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Mitch and Blanche's relationship in A Streetcar Named Desire
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An essay about Mitch and Blanche's relationship in A Streetcar Named Desire
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Mitch at first appears to be a chance for Blanche to be with someone who understands her as theyshare a sense of loss and a “sensitivity”. Beyond the surface, however, Williams uses their relationship
to emphasise the incompatibility of Blanche’s need for “magic” and Mitch’s (as well as everyone else’s)
focus on the current reality. This gap between them is widened by Blanche’s reliance on traditional
masculinity and Mitch’s inability to conform to it.
Initially, there is a pronounced connection between Blanche and Mitch as they have both lost their
previous partner and share “sorrow”. Blanche keeps “love-letters, yellowing with antiquity” from her
late husband Allan in the same way that Mitch keeps the “pretty case” from a girl who “knew she was
dying”. They mirror and affirm each other’s sentimentality. In addition to this, Blanche finds kindness in
Mitch which she “needs" but can’t find in any other man. However, Williams consistently diverts the
notion that Blanche and Mitch are an equal match through Blanche’s subtle demands for Mitch. She
tells Mitch to “put (the paper lantern) over the light bulb!”. The imperative case and exclamation mark
implies that Mitch must follow Blanche’s demands and he continues to follow these orders - “Guess!”,
“Bow to me first!”. The lantern is especially significant as it shows Blanche’s aversion to reality,
meanwhile Mitch accepts it as it is, seen in his reaction to Stanley’s violence towards Stella - “There’s
nothing to be scared of” “don’t take it serious”. Contrastingly to her illusory personality, Blanche is
aware that Stanley’s behaviour is not right, unlike Mitch. She begins “Violence! Is so” only to be cut off
by Mitch and she does not touch on the subject again. This is one instance where she addresses reality
and Mitch is the one who ignores it. Through this reversal, Williams may be showing the extent of
Blanche and Mitch’s incompatibility. Blanche’s ignorance is further demonstrated in her attitude
towards Mitch. She calls him her “Rosenkavalier”, a fictional knight, someone to save her. Much like
their relationship, being saved won’t happen since Blanche is taken away to the asylum whilst Mitch
“collapses at the table, sobbing”. She also deceives him by hiding her age. Blanche says Stella is “less
than a year” “older” despite her being Stella’s older sister by five years. Considering that the average
age of marriage in post-war America was 20 for both men and women, Blanche is deluding Mitch and
possibly herself from the reality that she is very unlikely to marry at her age. Moreover, she forces
herself to be with Mitch, joking that she gets “ten points for trying” and “simply couldn’t rise to the
occasion. That’s all”. Here, Williams makes it clear that Blanche is only with Mitch due to what he can
provide for her, not out of love, since she can barely even pretend to enjoy her time with Mitch. The
“points” for trying as well as the fact that they have “been out to the amusement park” might also
suggest that Blanche is simply playing a game that she is trying to win. This might be a commentary from
Williams on the societal position of women who are usually a “prize” for men. This standard is reversed
since for Blanche, a powerful man to offer her security is her prize.
However, Mitch does not fit with Blanche’s ideal of the chivalrous, powerful man. Between Mitch and
Stanley, Stanley is the better option for Blanche in terms of what he will provide for her. Williams makes
it clear that Blanche only wants to be with a man because she needs “someone’s protection”, “one
night’s shelter”. This is Blanche’s true opinion on relationships, opposing her romantic and flirtatious
facade. Mitch can’t offer this to Blanche. He “laughs uncomfortably” with the men and understands that
Stanley’s abuse “is terrible” but can’t stand up to him. His reluctance to be in the poker game and the
fact that he goes to the bathroom suggests that he is more like Blanche (who uses that bathroom
repeatedly) than the other men. Tradition is at the core of Blanche’s character, so the fact that Mitch
does not fit with the traditional behaviour of a man detaches them from each other. She remains at
Belle Reve and experiences losing both the house and her family, potentially causing serious trauma that
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