A Comparative Study of Mrs Blanche and Merilyn Monroe in A Street Car Named Desire and

Blonde
Abstract
Most works in 20thc had been written in gothic genre. Gothic fiction is literary aesthetic of fear
and haunting. One kind of gothic which mostly has been depicted is the female gothic which has
been led by Mary Shelley. Among the 20th and 21thc a street car named desire and blonde are
the most famous gothic novels. The article is going to conccentrate on Mrs Blanche and Merilyn
Monroe to elaborate the use of fiction and sexual desire by psychological approach. which means
that this disease may have rooted in the past and they don’t want to face the harsh aspect of it.
The article concluded that both have the same archetype, persona and projection shadow and the
lack of self-comprehension in common.
Key words; gothic fiction, female gothic, A Street Car Named Desire, Blonde, Blanche, Merilyn
Monroe, Archetype, persona, self-comprehension
Introduction
Gothic is subgenre of fiction which most writers had been influenced. Southern gothic is the kind
of gothic in south of America. Southern gothic is about the stories which are defected in poverty
alienation and sexual violence. Horace Walpole wrote the first gothic work which is named the
castle of otranto. The poets like Mary Shelly developed this genre.. The female gothic is a type
of gothic which has been progressed by Mary Shelly and Sharlote Bronte. Female gothic focuses
on women’s societal and sexual desire. Female writers tend toward heroine and present male
power and predatory sexuality. Female Gothic discusses on female position in society.
Blonde is directed by Andrew Dominik ,had been made recently. Its about a woman who her
husband left her with a child. She got crazy because she loved him the most, she thinks the
reason of his abondance is Norma Jain. she decided to kill her daughter, by the time Norma Jain
decided to be Merilyn Monroe. she lives in illusion. she thinks that her father is watching her
actually she was played by men , men sexually misused her. She loved children but she didn’t
want to lost the babies but each time she lost them. When the reality is revealed, she commited a
suicide.
a street car named desire is written by tennise William in 20thc with the southern gothic genre.
Stephen works in a factory, is stella’s husband. Mrs Blanche, stella’s sister, comes to visit her.
She tells about every thing happened to their lands and parents. Stephen makes a doubt about her
and asks her about a card through the story by turning the radio off and playing gambke and
raping Stephen tried to depict men’s power. Mrs blanche live in a fantasy world , she even
doesn’t show her self in a light of lamp . she doesn’t want to accept that she is old, she doesn’t
want to face the harsh of reality.
Joyce Carol Oates who was born in June 16, is the American writer. Her first book had been
published in 1963. She published many novels and short stories collection including black water,
blonde, the wheel of love and lovely , dark, deep stories. She won national book award, national
humanities medal and the Jerusalem prize. She taught short fiction at Princeton university. Oates
began writing at 14 age.
Thomas lanier Williams iii or Tennessee Williams was the famous 20thc American playwright.
At the age of 33 he published the glass menagerie. The plastic theater was introduced by him in
this novel. he got many successes after publishing a street car named desire, Cat on a hot tin
Roof, sweet bird of youth,…. In his later works he applied a new style which was not pleasant
enough. Most of William’s works inspired directors. Before his death, he was inducted into the
American theater.
this two characters have many things in common which the less critics had pay attention, in this
regard the article is going to elaborate mental fiction and illusion in Mrs Blanche and Merilyn
Monroe in 2 phases; first, analysis of Merilyn Monroe’s character, second analysis of Blanche
Dubois.
Merilyn Monroe
Biography
Merilyn Monroe’s original name is Norma Jean who was born in 1926 and died in 1962. Her
Gladys struggled with mental disease. she achieved sex symbol by playing in gentleman prefer
blonde. in 16 age, she married to a factory worker and after world war II, she got divorced. After
that she became a popular model by her brown hair. After making a contract with twentieth
century fox stadium, she took Merilyn Monroe as her screen name. after playing in let make it
legal, Love Nest in 1951, Clash by Night in 1952, and Niagara in 1953, Monroe became a star on
the strength of her studio-fostered image as a “love goddess.” In 1954 she married Joe
DiMaggio. Less than a year they got divorced. After a while she became a comedian then
married Arthur miller. She died from overdose of sleeping pills.( Merilyn Monroe’s biography ).
Role of gender in blonde
Blonde is a novel written by Joyce Carol Oates who illustrated Monroe’s real life. “ the circle of
light is yours, you enclose yourself”(Blonde). When ever she declares this sentence . she is
dealing with an unpleasant situation , in sex with men .blonde describes women as sexual object
for men’s desire. Her disease is rooted in her child hood in her mother’s side. She had been
crushed by Hollywood due to her innocence. “ they know I am not Merilyn, they understand
me”( qtd,in The Role of Gender 2) due to her innocence, she thought Cas and Edie Chaplin love
her , but they sexually abused her, she is existed only for sex , no body loves her. at the end she
faced the reality and end her life.
Norma Jeanie had an complicated childhood. She was admitted in an orphan. At the age of 12
she was accepted as step daughter by her mother’s friend . she was kissed at 15. so they forced
her marry to another man. After 4 years they divorced. her husband was unpleasant about her
career. She decided to commit suicide for the first time. she is sexually assaulted because of the
necessity of husband permission on her career.
