A tragic
hero or heroine evokes our pity or fear, according to Aristotle, because he or she suffers
misfortune that seems cruel or disproportionate to what is deserved. The tragic hero/ine is a
decent person to whom suffering comes, often because of a flaw.
Blanche's
flaw is that she has lived too long in unrealitythe world of the beautiful dreams of her faded
(and now lost) southern home, aptly named "Belle Reve." She comes to New Orleans to
live with her sister Stella, and to try, finally, as best she can, to face reality. She is
older, she has been a prostitute, and now she needs to find a husband. She can no long afford to
be picky, and is willing to marry "down," as her sister has done.
She finds a reasonable choice for a husband in the sweet, old-fashioned Mitch, and he
is willing to marry her. Unfortunately, she has to continue to live in a certain realm of
unreality to "catch" him, such as downplaying her age and leaving out the more sordid
details of her past.
Hercomes...
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