Blanche is a tragic character who becomes a victim of cruelty. Ironically, Blanche reveals that despite her flaws, she has never been guilty of deliberate cruelty.Blanche is Stella's sister, and she arrives to live with Stella and her husband Stanley for an undefined period of time. Blanche brings some emotional baggage with her. Her husband, who was gay, committed suicide and Blanche feels guilty about his death, feeling that she contributed to it. It is also eventually learned that Blanche has a somewhat promiscuous past (for the times), and this information is eventually used against her in retaliation for her trying to drive a wedge between Stella and her husband Stanley. Blanche is eventually raped by Stanley and this event causes her already fragile mental condition to become completely unhinged.