Blog post 3 Topic 3

Falsely accused of insanity and taken away to an institution to correct a nonexistent problem. That was the fate of Blanche in “A Streetcar Named Desire” who after multiple traumas including, the suicide of her gay husband and being raped by her brother in law, was forced into a mental institution because her coping mechanisms were deemed insane by the people around her. According to Dictionary.com the definition of insanity is: “the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind” expanding to include “extreme foolishness; folly; senselessness; foolhardiness”. But what does this definition actually mean, what does it mean to be insane or extremely foolish? And does Blanche behave in such a manner? These lingering questions hint at what the definition is lacking, the perspective of individual differences and cultural ideas.

Each individual answers these questions differently because each has their own mentality regarding what is and is not rational, meaning the classification of insanity is relative to the individual and can differ amongst them. So what is rational to one can be seen as irrational by another. This is exemplified by Blanche’s coping mechanisms: while, they provided her comfort by helping to manage her emotions, others interpreted them to be senseless acts. For instance, as a response to feeling physically rejected due to her late husband’s homosexual tendencies, Blanche seeks physical comfort in the companionship of many man, including one of her students. Which arguably does seem like disconcerting behavior, especially when considering her disregard for social etiquette by engaging a student in sexual relations despite the age difference. However, these relationships provide Blanche with essential assets that she would otherwise have no access to. These include physical validation, which boosts her self esteem by making her feel desirable again, as well as emotional connections that fulfill her social needs. But more practically, engaging these men provides Blanche with a lifestyle she is accustomed to. Men present opportunities for social advancements, either by direct funding of money, jewelry, vacations, houses or indirectly through relations with them reaping benefits depending on their title. While this does not fully explain why Blanche slept with one of her students it does provide a rationale for why she began sleeping with man and shows that her behavior while not normal is not unreasonable.
Adding to the complexity of individual differences are the cultural ideals of sanity that influence how situations are perceived. Different cultures have different ideas of what sanity is and some have conflicting views, leading individuals to label different behaviors as insane because of their cultural background. This is exemplified by the adverse ways Blanche’s behavior is interpreted by her brother in law Stanley and vice versa. Blanche, who grew up a southern lady accustomed to higher society, is in stark contrast to Stanley: a poor, Polish immigrant. Even Blanche’s more sensible behaviors, like taking hot baths to calm her nerves, bother Stanley. Therefore her more outrageous behaviors, such as dissociating by imagining a rich boyfriend coming to her aid, do not coincide well with Stanley's temperament. This is because he was never able to afford to use these coping mechanisms to deal with his emotions. He does not have the leisure time or money to take long baths or dream the day away. Stanley’s poor socioeconomic status forces him to continue working, despite any mental problems he may be suffering from. This causes Stanley to dealt with his problems in a direct and quick manner, and because his intellect is not his strong suit, usually with brute force. This upfront, aggressive approach to dealing with one's problems is equally upsetting to Blanche as her behaviors were to Stanley - considering his behavior brutish and unnecessary. They both believe the other acts irrationally because they can not identify with each other’s behavior because of both individual and cultural differences.