In one scene, she is giving Stanley a big speech and she says "deliberate cruelty is unforgivable." She goes on to say that this is one offense she herself has never been guilty of. However, in another scene, she says that she was in a relationship with a young man who wrote poetry. She called him weak and useless and then the boy committed suicide. That sounds pretty cruel to me. Anyone else notice this contradiction?
shareYes.
shareThe key word in her line is "deliberate."
She was only 16 when this happened. She had just learned he was a closet homosexual. She was drunk the night of his suicide.
Many people live to make mistakes they have difficulty forgiving themselves for. Blanche likely held herself responsible for Allan's suicide and vowed never to be deliberately cruel to anyone.
The Fabio Principle: Puffy shirts look best on men who look even better without them.
Being under the influence and being a teenager, does not make you say or do anything that is not already in your heart. If her actions weren't deliberate than what were they? Certainly not an accident. An accident occurs when you are minding your own business, without intent to harm, but you end up causing harm anyway. Like stepping on someone's foot. Blanch was angry with him and she certainly intended to cause harm. Therefore she was guilty of deliberate cruelty.
shareBlanch was angry with him and she certainly intended to cause harm.
Therefore she was guilty of deliberate cruelty.
Exactly. She never said that she was innocent of deliberate cruelty or that she was a wholly forgivable person. This is definitely not something I would consider a contradiction. There are only two reasons why she would hold that strong of an opinion about cruelty: she either was cruel to someone or someone was cruel to her.
shareBlanch was angry with him and she certainly intended to cause harm. Therefore she was guilty of deliberate cruelty.
So you say, and so it may be. But if that line of reasoning is taken to its absolute sense, then what, may I ask, would an example of "unintentional cruelty" be?
We can be "deliberately cruel" and then there are times when we say or do hurtful things unthinkingly.
Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!
I'm curious.
Does anybody not give any weight to the fact that he cheated on her?
Or does his being gay (or bisexual) somehow make that a non-issue?
"Oh well, he HAD to cheat and lie. He was homosexual. It's not like he could remain a bachelor or something....they would have hurt his feelings by calling him queer or.....'one of those types'......"
So he ate lead. Poor him.
Considering that this would have taken place in the 30s when homosexuality was not discussed and certainly not understood, Blanche had to have felt a terrible sense of betrayal and even a sense of being trapped in a situation that would have been considered beyond scandalous and shameful. At 16 she would have lashed out because she wouldn't have known any better.
She never talked about the aftermath. We have to wonder what that was.
The Fabio Principle: Puffy shirts look best on men who look even better without them.
Well, it obviosuly messed her up pretty bad, with her hearing music and then gun shots from time to time. A number of other things, not the least her drinking, added to her mental chaos, but that was what she was....chaotic (and depressed and delusional and escapist and .....).
As to what how others reacted, some of them may have even thought she cheated on him and that's why he kiled himself. That would have been a disaster in a small town.
Well, it obviosuly messed her up pretty bad, with her hearing music and then gun shots from time to time. A number of other things, not the least her drinking, added to her mental chaos, but that was what she was....chaotic (and depressed and delusional and escapist and .....).
As to what how others reacted, some of them may have even thought she cheated on him and that's why he kiled himself. That would have been a disaster in a small town.
Yes, she says this because she committed that fault toward her husband, Allan, and became one of the factors of his suicide.
She punished herself for that one act of cruelty for the rest of her life. Her promiscuous behavior was a result of her belief that she didn't deserve love. Her running after young boys was an effort to save her husband, to change her last words to him.
Stanley was prime poison for both of those tendencies. He was cruel to the last degree but covered in youthful beauty.
I think Mitch was a step forward for her...he was kind and not a male beauty. If only he didn't let her down...ironically he was Blanche to her Allan.
I'm thinking she said that out of her own feelings of guilt over what she had done. He did commit suicide, after all. She clearly cannot forgive herself for what she did - it is one of the factors that contributes to her insanity.
sharekedog22 says > In one scene, she is giving Stanley a big speech and she says "deliberate cruelty is unforgivable." She goes on to say that this is one offense she herself has never been guilty of. However, in another scene, she says that she was in a relationship with a young man who wrote poetry. She called him weak and useless and then the boy committed suicide. That sounds pretty cruel to me. Anyone else notice this contradiction?She tells Mitch she didn't understand the boy had serious issues. She wasn't being deliberately cruel; just responding to aspects of his behavior. It's the same with Stanley. He takes what she says about him as a personal attack but her motivation is protecting her sister not being intentionally cruel towards him. Some people may not see a distinction but there is one. What's important is Blanche doesn't see it as a contradiction. She has good intentions; Stanley does not.