lives

The Fantasizing of Perfect Realities

           People put into perilous and traumatic situations will, more often than not, create a life that they see more suitable and enjoyable in their perception. The concept of interpreting events in a light in which one creates a fantasized reality might be viewed as a foreign concept to a multitude of individuals. However, when specific persons are not capable of dealing with the reality that they have been placed in or created themselves, there can be radical results that might involve damage to emotional and mental health. Even though cases that involve the producing a falsified reality and its effects on a person are typically devastating for real individuals, there have been multiple pieces of literature that depict a main character also going through truly traumatic events or periods of time and creating a fake reality. Most notably, writers like Jhumpa Lahiri and Ernest Hemingway have created astounding short stories displaying the exact action of going through rough patch in life and, as a result, envision a new life in their head. Mr. Kapasi within the short story, “Interpreter of Maladies,” can be an excellent example of how fanaticizing a fake life can be quite depressing and upsetting to one’s mental health. Similarly to Lahiri’s work of literature, Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “ Hills Like White Elephants,” also depicts how destructive a false sense of reality can be to a fragile mind, like the female character within the story, Jig The lives of individuals throughout history have been presented with situations to unbearable to face head-on and as a result, have been placed in a world in which they create a world of their own, as a coping mechanism. Notable works of literature have been known to convey the message that one will, without a second thought, put themselves in a falsified world in which everything is wondrous ultimately leading to their spiritual or physical demise.

            Within Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” the display of fantasizing a life that is truly unobtainable is all too prevalent. The dialogue between the two main characters depicts a dramatic difference in the perception in the reality each is living. The plot of the story involves the female main character being involved in getting an operation that is not specifically identified, however it is most often viewed as an unwanted abortion from the female character amongst a multitude of readers. The female main character, often referred to as Jig, over the course of the conversation with her male counterpart becomes more and more weary while discussing the “simple operation,” (Hemingway 115). Specifically within the story, Jig puts her love for the man in question, as well as questioning his love for her. Jig’s ideal life prior to the supposed pregnancy most likely involved a long life of love with the male character. However, one can perceive a romanticizing of a weak relationship, similar to the female main character within “Hills Like White Elephants,” as an example of crucial over-fantisization leading to an emotional struggle. A true display of Jig having an emotional battle can be found within the story with her saying, “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me,” (115). One can interpret the interaction between the two main characters as an emotional death in their relationship. The fantasizing on the part of Jig within the story can be interpreted as her ultimate downfall, leading to the final line of the short story having such malice in tone. “I feel fine, there’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine,” (Hemingway 117).  Similarly to Jig within Hemingway’s story, “Hills Like White Elephants,” there have been multiple pieces of literature that display the fantisization of reality as the potential downfall of main characters present in a story.

            Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, “Interpreter of Maladies,” presents an excellent display of what a mental preoccupation with a false reality can truly do to a person. Amongst the many characters present within the story of Lahiri, there is one that stands out with an utter amount of grandeur who goes by the name of Mr. Kapasi.  Throughout the story, written by Lahiri, the main character Mr. Kapasi is depicted as an unhappily married man giving tours around India and becoming unrealistically obsessed with having a life with the female main character, Mrs. Das. However, Kapasi’s fantasization of a life with Mina Das does not become an actual act of contemplation at first sight. Mr. Kapasi only becomes infatuated with Mr. Das’ wife following her supposed admiration of Mr. Kapasi’s occupation as an interpreter of maladies. "So these patients are totally dependent on you; in a way, more dependent on you than the doctor," (Lahiri 18). Mr. Kapasi, following his discussion with primarily Mrs. Das, is put in a situation in which he becomes enamored with the supposed beauty of Mina Das. In addition, Mr. Kapasi had started creating thoughts that involve Mrs. Das being the woman he was meant to marry and he being in a currently disastrous marriage. “Perhaps they too, had little in common apart from three children and a decade of their lives. The signs he recognized from his own marriage were there- the bickering, the indifference, the protracted silences. Her sudden interest in him, an interest she did not express in either her husband or her children, was mildly intoxicating,” (Lahiri 19). However, following the realization of Mrs. Das’ infidelity in her marriage, Mr. Kapasi comes back down to Earth, so to speak. Nonetheless, the act of fantasizing such a drastic thought of leaving one’s own family can lead to drastic acts leading to a potentially ruinous conclusion. Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, “Interpreter of Maladies,” truly depicts another instance in which fantasizing a false reality can really diminish the lives of many involved both emotionally and mentally. Furthermore, there have been recent points of discussion within the modern media that involve individuals fantasizing their lives in a way that breeds troubles for multiple comprised parties.

            Within recent years, there have unfortunate outcomes in personal health involving notable celebrities. A well-recognized instance of one falling from grace involves the actor most know as Charlie Sheen. The notable actor Charlie Sheen, around five years ago had started his dark spiral down the road of self-destruction following his termination from the show, “Two and a Half Men.” Many psychological professionals at the time of Sheen being a public disaster questioned his mental status, insinuating that he had visual behavior depicting bipolar 1-disorder. “People with bipolar disorder go through unusual mood changes. Sometimes they feel very happy and ‘up,’ and are much more energetic and active than usual. This is called a manic episode. Sometimes people with bipolar disorder feel very sad and ‘down,’ have low energy, and are much less active. This is called depression or a depressive episode,” (National Institute of Mental Health). One can perceive the actions of individuals with bipolar 1-disorder who have manic episodes as fantasizing their reality, doing drastic things to keep their life in a position in which things will stay positive. Overall, there many instances in literature and real life in which the fantasization of one’s reality ultimately leads to a catastrophic conclusion.

            Throughout the works of both Lahiri and Hemingway, there are excellent displays of how fantasizing a false reality can be damaging to the human psyche. In addition to literature, there have been multiple real world examples of how concocting fantasized world can ruin not only one’s mental health, but also one’s social status. The act of fantasization as a coping mechanism in a bleak and upsetting world can go without repercussions; however, when one contains true avidity to complete the imagined actions, there is misfortune for almost every party involved.

           

 Works Cited

Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. Hills Like White Elephants. 1927. The Norton

Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 115,117. Print.

Lahiri, Jhumpa.  "Interpreter of Maladies."  Interpreter of Maladies.  New York: 

Mariner-Houghton, 1999.  18-19.

National Institute of Mental Health. "Bipolar Disorder." NIMH RSS. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.