to her state of mind which all contradict the Southern gentlewoman characteristics that she is trying to portray to the other characters. When she first arrives at her sisters apartment , she is alone. While nervously waiting for her sister to arrive she pours herself a glass of whiskey and says faintly Ive got to keep a hold of myself!(Williams, Streetcar.., 18). Tennessee also tells the reader in a stage direction that even after her sister arrives ...she is shaking all over and panting as she tries to laugh...(Williams, Streetcar.., 19). So it is obvious that she is not as together as she would like people to believe. As the play progresses, her mental instability becomes more apparent. She is constantly needing reassurance on her appearance and her nerves are high. Shes [Blanche] soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves. Shes terribly upset.(Williams, Streetcar.., 32). It is also revealed that she is highly dependent on fantasy and illusion. In scene 5, after being rejected by her sister, she calms herself by resorting to an imaginative memory of her old boyfriend. Although there was once a relationship, its importance ...has been distorted by the passage of time and memorys tendency to embroider..(Adler, 21). These fantasies and her desperate attempts to be the perfect Southern belle, draw her further and further away from being able to form human connections with people. They also draw her further away from sanity. Blanche appears to believe in her role of the proper Southern lady, and that way her madness lies.(Stanton, 47). Her character finally falls apart in the last scene and true inbalance is shown. When the scene begins, Blanche is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Shep Huntleigh, her old beau. She is convinced that he is coming to take her a way to the country, which of course in reality is not the case, considering the fact they have been out of touch for years. Again she is living in a fantasy. When the doctors arrive to...
