Pub #2

          "It's Just an Illusion"

• Psychological disorders as well as mechanisms play a role in many people’s lives in the world. In the play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” written by Tennessee Williams, you can see the effects of defense mechanisms. Stella who is a main character states, “I couldn’t go on believing her story and live with Stanley” (Stella, 1232). Stella is talking with Eunice about Stanley who is her husband and Blanche who is her sister. In other words, Stella can not believe her sister because if she did, then it would ruin her illusion and drag her into reality which would cause her more pain than remaining where she is mentally. Stanley symbolizes her illusion figuratively and her reality would be Blanche’s story and she cannot believe her reality and still be in her fantasy. This is very difficult for Stella to grasp and deal with on a daily basis. Stella’s fantasy includes Stanley as being the perfect husband in which she's living a great life with no problems but in reality, Stanley is a violent alcoholic and rapist. Blanche this whole time was constantly informing Stella about all these issues surrounding her life but Stella seemed to just ignore them and act is if everything was just fine and Blanche was the crazy one seeing things how they should be seen. This is all until she finds out that Stanley has raped her sister Blanche which puts her over the edge. She still from this point does not want to believe what has went on because it would lead to a crash in her fantasy which has been fine all along. Stella is experiencing a series of defense mechanisms.
•    In psychology there have been studies on defense mechanisms and how people react. There was a man by the name of Sigmund Freud who developed a theory on defense mechanisms. This theory included three forces which influence human behavior known as the ID, ego and superego. The ID plays in part with pleasure, ego which controls reality and superego which controls morality. All three of these clash for dominance which creates an internal conflict such as anxiety. Stella is fighting within herself whether or not to believe Blanche or keep living within her illusion with “no problems”. The ego is the mediator between the other two forces and produces defense mechanisms in order to suppress the anxiety from the internal conflict. Defense mechanisms are indirect ways to deal with anxiety which includes explaining problems away like excuses or blaming others. The day after Stanley hits Stella, Blanche asks, “How could you come back in this place last night? Why, you must have slept with him!” (Blanche, 1194) Stella then responds,”... it wasn’t anything serious as you seem to take it. In the first place, when men are drinking and playing poker, anything can happen. It’s always a powder-keg. He didn’t know what he was doing… (Stella, 1194). Stella clearly came up with an excuse and explained the problem away instead of realizing what the problem actually is and the severity of the problem. What happened was a case of domestic abuse due to Stanley being drunk. Denial also takes part in this situation     Denial is one of these defense mechanisms where it entails ignoring or refusing to believe an unpleasant reality. Stella is constantly in denial being that her reality really is unpleasant but she lives in her illusion in order to save herself from becoming extremely emotionally unstable due to her reality. While Blanche is bathing, Stanley is talking with Stella and says, “So I been told. And told and told! You know she’s been feeding us a pack of lies here?” (Stanley, 1213). Stella becomes defensive refusing to believe that unpleasant reality and tries to defend Blanche by saying, “.... she was always-flighty!” (Stella, 1215) and “This beautiful and talented young man was a degenerate. Didn’t your supply man give you that information?” (Stella, 1215). Stella is using two scenarios as excuses for what Stanley has heard. She wants to stay within her fantasy and not face reality which would cause for more pain in her life rather than staying in her bubble with her perfect life.             
• In conclusion, this play greatly emphasizes how defense mechanisms and Freud’s theory can take a toll on a person’s behavior and mentality. Denial really shaped Stella’s world and her as an individual. Despite everything that Blanche has told Stella to warn her about all the issues in her life and possible dangers, she decided to stay within her fantasy where she feels safe which also included Stanley who was her “perfect” husband. This shows that when individuals have a reality which is not good enough for them or is undesirable, they create a illusion which is everything that they want and live in that made up fantasy to help her feel more secure and well.
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