Defend Stella's and Stanley's decision to commit Blanche to a mental hospital. Explain why there was no other solution, in spite of Blanche's many attractive qualities.

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Defend Stella's and Stanley's decision to commit Blanche to a mental hospital. Explain why there was no other solution, in spite of Blanche's many attractive qualities.

When reading a novel, a short story or a play one often has an opinion about the ending. In Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire, there have been many opinions about the ending. Some have thought it unjustified, some have found it perfect while others believe that it is just plain awful. However to commit Blanche to a mental hospital was the only solution for Stanley and Stella since Blanch is mentally unstable, a burden to the family and has no place else to go.

From the begining of the play one understands that Blanch is of a nervous character and that her mental health is not of a stable nature. Already in scene one her nervous features are made visible as she is alone in the apartment.

She is "clutching her purse" (p.6) and the screech of a cat causes her to loose her breath. The nervousness is intensified as the scene continues. Tennessee Williams uses the stage directions to do this. Blanche is shaking, tamping nervously and speaking with feverish vivacity which are characteristics of nervousness. Her nervous characteristics follow her through the play and are most noticeable through her baths. These baths are said to be taken to calm her down and quiet her nerves. The baths seems to accure in almost every scene which gives the reader a good understanding of Blanche's unstable nerves, the fact that she drinks heavily also paints a picture of Blanche as a nervous character. In addition to her nervous character she is also a chronic liar. To make this clear Tennessee Williams uses the character Mitch. When Mitch and Blanche talk...