The Unnecessary Decline of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named DesireAfter examining the drama A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, it would seem that the character of Blanche DuBois is worthy of a closer inspection. With her previous job as a professor of American literature and her former social status being that of a well-bred woman from the very traditional Old South, Blanche could be any human being passing from one culture to another with very different customs. of those of the time. left behind. Even today, someone may suddenly be faced with a completely new and different value system that they must learn to deal with in order to be accepted in their new environment. This is the situation in which Blanche finds herself. Upon close inspection of the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire, it appears that the course of the play could have very easily shifted from decline and tragedy to the rescue and triumph of Blanche DuBois with only a few minor adjustments. A tram named Désir took Blanche to the last station of her decline. “Blanche’s backbone or leitmotif is “find protection”; the Old South tradition says it has to go through another person...his problem is with his tradition...the problem with tradition in the 19th century is that it worked at the time” (Donahue 30). But today, Blanche no longer feels safe within the confines of the traditions of the Old South. On the contrary “…it [tradition] makes Blanche feel alone, outside of her society. Excluded, uncertain, fragile” (Donahue 32). In the play's presentation, Blanche arrives in her new environment and does not feel at all comfortable when she sees how her sister lives. White p...... middle of paper ......n mind and body because a community is only as strong as its weakest link. Williams knew this and had a great desire to help those less fortunate than himself. He tried to do this through his works, by drawing attention to the problems that many people faced on a daily basis, thus forcing his audience to choose either to ignore the problems or to do something to bring about change. Works CitedBloom, Herald (ed.). Tennessee Williams. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Donahue, Francis. The dramatic world of Tennessee Williams. New York: Frederic Ungar Publishing Co., 1964. Hirsch, Foster. A Portrait of the Artist - The Pieces of Tennessee Williams. London: Kennikat Press, 1979. London, FH Tennessee Williams. New York: Frederic Ungar Publishing Co., 1979. Williams, Tennessee. A tram named Désir. Stuttgart: Phillip Reclam, 1988.