"I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!" (Williams 145).
Blanche is admitting that she is a liar. She confesses that she often tells people what they would like to hear in order to make them happy. She sets people up for disappointment because once they have to face the truth, they are saddened by it. Blanche herself is a prime example of this. She relies on the compliments of others to feel good about her image. In the above instance, she has been insisting that Mitch not turn on the lights. Others have told her she is beautiful, but she is ashamed of her age that is revealed by the light. Blanche does not want to face the truth of her age that the light uncovers. Once her true image is shown, she is embarrassed, and proven guilty as a liar.
Katie-I wonder if this might not be one of Blanche's redeeming qualities--a wish to make others feel good about themselves. Of course, it's questionable whether she does this or not.
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