She acted by the name of Monroe to diminish her gender. She is seen as sex object. David saw
Monroe and encouraged her to apply for the blue modeling agency. She became very successful
and gained the attention of ben Lyon who was an executive in 20th century fox . he arranged for
her a screen test and was offered a six month contract changing her name to Merlyn Monroe to
suit her career.”( qtd,inThe Role of Gender 3) it means that after her successions, the
photographers used her as a sexual object, these photos crushed her image as a lady. The nude
photos of her attracted many costumers so directors abused the private part of her body. “ he gets
100000 dollars but I as the main character get 5000 dollars!”(Blonde). offering minor role
indicates the gender imbalance. The photos on sweater of Georgia show that women were not
allowed to educate. She encouraged women to have higher education.
Monroe as a singer had to trip in many countries. During her marriage to Joe DiMaggio, she had
lots of trips to sing. “ Monroe went to korea to perform for American soldiers as she was asked
by Hollywood ( qtd,inThe Role of Gender 4). Women had the role of entertaining or moral
support during war. Her husband was not agree, so this shows the lack of trust on women.
Men’s role was denying women’s right to have a secure employment
About her death there are many secrets. “investigations made by journalists reveal that she was
murdered by the kennedy brothers rather than the common notion that she committed
suicide”( The Role of Gender 4). It means she spiritually is died by Chaplin brothers’ threat
which means that she knew their secret . they sent the pills to kill herself. The role of men is
facilitation of abuse against women, actually she suicided through revealing the reality by
reading a sentence “ there was never a truthfull father.
Merilyn’s mental problem
Merilyn’s disease was rooted in her mother’s mental struggle. “dear Norma Jeanie , this is an as
possibly the most difficult murder I’ve ever pained, honestly I don’t know why I am contacting
now after so many years. The truth is I have suffered a heart attack…… I am your father….. I
would contact you again . so look for me”(Blonde) This letter made a mental problem for norma
Jeanie, actually men tried to deceive her and sexually abused her. By meeting men, she called
them Daddy. due to her innocence, she thought that her father is watching her but she doesn’t
want to accept the reality when each time she married, she thought each could be her father .. “
there never was a truthful father” ( Blonde). The reality was harsh for Norma Jeanie. And now
she got that it was just a lie , there was no father and she was abused by men , then she
committed suicide.
Borning a child is another reason of her mental disease. “ is it inherited ? excuse me? Is my
mother’s disease in our blood?”(Blonde). “ because she loved the child and wish to spare her
grief, because the child was her own secret of expose, because the father of the child had wished
it not to be born because he had given her money, scattering bills across the bed, he told her he
had never loved her, before the pregnancy he loved her, but after he had not, he wont marry her,
she was certain.”(Blonde) “you wont hurt me this time, do you? Like what you did last time, I
didn’t mean to, yes you mean to it was your decision , you are not the same baby, that was me ,
it was always me.” (Blonde). she plays her mother’s life, like her mother. she loved children she
didnt want her children experience the childhood she had, then decided to kill them, at first, she
decided to save the children from their inherited disease, by remembering her childhood she
decided to keep her children alive due to her consciousness. Death of her children raised her
mental disease.
Blonde hair
Hair color influences on male attraction and fashion. ‘ blonde hair represent youthfulness” (
Wortham 1). Youthfulness can not be define in blonde color, youthfulness is in our spirit not
appearance. “ according to Darwin, those individuals that are the most successful in attracting a
male will likely gain the most fruitful reproductive attempts and thus be genetically prosperous
in future generation”(qtd,in, Wortham 1). According to Ellis “Possessing specific characteristic
that attract males are greatly beneficial; some species can even manipulate and control the
expression and the strength of these features”( qtd. In Wortham 1). Darwin and Ellis mentioned
the sexual aspect of blonde hair , Monroe did this for modelling and fashion due to increasing
economy beside that men sexually misused her and took the blonde hair as a sign and defined it
according to their desires.
Monroe’s body language
Monroe’s image is shown off through signs and their codes. “Her body language including face
expression , dress carries meaning and can be considered as signifier”( Marilyn Monroe Body
Language 1 ). signs may have different meanings. The relation between signifier and signified is
arbitrary which means that it depends on human being so men considered merylin Monroe’s
body language as an entertainment or sexual object. These signs drew women’s position inferior.
Media, industries were controlled by men so men comprehend monroe’s image to set their
power. By naturalizing monroe’s image, they inspired women for the benefit of males. Her
facial including; the open mouth and bare teeth are sign of sexual allure. Her dress and gold
earring reflect the sexual image. her white skin is a signifier of innocence and virginity. “ the
lighting placed on Merilyn monroe’s face also become a signifier of a perfect life which bares
no dark side”( Marilyn Monroe Body Language 4). the light can not be symbol of perfect life
because each time the light placed on Merilyn’s face she says: the circle of light is yours and you
take it where ever you go, she states this sentence in difficult situations.
