No one’s life is simple; we all face
hardships and we all have our own ways of dealing with them. Coping, the way one deals with stress, is a
part of human existence. People cope in
a multitude of different ways; an individual may turn to drugs, a significant
other or even turn within themselves in hopes of being relieved of their
pressures. Some people may even create an
entire fantasy world in which the stressor is completely nonexistent; it can be
very dangerous to turn a blind eye to an extreme hardship all together because the
individual will not look for a resolution of the problem in the realm perceived
by people. In the play by Tennessee
Williams, “A Streetcar Named Desire” the character Blanche is depicted with a
strong coping mechanism by living in her fantasy world but her sister Stella
also copes. Stella was told by her
sister, Blanche, that Stanley, her husband, raped her. Stella confides her beliefs to Eunice when
she says, “I couldn’t go on believing her story and live with Stanley” (Stella
1232). This quote shows that Stella is
conflicted on who was actually telling the truth because she knows of Stanley’s
cruel nature. Stella believed Blanches
story, to an extent, but could not accept it and take actions towards Stanley
about it. Stella chose to overlook her
sister Blanche’s story and side with Stanley.
Stella’s way
of coping is similar to that of someone with Stockholm Syndrome. Stockholm Syndrome is developed by some
hostages in which they have positive feelings towards their captors in a crisis
type situation. Patty Hearst is an
example of how Stockholm Syndrome can develop.
Patty was taken from her apartment by a group who called themselves the
Symbionese Liberation Army. Even though
she was a captive, she bonded with her captors and actually sided with them,
even robbing a bank with them. Stella is
in a crisis with Stanley, though it may not be as severe as pre-documented
examples of people developing Stockholm Syndrome, it still plays a critical role
in the story of Stella.
Stella would basically have nothing
if she had sided with Blanche and left Stanley.
Stanley is Stella’s support system in life and she would collapse if Stanley
was not present. So even though Stella
believed Blanche, her only means to go on living normal or how she is now
accustomed to is to run back to her “captor.”
Eunice even helps Stella go back to Stanley when she says, “Don’t ever
believe it. Life has got to go on. No matter what happens, you’ve got to keep
going” (1232). Eunice knows that
Stella’s best option is to stay with Stanley even though Eunice is under the
assumption that Stanley did commit such a heinous action against the Blonde
from Belle Reve. Stella is now doomed to
stay with Stanley until death do them part.
fbi.gov
medicaldictionary.com
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