In the play A Streetcar Named Desire, why does Blanche try to block out her past and avoid reality? Why does she try to block out her past...

In addition
to the previous answer, which was great

Blanche had no choice but to avoid
reality. How could she live with herself when the world she knew since she was little had just
been removed from under her feet?

The world from where Blanche came was
glamorous, enticing, and promising. She was the typical Southern Belle which would accept
gentlemen callers, attend cotillions, and be treated like a princess.

She had
it all- She married her teenage sweetheart, she was rich, she had an education, and a reputation
for being a stunner.

Suddenly, her husband has a gay love affair behind her
back, ends up committing suicide, lost her estate, her family became sick, Stella went off to
marry a doubtful man and, Blanche was left behind.

She ended up re-building a
woman from broken pieces, only she picked the worst pieces: Those pieces of her who are sexually
invasive, co-dependent, alcoholic , and lost.

I think Blanche was already on
the way...