Insanity in Blanche DuBois

According to the elementary dictionary definition, insanity is a state of mental illness resulting in madness. This definition of insanity provides a decent foundation for the term, however it merely summarizes its diverse meanings and usages in society. The idea that insanity equates to mental disorder discredits instances in which the word may possess a different meaning altogether. If an individual colloquially mentions “insanity,” then it no longer pertains to mental illness, but becomes a vehicle for expressing instability or irrationality. In contemporary society, people associate sanity with a traditional life that adheres to social norms. For example, having children is a sane thing to do (according to social conventions), but it is also a choice that people complain turns them insane. On the other hand, a positive interpretation of the word reveals that to be insane is to have something like a sixth sense. In other words, one could invert the textbook definition and argue that insanity is a state of mental superiority (i.e., knowing or seeing things that others do not.)

Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire exhibits a unique case of insanity because her character seems both mentally unhinged and simultaneously more perceptive than the other characters. The most apparent expressions of Blanche’s insanity include her obsession with water—more specifically, baths. Throughout the play, Blanche engages in an unreasonable number of baths, claiming that they help calm her nerves. In Scene Two, she emerges from the bathroom and announces to Stanley, “Here I am, all freshly bathed and scented, and feeling like a brand new human being!” Blanche’s prideful tone, in conjunction with what the audience has learned about her suspicious past, suggests that water is a purifying device for her. In her mind, baths are a sufficient tool for reversing her wrongdoings (the lies, manipulation, pedofilia, etc.) and transforming her into a better human. Moreover, her habit of taking multiple baths in one day resembles the habits of a patient suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Even Stella notices how often Blanche bathes, which she finally confronts her about during Scene Three. When Stanley slaps Stella and causes her to protest, Blanche says, “I think I will bathe.” Stella, noticing that Blanche has just recently bathed asks, “Again?” The short time in between Blanche’s baths suggests that she copes with the discomfort caused by Stella and Stanley’s altercation by bathing. In a similar way, sufferers of OCD use cleansing rituals to cope with latent issues. Through Stella’s apparent skepticism, it is clear that Blanche’s neurotic tendencies are disconcerting and that they ultimately allude to her mental instability. 

Although Blanche’s insanity can relate to mental illness, it also manifests itself in her hypersensitivity to human behavior and emotion. For example, while Stella remains blissfully ignorant of Stanley’s abusiveness, Blanche recognizes that his temper is problematic. In Scene Four, the day after Stella and Stanley’s brawl, Blanche reproaches Stella for ignoring Stanley’s violence and continuing to sleep with him. She states, “Pull yourself together and face the facts” followed by, “In my opinion? You’re married to a madman!” Blanche’s derogatory use of “madman” may signify that she recognizes her own mad qualities in Stanley. This familiarity with the insane causes her to possess an awareness for symptoms of insanity in others. Stella, by contrast, does not expect to encounter insanity in her traditional life and therefore, is in denial of Stanley’s short fuse. She responds with, “I'm not in anything I want to get out of,” which reveals her desire to maintain a sense normality by settling for her abusive relationship. This desire could also be linked to a competition between Stella and Blanche, with Stella upholding sanity as opposed to Blanche, who Tennessee Williams characterizes as the “other” insane sister. 

Throughout the play, Williams illustrates the theme of insanity in a variety of ways and in several characters. The most obvious manifestation of it occurs in Blanche’s idiosyncrasies, which become apparent to the audience as well as to the surrounding characters. She is obsessive about water and believes in its mental-cleansing abilities. This repetitive behavior relates to another fixation of Blanche’s, which is her insecurity regarding how she is perceived by others. Blanche’s character conforms to “insanity” when a reader defines the word as interchangeable with mental illness. However, her character proves that there is also a positive side to madness. By being mad herself, she is able to detect the multifacetedness of other characters, including Stanley and Stella. In this way, Tennessee Williams’ representation of insanity both confirms and contradicts the negative connotation that society attaches to “insane,” a term which has become an epithet in most contexts.