 “I can’t stand a naked light anymore than a rude remark or vulgar action.”  “I don’t want realism, I want magic… I don't tell truths. I tell what ought to be truth”  Blanche cannot deal with the reality that she has lost everything  deeper and deeper into her alternative reality.

 Tennessee Williams uses costume to accentuate Blanche’s delusions and her inability to deal with reality  rhinestone tiara and fox fur scarves

 At the beginning of the play she is a normal women come to visit her sister.  Eventually an event (Stanley raping her) tips the balance which pushes her fully into her fantasy.  I am sure many of us can relate to this especially with the stress we are under from school and the prospect of being adults we escape this reality by forming excuses.

 “her first attempt showed her that imagination itself was a source of secrets: once she had begun a story, no could be told.”  she is too naïve to understand.  Light is also a metaphor in Atonement for the truth  raped she is in pitch black

 she allows her imagination to form realities that she can understand.  Briony witnesses the ensuing moment of sexual tension from an upstairs bedroom and is confused as to its meaning.  she is still very much a child and is too naïve to understand what she has witnessed.

 Ian McEwan uses the setting to accentuate Briony’s imagination creating alternative realities that she can understand as opposed to what actually is happening.  For example how many of us either had an imaginary friend or pretended to be something we weren’t a pirate or a princess to name a few examples?

 theme of imagination verse reality portrayed.  different techniques to accentuate the theme.