In Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire, he assesses Blanche's struggle to accept reality. Williams draws the audience's attention to the fact that Blanche has psychological problems; therefore, she cannot decipher reality and fiction, or is it her choice to deny reality? Blanche DuBois, Williams' most famous Southern belle, finally resolves a lifetime of psychological conflicts (Rusinko 2738). Blanche tries to live a life of both desire and decorum (Riddel 17), thus leading her to madness. Sigmund Freud would characterize Blanche's psychological problem as the id versus the ego and superego (Riddel 17). The id is the primitive and instinctive component of the personality. The ego develops to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. The superego incorporates the values ​​and morals of society that are learned from our parents and others (McLeod). Williams' psychological approach to his characters is most evident in the character Blanche DuBois. Blanche is both a representative and a victim of a tradition that has taught her that attractiveness, virtue, and kindness lead to happiness (Corrigan 56). The time period Blanche grew up in forced her to believe that she should have a sense of balance and grace. She should never let anyone think she was anything less than a lady. White represents Southern traditions; so she was expected to be an eloquent woman (Bigsby 45). However, once Blanche leaves Belle Reve, her image is completely destroyed. Williams portrays Blanche as a Southern woman who cannot find herself or grasp reality because of the illusion she has created. Blanche needs reassurance that she is beautiful due to her insecure nature brought on by the death of her husband. She tries...... middle of paper ...... Alvin B. "Truth and Drama Mode in A Streetcar Named Desire." Modern Critical Views Tennessee Williams. By Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 9-11. Print.McLeod, Saul. “Id Ego and Superego.” Simply psychology. Simply Psychology, 2008. Web. January 26, 2014. O'Connor, Jacqueline. “Babbling Lunatics: Language and Madness.” Bloom's Modern Critical Views: Tennessee Williams. By Harold Bloom. New York: Infobase, 2007. 11-26. Print.Riddel, Joseph N. "A Streetcar Named Desire-Nietzche Going Down." Modern Critical Views Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 13-22. Print.Rusinko, Susan. “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Magill Survey of American Literature. Ed. Steven G. Kellman. round. ed. Vol.6. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, Inc., 2007. 2734-2739. Print. Williams, Tennessee. A tram named Désir. New York: New Directions, 1947. Print.