Blonche Dubois
Blonche has a complicated character. Complicated characters have been through lots of changing
through the story. “ Blanche is the kind of woman that always needs the comfort of a man and
for them to always glamor her with compliments” (Streetcar Named Desire Psychoanalytic
Theory 1 ). A street car named desire is a kind of southern American gothic which illustrates
poverty , social and economical problem. Its content also could be categorized in female gothic
genre as well. According to the story, stanely is the symbol of patriarchy, he tried to rape
Blonche to reveal his power. Women are inferior, they are for men’s desire. Women need men to
live without men they could do nothing. “ The darkness that she tries to cover up her face with
also compares to the darkness she is trying to cover up her lies with”( Streetcar Named Desire
Psychoanalytic Theory 2 ). This is her disease, she doesn’t want to face the reality because
reality is harsh, she lost her husband , family and lands so her fantasy world is much better than
reality. she makes relation with young men to feel youthful . she takes many bathes to wash her
past or purify herself but its useless.
Psychoanalytic theories on a street car named desire
A street car named desire is a complicated story which each characters has a mental problem. “.
Selective perception is Stella’s way of keeping her senses about herself because throughout the
story Stanley her husband is the opposition of Blanches lies”( street car named desire:
psychoanalytic theory). Stella is the minor character who tries to make peace between blonche
and stanley. Stella doesn’t want to believe blonche, she supports stanley and back to her life and
forgets every thing happened.
Stanely is dominant male figure in the story. “Stanley is a very unstable human being and
constantly teeters between the sane and insane” street car named desire: psychoanalytic theory).
Stanely prefers to overwhelm his power over Blanche and trys to reveal that blonche is lying.
Some times he is afraid of losing stella
Blonche’s detection is not unified, there are some opposites and archetypes in Blonche that make
tension and lack of self-realization. according to Abram “Animus is the archetype of masculine.
It is psychic representation of sexual instinct or the manly side of the woman”( qtd,in. Amiri
Senjani 2). It proves the existence of masculine’s unconscious elements in feminine
consciousness. Blanche seeks for love, pity and care. She thought she could get them beside her
sister. Blanche is a woman who is dependent on men and drinks and takes bathes to forget the
past. “ Jung thinks that the animus can only be realized through the presence of a partner of the
opposite sex”( 2). Blanche tried to have a relation with strangers to satisfy her needs and feel
youth, forget the past. She will miss the opportunity of realizing animus on t men due to her
fantasy world. by the time her fantasy world will be ruined and she can not recognize world of
men and animus project. Jung believes “the unpleasant power complex of the female animus is
encountered only when a woman does not allow her feeling to express itself naturally”( 2). She never
had a good relation with her brother in law due to recognition of stanely about her animus
projection. She failed to distinguish her animus.
Trace of persona in Blanche
Persona is a kind of mask which is put every day life. each Individuals accepts a role demands on
society. “A person evolves from childhood as individuals navigate the stereotypes and norms of
society, and develop a psychological framework of how to connect the outside world”( Amiri
Senjani 2). Blanche is like an actor who play a role in a movie. She attempted to act without
anxiety and other mental problems. She pretends that she is happy and young but she is depress
inside.
Projection of shadow
Blanche ignores her shadow and idealistic world. Jung points out “ trying to ignore the shadow
would be equivalent to death”( qtd,in Amiri Senjani 3). At the end Blanche carries insanity which
is kind of psychological death. “I loved him unendurably” (3). Death of allan seems to be failure in
her psyche. She addresses him as an ideal man. She discovers his shadow; cheating on her . in
order to solve the problem she makes love with men but its unsuccessful.
Self
Self is central principle of the psyche and unconscious. “In this play, Blanche faces different opposites
such as: life and death, illusion and reality, past and present, etc. She suffers from the tensions between
these opposites which originate from the archetypes of the collective unconscious”( 3). The useful way
is to make balance between archetypes. But blanche could not recognize her archetype and her
self.
Blanche dubois as a tragic heroine
Blanche is measured up as a tragic heroine. “ hero is endowed with great courage . strngh and
celebrated for his olt exploit and is favoured by god. A person who noted for feats of courage….
Sacrified his or her life”( blanche dubois ). At the beginning, blanche is seemed innocent. for
blanche the tragic event is the incapability of deleting herself in fantasy world. since Allan’s
gone , the light had been removed from her life. she also hide the reality of her age. due to her
age no one marry her, its another down fall.
Conclusion
Female gothic is subgenre of gothic which has been developed by Marry Shelly, concentrates on
female’s problems in patriarchal society that are under sexual violence. Among the movie
adaptations we could mention a street car named desire and blonde that are written by tennise
William and Joyce Carol Oates, are directed by Elia Kazan and Andrew Dominik. Merilyn
Monroe and Blonche Duboise have some features in common. Both have the same Archetype;
Animus , they seek love and pity in others, both have the same persona; both play an act, both
live in a shadow; they don’t want to accept the reality, the fantasy world is more comfortable.
when they faced the reality, they ended their life spiritually and physically. Both faced opposites
between reality and illusion, both could not make a balance between illusion and their real self .
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