1. Blanche has constructed an idealized self—an image of the person she thinks she ought to be. Blanche struggles to become that idealized self. She also rebels against her belief that she ought to become that self. What are the
characteristics of Blanche's idealized self? How does Blanche use clothing and other externals (perfume, for example, and the paper lantern) to induce others to perceive her as that self?
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2. Blanche is a guilt-ridden woman. In struggling with guilt, a person may seek relief by using love from another to counteract the self-hatred that rages inside; or a person may seek relief from guilt by self-purification, self-punishment, or self-nurturing. Other strategies also exist. Why is Blanche tormented by guilt and how does she seek relief from guilt?