Blanche Dubious, dressed in white, is first represented as a symbol of innocence and chastity. Noble, sophisticated, and sensitive, this delicate beauty has a distinctive appearance. She has come to New Orleans to seek refuge at the home of her sister Stella and her coarse Polish husband, Stanley. With her nervous and refined nature, Blanche is a clear misfit in the Kowalski's apartment. .

             Blanche represents a deep-seated attachment to the past. She has lived her whole life in Laurel, a small southern town; her family has aristocratic roots and they taught Blanche about the upper class life. Unfortunately, she cannot cope with life outside Laurel. Her life is a lesson in how a single mishap in life can have a large effect on the future; her refusal to come out of the time warp and cope with the real world, makes her idealistic. At the age of sixteen, she became obsessed with, and eloped with a sensitive boy. She believes that life with Allan would be pure happiness. She faces her worst nightmare when she discovers he is a bi-sexual degenerate. She is disgusted and tells him how she feels and this leads for him to commit suicide. Blanche cannot get over this. She holds herself responsible for his death. His death is soon followed by long visits at the bedside of her dying relatives. She is forced to sell Belle Reve, the family mansion, to pay for the large funeral expenses, which leads to her middle class slash lower class income. .

             In trying to escape the misery of her life in Laurel, Blanche turns to drinking and meaningless sex. She takes the alcohol to stop the polka music, symbolic of Allan's death, from running on in her head and to avoid the reality of her life. She submits her body to various strangers in an attempt to lose herself. She seduces young boys, trying to find a remembrance of Allan. She never finds peace in herself, and her horrific reputation ends her teaching career. .